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LONDON - Italy and France, who met in the World Cup final 16 months ago advanced to next year's European championship finals today thanks to Italy's injury-time 2-1 win over Scotland in Glasgow.
Christian Panucci's header sent world champions Italy through, ending Scotland's hopes in the process and meaning that France qualify for the finals whatever happens in their last game against Ukraine on Thursday.
The Netherlands, Poland and Croatia also booked trips to the finals in Austria and Switzerland on Saturday.
There was late drama in Tel Aviv, where Omer Golan scored in stoppage time to give Israel an upset 2-1 win over Russia. The result sent Croatia through, despite a 2-0 defeat in Macedonia.
Israel's win was also a great result for England, who began the day praying for a Russian slip-up and now need only a point from their home game with Croatia on Thursday to secure a place in the finals. They could still top the group.
Poland qualified from group A thanks to a 2-0 home win over Belgium after Euzebiuz Smolarek scored either side of halftime. It is the first time Poland have reached a European championship finals.
The Netherlands advanced from group G alongside Romania despite managing only a 1-0 home win over Luxembourg courtesy of Danny Koevermans' first-half strike.
Turkey are also now well placed after their impressive 2-1 comeback win in Norway that lifted them above the Scandinavians into second place in Group C behind already-qualified Greece.
The Turks will go through if they win their last game, at home to Bosnia while Greece, surprise champions in 2004, hammered Malta 5-0 with a hat-trick for Theofanis Gekas and goals by Angelos Basinas and Ioannis Amanatidis.
Germany and the Czech Republic had already qualified from Group D before Saturday's games.
Scotland must be wondering what they have to do to make a tournament finals having beaten France home and away and after giving Italy a torrid time for long spells on Saturday.
Luca Toni put Italy ahead in the second minute but Scotland, showing great heart and no little skill, equalised in the 65th through captain Barry Ferguson.
That result would have left the group placings still to be settled but Panucci's header from a controversially-awarded free kick changed everything.
"To say my players were magnificent is an understatement," said Italy coach Roberto Donadoni.
Elyaniv Barda put Israel ahead in the 10th minute of their game against Russia but the visitors stepped up their game in the second half and levelled through Diniyar Bilyaletdinov after an hour.
Russia poured forward and hit the post in injury time, only for Israel to break and grab the winner through substitute Omer Golan.
Russia now need to beat Andorra and hope England, who are hard-hit by injuries, lose at Wembley.
Serbia's group A game against Kazakhstan was postponed until Sunday after snow made the Belgrade pitch unplayable.
Several other sides in with a chance of qualification were in action later on Saturday and the final round of fixtures takes place on Wednesday.
- REUTERS
