Bosnia-Herzegovina 0 Portugal 0:BOSNIA and Portugal's tie remain finely balanced after a goalless stalemate last night on a barely playable pitch in the ramshackle Bilino Polje stadium.
The Portuguese dominated proceedings but were almost caught napping late in the game after a subdued home side finally came to life.
Portugal had the upper hand in the opening stages with Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani looking lively on either flank, but failed to create any clear-cut chances as their final pass kept going astray on a bumpy surface littered with holes.
Helder Postiga fired his close-range volley high over the bar several minutes before Sanel Jahic blocked a stinging Ronaldo shot from 12 metres. Ronaldo missed an excellent chance in the 51st minute, scuffing his shot wide from 10 metres after a defence-splitting through ball.
Second half substitute Vedad Ibisevic squandered Bosnia’s best two chances in the closing stages as the home side pushed forward.
Czech Republic 2 Montenegro 0
TOMAS SIVOK grabbed an important late goal to help the Czech Republic beat Montenegro last night, thus putting the hosts firmly in the driving seat to qualify for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.
The Czechs dominated possession but could not break down the Montenegro defence until the 63rd minute when Vaclav Pilar collected a pass at the edge of the penalty area from playmaker Tomas Rosicky and rifled a shot home.
But Sivok gave the Czechs vital breathing space for the away trip to Montenegro in midweek when he grabbed the vital second in stoppage time.
Rosicky gave Montenegro trouble all night and created a number of chances for the Czechs, who got a pre-game boost when goalkeeper Petr Cech decided to play with a specially designed mask after breaking his nose at the weekend.
The Czechs, who won the tournament in 1976 as Czechoslovakia, travel to Podgorica on Tuesday for the return leg.
Turkey 0 Croatia 3
CROATIA almost certainly secured their spot in next summer’s finals when they romped to a comfortable three-goal victory away to Turkey in Istanbul thanks to goals from Ivica Olic, Mario Mandzukic and Vedran Corluka.
The visitors were always in control following an early goal as they fashioned a victory that takes them to the brink of the finals.
Olic put the visitors ahead in the second minute with a simple tap in from close range after goalkeeper Volkan Demirel failed to cut out a low cross from Tottenham’s Vedran Corluka.
Despite a long period of Turkish possession, Croatia doubled their lead in the 32nd minute when Mandzukic headed in a cross from Darijo Srna at the far post.
Turkey’s misery was complete in the second half as Corluka made it 3-0 in the 51st minute, escaping his marker and heading in from close range from a free kick whipped in by Srna.
The return leg will be in Zagreb on Tuesday.
