Hat-trick for Wagner as world champions hit seven past San Marino
NURNBERG: Sandro Wagner scored a hat-trick as Group C leaders Germany stretched their 100 per cent record to six games with a 7-0 win over San Marino in NurNberg.
Julian Draxler’s early effort set the Germans on their way and a brace from Wagner and a fourth for Amin Younes put them four goals clear by the break.
Shkodran Mustafi increased Germany’s lead early in the second half and Julian Brandt headed the sixth before Wagner completed his hat-trick – and the German scoring – with a header of his own five minutes from time.
In the same group the Czech Republic were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Norway, Theodor Gebre Selassie’s first-half strike cancelled out by an Alexander Soderlund penalty.
Robert Lewandowski also netted a hat-trick as Poland maintained their six-point lead at the top of Group E with a 3-1 win over Romania in Warsaw.
The veteran striker opened the scoring with a 29th-minute penalty and doubled their advantage when he added a second just before the hour.
A second penalty from Lewandowski sealed another win for the hosts five minutes later before Bogdan Stancu scored a late consolation.
Stevan Jovetic was another hat-trick hero as Montenegro held onto second place in the same group with a 4-1 win over Armenia in Podgorica.
The former Manchester City man added to an early strike by Fatos Beciraj to secure a comfortable win for his side, while the visitors replied late through Ruslan Koryan.
Slovakia clung onto second place in Group F with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Lithuania in Vilnius, goals from Vladimir Weiss and Marek Hamsik giving the visitors the points before Arvydas Novikovas hit a stoppage-time consolation.
Denmark kept up the pressure on Group E leaders Poland with a 3-1 win over 10-man Kazakhstan in Almaty.
Nicolai Jorgensen put the Danes ahead and Christian Eriksen added a second from the spot after Bauyrzhan Islamkhan was sent off in the dying stages of the first half.
Islambek Kuat briefly reduced the deficit before Kasper Dolberg’s 81st-minute strike sealed victory for the visitors.
In England and Scotland’s group, Slovenia maintained their push for a place in Russia as goals from Josip Ilicic and Milvoje Novakovic gave them a 2-0 win over group minnows Malta in Ljubljana.
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