One of the strongest national teams in the world, Spain and Germany had to sweat in the World Cup qualifying matches to overcome less famous opponents.
In Group I, the Spanish world and European champions defeated Georgia 1-0 away, scoring the decisive goal in the 86th minute, while the French took care of Belarus at home - winning 3-1.
In Group C, the Germans beat Austria 2-1 away, while the Swedes defeated Kazakhstan 2-0.
A surprise was recorded in Group H: playing at home, the England national team had to struggle against the Ukrainians for a long time, who took the lead after Konoplyanka's goal. Frank Lampard's 87th-minute penalty allowed the hosts to secure at least one point.
In Group B, Italy showed no mercy for Malta, winning 2-0 at their home stadium, while the Bulgarians defeated the Armenians 1-0.
In Group D, the Dutch recorded a great victory, crushing Hungary 4-1 away. J. Lens scored two goals.
In Group F, Portugal beat Azerbaijan 3-0 at the end of the match, although they were only leading by 1-0 until the 85th minute.