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Wales moved closer to their first major tournament in 57 years as Gareth Bale's classy first-half goal gave them a 1-0 win over Belgium to go three points clear at the top of their Euro 2016 qualifying group on Friday.
Bale made the most of a defensive howler from Belgium midfielder Radja Nainggolan to calmly finish past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after 25 minutes, allowing the hosts to pull up the defensive drawbridge and comfortably see out the game.
It was Bale's 50th match for his country and he further underlined his status as their talismanic player asChris Coleman's well-drilled side moved on to 14 points in Group B, three clear of Belgium who are now second.
Wales, whose only appearance in a major tournament came at the World Cup in 1958, could need just two more wins from their final four matches, with two teams from each group, as well as the best third-placed team, qualifying for the finals in France.
Italy hold Croatia in thriller at empty stadium
Croatia and Italy stayed on course to reach Euro 2016 after a pulsating 1-1 draw in their Group H qualifier played behind closed doors at the Poljud stadium on Friday.
Fans were not allowed into the ground after the Croatians were handed a one-match crowd ban for repeated offences by their supporters earlier in the campaign.
Croatia fans shouted racist chants during a 5-1 home win over Norway in March which followed incidents in last November’s 1-1 draw with Italy in Milan, when they twice halted play by hurling flares on to the pitch.
Friday’s result left Croatia top with 14 points from six games, two more than Italy who stretched their unbeaten run in European Championship and World Cup qualifying to 46 games.
Striker Mario Mandzukic gave Croatia a controversial 11th-minute lead before Antonio Candrevaequalised with a cheeky penalty in the 36th.
The outcome left both coaches happy, with Italy's Antonio Conte ruing the first-half loss of two injured players.
Iceland go top with comeback win over Czechs
Unfancied Iceland moved within touching distance of reaching their first major tournament after Kolbeinn Sigthorsson scored a sublime winner in a 2-1 Euro 2016 qualification victory over the Czech Republic on Friday.
Having trailed 1-0, the superb comeback victory puts Iceland top of Group A on 15 points after six games, with the Czechs in second on 13.
If points were given for heart and guts, however, they would already be on the plane to the tournament finals in France.
The home side dominated the game with their physical play, but Borek Dockal gave the Czech Republicthe lead 10 minutes into the second half, thumping home a rising right-foot shot into the top left corner after he was teed up by Tomas Necid.
That was the first goal that Iceland had conceded on home soil in the qualifying campaign, but it jolted them into life.
Hunting in packs and flying into tackles, they never let the Czechs settle, and they equalised five minutes later when Aron Gunnarsson dived to head home Ari Skulason's lofted ball.
Then Lukas Vacha, under pressure on the edge of his area, played a loose pass and Sigthorsson pounced, dancing deftly around Petr Cech and coolly slotting the winner in the 76th minute.
