EURO 2004 QUALIFYING: Group 10: Albania underlined their recent all-round improvement by opening their campaign with a 1-1 draw with Switzerland in Tirana with Edvin Murati scoring their all-important equaliser 11 minutes from time.
Switzerland had gone ahead through Murat Yakin after 37 minutes but Albania are no pushovers these days and the Swiss could not make their advantage tell.
The other match between Georgia and Russia was abandoned at half-time after a floodlight failure in Tbilisi with the score goalless.
That left Switzerland at the top of a group which includes the Republic of Ireland.
Switzerland are a point clear of the Russians who will replay their match in Georgia, though the date has yet to be fixed.
GROUP 1: France top the group after scoring their second successive win, a 5-0 victory over Slovenia in Paris with Steve Marlet scoring twice and Patrick Vieira, Sylvain Wiltord and Sidney Govou delighting a near-78,000 crowd.
Slovenia's gloom was completed when Sasa Gajser was sent off in the last minute.
Israel moved into second place with a well deserved 2-0 away win over Malta with goals from Pini Balali (66) and Haim Revivo.
Joe Brincat made his 100th appearance for Malta.
GROUP 2: Denmark moved to the top of the group on goal difference from Norway after their 2-0 home win over Luxembourg but they did not have things all their own way against one of the whipping boys of European soccer.
Norway chalked up an important win in Romania thanks to an 84th-minute header from Steffen Iversen who has yet to score any goals for Tottenham Hotspur this season.
GROUP 3: Austria maintained their 100 per cent start with a 2-0 win in Belarus with goals from Markus Schopp (57) and Muhammet Akagunduz (89). Belarus had Alexander Lukhvich sent off late in the game.
The Czech Republic began their campaign with a 2-0 win in Moldova where the home side finished with 10 men after Adrian Sosnovschi was sent off in the 69th minute.
GROUP 4: Latvia are surprise early leaders following their 1-0 win over Poland in Warsaw thanks to Juris Laizans' 30th-minute winner.
That upset, combined with Sweden's 1-1 home draw with Hungary in Stockholm means that Latvia lead Poland by a point, followed by Sweden and Hungary.
GROUP 6: Ukraine remain unbeaten in second place to Spain thanks to goals from Andriy Vorobei (51) and Andriy Voronin (90) which gave them a 2-0 win over Greece in Kiev.
GROUP 7: Turkey trailed Macedonia after only two minutes when Vlatko Grozdanoski scored for the home side but the World Cup semi-finalists ground out a victory largely against the run of play with goals from Okan Buruk (29) and Nihat Kahveci (54).
Turkey top the group with six points from two matches while England have three from one.
GROUP 9: Italy were held to a 1-1 draw in Naples by Yugoslavia who took the lead after 27 minutes through Predrag Mijatovic.
Alessandro del Piero equalised for Italy who now face a tricky tie in Cardiff against Wales on Wednesday. Finland, shocked 2-0 at home by Wales last month, bounced back for a 3-0 win over Azerbaijan in Helsinki.
