KEY POINTS:
LONDON - Turkey stunned arch-rivals and European champions Greece 4-1 in Athens today and took a huge step towards qualifying for the Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland.
The top of the table clash in Group C left Turkey three points clear of Greece with 12 points from four matches as the visitors maintained their 100 per cent start to the campaign.
Greece lost for the first time and conceded their first goals as Tuncay Sanli (26th), Gokhan Unal (55th), Metin Tumer (70th) and Gokdeniz Karadeniz (80th) gave Turkey victory after Sotiris Kyrgiakos put the home side in the fifth minute.
There was another upset in the group for all the wrong reasons as the Norway-Bosnia game in Oslo was halted shortly after it began when fans threw flares on to the field, some hitting players, while one set an advertising hoarding ablaze.
The match resumed 30 minutes later after English referee Mike Riley took the players off the field but the Norwegian and Bosnian FAs are likely to face stiff penalties from UEFA, European soccer's governing body.
Bosnia eventually won 2-1 to move above Norway into third place behind Greece.
The top two met in Group D with Germany winning 2-1 in the Czech Republic, taking Joachim Loew's men to 13 points from five games and leaving them three points clear of the Czechs who were joined on 10 points by Ireland who have played a game more.
The Irish beat Wales 1-0 in an historic match at Croke Park, Dublin, the home of Gaelic sports. The only goal of the first soccer match played there was scored by the aptly-named Stephen Ireland shortly before halftime.
Kevin Kuranyi scored Germany's goals -- in the 42nd and 62nd minutes -- to give his side a commanding lead before Milan Baros pulled one back 14 minutes from time. But they could not find another goal to salvage a point and lost for the first time.
There were late strikes for France and Scotland who stayed neck and neck at the top of Group B and remained on course for the finals.
France won 1-0 in Lithuania and Scotland beat Georgia 2-1 in Glasgow.
Nicolas Anelka scored for France 14 minutes from time while Craig Beattie got Scotland's winner in the 89th minute.
Scotland and France have 12 points from five matches followed by Ukraine, who won 2-0 in the Faroe Islands, who are third on nine points.
Spain revived their qualifying hopes in Group F with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Denmark, who had defender Niclas Jensen red-carded after 19 minutes.
Strikers Fernando Morientes and David Villa got the first-half goals that lifted Spain to fourth spot, a point behind the Danes, four adrift of Northern Ireland, who have played a game more, and six behind leaders Sweden.
Northern Ireland were 4-1 winners in Liechtenstein, courtesy of a hat-trick by striker David Healy.
Croatia stayed on course for the finals but had to come from behind to beat visiting Macedonia 2-1 in Zagreb in their Group E match.
Croatia's victory, coupled with Russia's 2-0 win in Estonia and England's 0-0 draw with Israel in Tel Aviv, left them top with 13 points ahead of Russia on 11 and England with eight.
Poland were the highest scorers as they thrashed Azerbaijan 5-0 in Group A to go top after Serbia suffered a shock 2-1 defeat in Kazakhstan in the same section.
It was Kazakhstan's first competitive win and the first time they had scored at home in a qualifier since joining UEFA in 2002.
Kairat Ashirbekov and Nurbol Zhumaskaliyev gave them a 2-0 lead before Nikola Zigic pulled one back for the Serbs.
Poland moved to the top with 13 points from six matches, two points clear of Finland who did not play and have a match in hand.
Portugal are third, ahead of Serbia who also have 10 points, after a 4-0 rout of Belgium in which winger Cristiano Ronaldo continued the sparkling form he has shown for Manchester United by scoring twice.
Another 20 qualifying matches are scheduled for Wednesday.
- REUTERS
