World Cup Qualifiers: Spain thrash Liechtenstein with wins for Italy, Iceland and Turkey Last Updated: 05/09/17 11:21pm
Alvaro Morata and substitute Iago Aspas each scored twice as Spain continued to cruise towards the World Cup finals with an 8-0 win over Group G whipping boys Liechtenstein in Vaduz. Buoyed by Saturday's 3-0 thrashing of closest rivals Italy, the visitors raced into another 3-0 lead inside 16 minutes with goals from Sergio Ramos, Morata and Isco.
David Silva added a fourth before half-time when he was replaced by Iago, who needed just five minutes of the second half to make it 5-0.
Iago turned provider to set up Morata's second in the 54th minute then added a second of his own before Max Goppel's late own goal completed the rout.
Italy effectively sealed at least a play-off place after an underwhelming 1-0 win over Israel, while third-placed Albania were held to a 1-1 draw in Macedonia.
It was hardly the performance required by the Azzurri after their error-strewn defeat to the Spaniards, but Ciro Immobile's 53rd-minute header proved enough to take the points.
Hoping to maintain some pressure on the Italians, Albania went ahead through Odhise Roshi in Strumica, but Aleksandar Trajkovski's late penalty for the home side left them six points adrift and ended their qualifying hopes.
Serbia took another giant stride towards the finals as Aleksandar Kolarov's 55th-minute piledriver secured a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
The result gives Serbia a four-point cushion at the top of Group D over Wales, who leapfrogged Martin O'Neill's men into the play-off slot after a 2-0 win in Moldova.
Also in Group D, Austria were forced to fight back to grab a 1-1 draw against Georgia in Vienna, Louis Schaub cancelling out an early strike from Valeriane Gvilia.
Two points now separate the top four sides in Group I after leaders Croatia fell to a 1-0 defeat to Turkey in Eskisehir.
Cenk Tosun scored the only goal of the game in the 75th minute to lift the Turks to third place with two games in the group to go.
Iceland moved back into second place, level on points with Croatia, after a priceless 2-0 win over Ukraine in Reykjavik. New Everton man Gylfi Sigurdsson scored the goals for the hosts either side of half-time. It marked a welcome return to form for the European Championship quarter-finalists after their shock reversal to struggling Finland on Saturday.
Also in Group I, Finland continued their improved recent form with a 1-0 win over Kosovo in Shkoder, Teemu Pukki scoring the only goal seven minutes from time.
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