🇪🇺 Belgium hit EIGHT; Portugal survive Luxembourg scare; Wales win | OneFootball

The final international break of the season is nearly over, but we’ve still got a few rounds of World Cup qualifying action to enjoy first.

Here’s what went down in Tuesday’s fixtures …

Belgium 8-0 Belarus

Scorers: Batshuayi 14′, Vanaken 17′, 89′, Trossard 38′, 76′, Doku 42′, Praet 49′, Benteke 70.

Belgium made light work of Belarus as they stormed to a 7-0 win to continue their unbeaten start to the qualifying campaign.

The Red Devils took the lead when Michy Batshuayi blasted a left-footed effort into the top corner after some good work from Jeremy Doku before Hans Vanaken doubled their lead.

Leandro Trossard then scored his first goal for his country with a powerful drive from 25 yards out before Doku turned goalscorer when he finished off a blistering counter attack before half time.

It was a Premier League theme in the second half as Leicester’s Dennis Praet and Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke added their names to the scoresheet before Trossard grabbed his second.

Vanaken then rounded off the scoring with the eighth in the last minute to complete a perfect night for Roberto Martinez’s men.

Luxembourg 1-3 Portugal

Scorers: Rodriguez 30′; Jota 45+1, Ronaldo 50′, Palhinha 80′.

Portugal survived a huge scare after they came from behind to beat Luxembourg 3-1.

The hosts, ranked 98th in the world, took a shock lead after the half hour mark when Gerson Rodrigues turned Daniel Sinani’s cross in with a diving header.

Fernando Santos could breath easy going into the break as Diogo Jota headed in during first half stoppage time to level proceedings.

There was only going to be one winner from then and Cristiano Ronaldo bagged his 103rd goal for Portugal with a side-footed volley five minutes after the restart.

Substiute João Palhinha then glanced a header in from a corner to round things off for the visitors, who remain unbeaten in qualifying.

Gibraltar 0-7 Netherlands

Scorers: Berghuis 41′, De Jong 55′, Depay 61′, 88′, Wijnaldum 62′, Malen 64′, Van de Beek 85′,

Frank de Boer’s Netherlands have shrugged off a shaky start to their qualifying group to hit Gibraltar for six.

Steven Berghuis grabbed his first international goal last time out and stuck away his second to give the Dutch the lead after they spent nearly a whole half struggling to break the hosts down.

Luuk de Jong doubled their lead before Memphis Depay’s deflected free-kick started to open the floodgates.

Gini Wijnaldum volleyed home the fourth before Donyell Malen tapped in as the Netherlands scored three in three minutes.

Donny Van de Beek then came off the bench to force home the sixth before Depay rounded the night off with his second two minutes from time.

Wales 1-0 Czech Republic

Scorers: James 81′.

Daniel James struck a late winner as Wales rounded off a hectic week with a vital three points in Group E.

After three players were sent home for breaking COVID rules, caretaker head coach Robert Page will breath a huge sigh of relief after his team battled to a hard-fought victory.

The Czechs had Patrik Schick sent off for a colission with Connor Roberts before Roberts received his marching orders later on for a second bookable offence.

But it was Manchester United winger James who turned out to be the hero as he left his marker at the far post to head in Gareth Bale’s whipped cross.

All the results

Azerbaijan 1-2 Serbia (Group A)

Luxembourg 1-3 Portugal (Group A)

Belgium 8-0 Belarus (Group E)

Wales 1-0 Czech Republic (Group E)

Montenegro 0-1 Norway (Group G)

Turkey 3-4 Latvia (Group G)

Gibraltar 0-7 Netherlands (Group G)

Cyprus 1-0 Slovenia (Group H)

Slovakia 2-1 Russia (Group H)

Croatia 3-0 Malta (Group H)