Football news - Edin Dzeko double sinks Northern Ireland, Swiss win in Iceland to boost hopes
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ByEurosport
Updated 15/10/2018 at 21:40 GMT
An Edin Dzeko brace handed Bosnia a 2-0 home win over Northern Ireland in an action-packed Nations League clash on Monday, which further consolidated their place on top of the second-tier's Group 3.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's forward Edin Dzeko (R) and his teammates celebrate after scoring against Northern Ireland's national team, during the UEFA Nations League football match between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Northern Ireland at Grbavica stadium.
Image credit: Eurosport
The result left the Bosnians on a maximum nine points from three games, ahead of Austria who have three points from two matches. Northern Ireland have none from three games.
Both sides missed chances in an end-to-end contest, with Dzeko firing the home side ahead in the 27th minute when he steered the ball into the bottom left corner from 10 metres after a defensive blunder by Jamal Lewis.
Midfielder George Saville twice came close for Northern Ireland while Dzeko fired over the bar and had a superb goal controversially disallowed for offisde at the other end in a see-saw first half.
Substitute Gavin Whyte missed a gilt-edged chance to equalise in the 56th minute before Dzeko struck again in the 73rd, side-footing the ball past goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell after a defence-splitting pass by Miralem Pjanic.
Bosnia keeper Ibrahim Sehic kept out Saville's piledriver before Northern Ireland hit the woodwork for the third time in the dying minutes, as the home team's defender Ervin Zukanovic deflected a low cross from the right.
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Switzerland's midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri runs with the ball during the UEFA Nations League Group Stage football match Iceland v Switzerland in Reykjavik, Iceland on October 15, 2018.
Image credit: Eurosport
Switzerland kept their Nations League semi-final hopes alive and sent Iceland down into the second tier with a 2-1 win in rainy Reykjavik in their League A Group Two match on Monday.
Haris Seferovic and Michael Lang scored the Swiss goals in the second half while debutant goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo made three key saves for the visitors.
Switzerland, who thumped Iceland 6-0 in September, have six points from three games, level with group leaders Belgium who have a game in hand. Iceland have lost all three games and will finish bottom of the section.
Belgium host Iceland on Nov 15. before visiting Switzerland in what will be the group's decisive game three days later.
Cameroon-born Mvogo prevented Iceland from taking a halftime lead with a diving save from Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Iceland keeper Hannes Halldorsson was not tested until the 51st minute when he stopped a dipping shot from Steven Zuber, but Switzerland went ahead a minute later when Seferovic headed in Granit Xhaka's pinpoint cross.
Mvogo made a brilliant point-blank save from Alfred Finnbogason's header before Michael Lang turned in Xherdan Shaqiri's cross for the second goal in the 67th minute.
Mvogo was finally beaten by a long-range Finnbogason shot in the 81st, Iceland's first goal in the group.
The Swiss then survived a late rally from Iceland with Fabian Schaer heading off the line and Mvogo tipping over a fierce Sigurdsson drive to secure the win.
NATIONS LEAGUE RESULTS
- Spain 2-3 England
- Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 Northern Ireland
- Estonia 3-3 Hungary
- Finland 2-0 Greece
- Belarus 0-0 Moldova
- Luxembourg 3-0 San Marino
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