PARIS: Russia eased to a 5-0 thrashing of ten-man Cyprus on Sunday to become the third team to secure a place at Euro 2020, while Georginio Wijnaldum scored twice as the Netherlands beat Belarus.
Stanislav Cherchesov’s Russia, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals on home soil last year, only had to avoid defeat in Nicosia to join Belgium in qualifying from Group I.
Valencia winger Denis Cheryshev fired in a ninth-minute opener for the visitors, before Magomed Ozdoev, who scored a fabulous long-range strike on Thursday against Scotland, made it two midway through the first half. Any thoughts of a Cyprus comeback were ended in just the 28th minute when Kostas Laifis was dismissed for a nasty lunge on Russian full-back Sergei Petrov.
Striker Artem Dzyuba scored his third goal in two games in the 79th minute, before Aleksandr Golovin and Cheryshev’s second completed the rout late on.
Russia now lead third-placed Cyprus by 11 points with only two matches remaining, and will attempt to overtake Belgium at the summit when they host the world’s number one side on November 16.
Roberto Martinez’s Belgium, who qualified by thrashing San Marino 9-0 in midweek, won 2-0 in Kazakhstan earlier on Sunday thanks to goals from Michy Batshuayi and Thomas Meunier.
The European Championship finals, which start on June 12 next year, are being held at 12 different venues across the continent.
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