Group A Round-Up
By Andrew Scurr – Created on 6 Jun 2007
SKY Sports UK
Armenia produced a real shock in Euro 2008 qualifying
as they beat Group A leaders Poland 1-0 in Yerevan.
The minnows came into the game having scored just two
goals and were not expected to get anything against
Leo Beenhakker’s side.
However, Hamlet Mkhitaryan sent the Armenia supporters
home happy with the only goal after 66 minutes.
Armenia were awarded a free-kick 25 yards out and with
a stunning effort Mkhitaryan left Celtic goalkeeper
Artur Boruc with no chance.
Poland will stay five points clear at the top of Group
A as neither Portugal nor Serbia are in action on
Wednesday.
Finland made comfortable work of beating Belgium 2-0
in Helsinki to boost their chances of qualifying for
next summer’s finals.
The Finns are now level on points with Portugal and
Serbia, after goals from Jonatan Johansson (27) and
Alexei Eremenko (71).
Former Charlton striker Johansson put Roy Hodgson’s
men ahead with a well taken goal into the bottom
corner just before the half-hour mark.
Belgium’s Mario Fellaini was dismissed by referee Mike
Riley just after half-time and Eremenko made sure of
victory for Finland with the second.
Ten-man Kazakhstan came from a goal down to secure a
draw at home against Azerbaijan.
Already trailing through Vugar Nadyrov’s 30th minute
opener, the hosts suffered a further blow when Maxim
Zhalmagambetov was shown a red card on the stroke of
half-time.
But despite being a man light, eight minutes into the
second half Ruslan Baltiev met Nurbol Zhumaskaliyev’s
cross to bring Kazakhstan level