KIEV: Champions France drew for the fifth game in a row in all competitions as their stuttering World Cup qualifying campaign continued with a 1-1 draw in Ukraine.

Mykola Shaparenko put the hosts ahead with an excellent 44th-minute strike into the top corner from 20 yards.

Anthony Martial bundled in a close-range equaliser for only his second international goal – and first since 2016.

Moussa Diaby almost won the game, but hit the post from Karim Benzema’s pass.

Seven of the 10 Group D games have resulted in draws, including all five of Ukraine’s games.

France top the group on nine points from five games but Finland – in second on five points – have two games in hand.

France host Finland on Tuesday.

Including their 3-3 draw with Switzerland at Euro 2020, a match they lost on penalties, France have now drawn their past five games.

Depay on target

Memphis Depay scored twice as the Netherlands secured an important World Cup qualifying victory over Montenegro.

The Barcelona forward scored from the penalty spot after he had been hauled down in the box by Dusan Lagator.

He struck his second after the break, lashing in from an angle before Giorginio Wijnaldum struck the third.

Cody Gakpo then curled in the best goal of the night as the Dutch moved second in Group G, a point behind leaders Turkey, who they host on Tuesday.

Gakpo’s goal was his first for his country and scored on the ground he plays his club football for PSV Eindhoven on.

Depay now has 30 for his country and nine in his last nine matches.

Along with Wijnaldum’s effort they ensured a thoroughly deserved win – the first of boss Louis van Gaal’s third spell in charge of his country.

Montenegro did have their chances, mainly as a result of sloppy defending from the home side, but Stefan Mugosa was especially wasteful, notably with a shot he sliced wide having been put in on goal by Dutch debutant Tyrell Malacia’s sloppy pass.

They are fourth in the group now on seven points and off the pace for the one automatic spot, with Tuesday’s game in Amsterdam between the top two likely to go a long way to deciding who takes that.

Scotland win

Lyndon Dykes’ early counter gave Scotland a 1-0 win over Moldova in their World Cup qualifier at Hampden but the victory should have been more emphatic.In front of 40,869 fans a close-range finish by the QPR striker against the Group F minnows proved to be enough for three points but the Scots missed several chances to make the night more comfortable.

The win, however, sets Scotland up for Tuesday’s crucial match in Austria.

Steve Clarke’s side have eight points from five games and next face the Austrians who lost 5-2 to Israel, who are also in the mix for second place and a play-off spot, as runaway leaders Denmark look to be cruising to automatic qualification for Qatar next year.

Scotland must now find a statement result in Vienna to make their mark on the group.

Clarke had been criticised after the 2-0 defeat away to the Danes in midweek, more so for the first-half performance than the result.

A squad that was depleted by injuries and Covid issues was replenished with full-back Nathan Patterson, 19, and striker Kevin Nisbet making their first starts while defender Jack Hendry, midfielders John McGinn and Ryan Christie and Dykes also returned.

Roberto Bordin’s Moldova side were pushed back from the kick-off and an early shot from Patterson flew wide.

The Rangers defender, though, was more accurate when after passing the ball to Nisbet, he raced on to take the return pass and when his shot was parried by keeper Cristian Avram, Dykes was on hand to tap in from a yard out.

The home side and the fans could relax a little.

Billy Gilmour was pulling the strings and his pass to Dykes was moved on to Nesbit inside the Moldova box but the Hibs striker was too slow to react and was dispossessed.

Then, in the 27th minute, Kieran Tierney’s header from Gilmour’s corner was tipped over the bar by Avram, the second corner coming to nothing.

Moments later, a through ball from Ryan Christie found captain Andy Robertson but he blazed his shot over the bar before Tierney had two drives, one either side of an effort from Gilmour, all saved by Avram.

Moldova had barely threatened but in a 38th-minute break striker Mihail Ghecev came close with a powerful drive from 25 yards which sped past Craig Gordon’s left-hand post.

Scotland kept the pressure up at the start of the second half and defender Grant Hanley headed over another perfectly delivered ball by Gilmour.

While only one goal separated the sides Moldova were always in it and Gordon had to deal with a decent long-range drive from substitute Cristian Dros.

That spurred the Scots into action but Gilmour failed to convert from eight yards after working a neat one-two with Nisbet.

Callum McGregor and Che Adams came on for McGinn and Nisbet and Adams soon sent in a drive which escaped Avram’s right-hand post, just before Kenny McLean and Liam Cooper took over from Gilmour and Robertson.

The match fell flat but Scotland missed another chance after David Turnbull had come on for Dykes, when Christie drove high over the bar. Scotland will have to be more clinical in Austria.

** A goal from Shane Duffy provided the Republic of Ireland with their first point of the World Cup qualifying campaign with a face-saving 1-1 draw against Azerbaijan.

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