Georgia 1 Russia 0The Republic of Ireland's hopes of qualification for Euro 2004 were advanced yesterday when Russia were sucked into the Group 10 chasing pack following a 1-0 reverse in Georgia.
The result means that Ireland, with three successive home games to come against Albania, Georgia and Russia, have an opportunity to banish the disappointment of two defeats at the start of the campaign and make a push for qualification.
Russia began the campaign with a 4-2 win against Ireland in Moscow, and a subsequent 4-1 win over Albania saw them emerge as early favourites to top the group and qualify automatically. However, yesterday's loss, added to a 3-1 defeat in the return match against the Albanians, leaves them in second place on six points - two behind leaders Switzerland and just two ahead of Ireland - after four games.
Georgia join Ireland on four points, but have an inferior goal difference.
The decisive goal game in the 11th minute when Malkhaz Asatiani of Lokomotiv Moscow was left unmarked and headed home from close range.
The Russians had only a few clear scoring chances. In the best of them, Sergei Semak missed an open goal after going one-one-one with Georgia goalkeeper Georgi Lomaia in the 16th minute.
Lomaia then made a point-blank save to keep out a header by Russia's leading scorer Alexander Kerzhakov midway through the second half.
The match was re-scheduled after the original game was called off at half-time due to floodlight failure last October.
It was played amid heavy security following an incident during Georgia's home qualifier against Ireland on March 29th, when a fan threw a knife at Kevin Kilbane. UEFA initially banned all fans from attending the match but last week reversed its decision and allowed the 11,000 spectators, who had kept their tickets for the original game, into the Lokomotiv stadium.
GEORGIA: Lomaia; Khizanishvili, Khizaneishvili, Kaladze, Kvirkvelia, Tskitishvili, Nemsadze, Burduli (Shashiashvili 80), Asatiani (Didava 75), Demetradze, Ashvetia (Alexidze 84). Goals: Asatiani (11).
RUSSIA: Mandrykin; Nizhegorodov, Ignashevich (Yevsikov 14), Smertin, Semak, Aldonin (Sychev 80), Onopko, Alenichev, Titov, Izmailov (Kerzhakov 46), Karayka
Referee: Franz-Xaver Wack (Germany).
SWITZERLAND: An experimental Italy side ended Switzerland's six-match unbeaten run with a 2-1 friendly win in the new Stadium of Geneva.
Alexander Frei put the Swiss ahead in the fifth minute, but Italy responded when Nicola Legrottaglie headed in Fabrizio Miccoli's corner five minutes later. Midfielder Christiano Zanetti headed the winning goal in the 75th minute when he directed a cross from Massimo Oddo beyond goalkeeper Jorg Stiel.
Switzerland had not lost a match since being beaten by Canada in May last year.
ALBANIA: Dimitar Berbatov scored two first-half goals to give Bulgaria a 2-0 friendly win over Albania.
The Bayer Leverkusen striker headed the opener on three minutes from close range after a cross by Krassimir Balakov.
Berbatov notched his second in the 34th minute from 10 metres after picking up a low pass from CSKA Sofia's Velizar Dimitrov.
