Euro qualifiers: Record for Mbappe, Saka hits treble

France striker Kylian Mbappe scored to set another milestone as his side maintained their perfect record in Euro 2024 qualifying Group B with a 1-0 home victory against Greece who finished with 10 men after a late sending off on Monday.

Mbappe netted a second-half penalty to become the all-time leading French scorer over a season with 54 goals for club and country, beating the mark set by Just Fontaine in 1957-58.

It also helped the Paris St Germain forward to move level with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, who has the chance to finish as top scorer among those playing in the five main European leagues when Norway face Cyprus on Tuesday.

The result left France top with 12 points, six ahead of second-placed Greece, who had Konstantinos Mavropanos sent off in the 69th minute after Mbappe's 55th minute spot kick.

"It was a long season for the players," said France coach Didier Deschamps. "We did what we had to to win this game even if we can regret we did not score another because you never know what can happen late in the game.

"We wanted to follow up on our win against Gibraltar, in front of our crowd," said midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, referring to France's 3-0 win on Friday.

"We knew they were a tough nut to crack but we did the job, three points without conceding a goal. Now, straight to holidays."

Randal Kolo Muani had a clear chance in the 25th minute with a downward header from Mbappe's cross but his attempt went just wide.

It came after earlier opportunities for Mbappe and Kingsley Coman but the offensive trio hit a brick wall.

After having three penalty claims denied, Les Bleus had another chance to score, only for Jules Kounde's volley to be tipped away by Odysseas Vlachodimos.

The hosts were finally awarded a penalty early in the second half after Antoine Griezmann, looking to connect with a cross from the left, was hit in the head by Mavropanos.

Vlachodimos parried Mbappe's spot kick but it had to be taken again as the keeper had left his goal line too early.

Mbappe found the top corner on his second attempt to score his 40th goal in his 70th international and Greece's hopes were further dashed when Mavropanos picked up a straight red card when he took down Kolo Muani, who was rushing towards goal.

After Saturday's win over Gibraltar, France have now scored nine goals and kept clean sheets in all four qualifying games.

They next face third-placed Ireland, who have three points from three games, at home on Sept. 7 when Greece travel to the Netherlands, who are fourth with three points from two matches.

Saka hits hat-trick as England thrash N Macedonia

England's Bukayo Saka netted a hat-trick in a 7-0 rout of North Macedonia as they tightened their grip atop Group C in Euro 2024 qualifying on Monday with a fourth consecutive victory.

Captain Harry Kane, with his 57th and 58th goals for his country, Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips all scored at Old Trafford in a game the hosts dominated as predicted.

"This is a feeling I can't really put into words. There's nothing I can say to describe it. I'm just so happy," Saka told Channel 4.

Manager Gareth Southgate revealed that Saka's tremendous performance had come despite a nagging Achilles injury.

"He's had it for a few weeks," Southgate told a news conference. "It is an injury that just needs managing... when you've had one of the best nights of your life, it's a reminder that it's worth going through these things."

England look set for next year's finals after amassing a perfect 12 points, having also beaten Ukraine, who are second on six points from three matches, Italy and Malta.

Saka's scoring heroics came in a flurry straddling halftime.

His first goal in the 38th minute was an angled shot into the top corner. His second just after the break came after he chested the ball down and struck a left-foot volley.

Saka completed his treble in the 51st after running on to a through ball from Kane and then was swamped by joyous team mates.

Southgate wrapped the grinning 21-year-old in a bear hug when he was substituted minutes later.

Saka, who left the pitch after the final whistle clutching the game ball, is the first Arsenal player to score a hat-trick for England, and the youngest since Theo Walcott in 2008 against Croatia.

On the heels of a brilliant season for Arsenal, Monday also marked a high after he missed the decisive penalty kick in a shootout loss to Italy in the 2020 Euro final -- held in 2021.

"It's been a really long season. I couldn't have ended it in a better way," Saka said. "Time to relax and have a break. We're really happy with the way the fans turned out and supported us."

Kane opened the scoring in the 29th minute and the Tottenham star added a second with a second-half penalty kick. Rashford tapped in a cross from Jordan Henderson just before halftime, while Manchester City's Phillips scored in the 64th minute.

Three days after their 4-0 away win over Malta, the thrashing of North Macedonia added to England's dominant run of Euro qualifying that stretches back to 2016. They have won their last 12 home qualifiers by an aggregate score of 47-4.

England next play Ukraine on September 9 when fourth-placed North Macedonia, who are struggling to match their qualifying high of Euro 2020 and have three points from three matches, host Italy. The Italians are third with three points from two games.

Turkey go top after beating 10-man Wales

Turkey moved top of Euro 2024 qualifying Group D with a hard-earned 2-0 home victory against 10-man Wales on Monday despite missing a penalty and having two goals ruled out by VAR.

A late header by Mehmet Umut Nayir and a superb curled effort by fellow substitute Arda Guler finally cracked Welsh resistance in Samsun to put Turkey top with nine points from four games.

Wales, who were surprisingly beaten at home by Armenia last week, are fourth with four points.

Turkey were denied an early opener when Zeki Celik's low cross was put into his own goal by Chris Mepham but VAR came to the rescue of the visitors.

Wales were reduced to 10 men in the 41st minute when Joe Morrell lunged in on Ferdi Kadioglu with his studs showing.

Turkey were frustrated again when Inter Milan's Hakan Calhanoglu had a 64th-minute penalty kept out by Wales keeper Danny Ward and minutes later Nayir scored from a rebound but had his effort ruled out for offside.

Turkey persisted and Nayir rose high in the 72nd minute and although Ward got a hand to his header he could not prevent the ball from going into the net.

Fellow substitute Guler then made sure with a superb left-footed shot into the top corner.

Hojlund the hero as Danes draw 1-1 with Slovenia

Denmark's Rasmus Hojlund netted his sixth goal in six internationals as they recovered to grab a 1-1 draw away to Slovenia in their Group H Euro 2024 qualifier on Monday.

Finland, who earlier hammered bottom side San Marino 6-0, top the group level on nine points with Kazakhstan in second ahead of Denmark and Slovenia in third and fourth respectively, both on seven. Northern Ireland are fifth with three points.

It was a much-needed point for the Danes, who threw away a two-goal lead and lost 3-2 to Kazakhstan earlier in the campaign, but they were still far short of their best in an entertaining game that saw the home side frustrate them.

After a tight, tense opening, the Slovenians broke the deadlock in the 25th minute with a brilliantly-executed corner that saw Adam Cerin pull the ball back for Andraz Sporar to drive it past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

In a repeat of the kind of lapse in concentration that saw Denmark go home after the group stage at last year's World Cup in Qatar, a loose pass by Schmeichel almost let Slovenia in for a second nine minutes later but the keeper recovered to pluck the ball out of the air with a Slovenian forward lurking.

The 20-year-old Hojlund, who has been linked with a move from Italian Serie A side Atalanta to a host of top European clubs, brought the Danes level just before the break with the kind of goal that will only add to his list of suitors.

Frustrated by the lack of service, he went foraging outside the box before stealing back into the middle to rifle home Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's low pass for his sixth international goal, all of which have come in this qualifying campaign.

In the second half, an ill-advised backheel from captain Simon Kjaer almost gifted the home side a goal on the hour mark but Schmeichel got down smartly to save from Benjamin Sesko.

Both sides struck the woodwork in the second half, with Denmark's Christian Eriksen hitting the post in the 64th minute and Slovenia's Jan Mlakar sending a shot cannoning off the crossbar four minutes later as the defence were caught napping.

Denmark continued to fire crosses into the box but they came no closer to scoring as the game ended in stalemate, and Danish captain Simon Kjaer, sporting a black eye, was left frustrated that his side could not get a winner.

"We have lots of quality, but we are in the process of finding ourselves again and finding our way back to the way we should play," he told Denmark's TV2.

"I don't think we've ever had this much quality on the ball in all the time I've been in the national team. We have to make sure to take advantage of that," he added.

Mihaila late show for Romania stuns Swiss in thrilling draw

Romania forward Valentin Mihaila struck a late double in three minutes to earn his side a 2-2 draw with Switzerland in their Euro 2024 Group I qualifier on Monday as the visitors snatched a point having been second best for most of the game.

Two goals from red-hot striker Zeki Amdouni looked to have won the day for the Swiss, who should have been out of sight by halftime having created loads of chances, but Mihaila’s unlikely brace will provide more frustration for home coach Murat Yakin.

He had been critical of his side after their lacklustre 2-1 victory in Andorra on Friday, but must have thought they would make it four wins from four in the qualifiers as they led Romania going into the final minute of the 90.

Switzerland still top the group with 10 points as they bid for a place at next year’s finals in Germany, while Romania are second with eight points, also from four matches.

The hosts were left to wonder how they failed to win, having been put in the driving seat by Amdouni’s double and after creating numerous other opportunities through the guile of playmakers Xherdan Shaqiri and Ruben Vargas.

Amdouni, a former Turkey junior international, has now scored in each of Switzerland's four qualifiers, an important contribution in the injury absence of lead forward Breel Embolo.

He went close early on when he narrowly failed to get on the end of Granit Xhaka’s cross, before grabbing the game’s first goal with a simple tap-in. Vargas did superbly on the left-wing and his deflected cut-back was perfect for Amdouni.

The forward added a second with a clinical finish through the legs of goalkeeper Horatiu Moldovan having been set up by an exquisite through ball with the outside of his boot by Shaqiri.

The latter should have added a third early in the second half with a chance at the back post he somehow put wide, and Romania made him pay.

The visitors were barely in the game as an attacking threat until Mihaila volleyed home Olimpiu Moruțan’s cross-field pass after 89 minutes and added a second when they combined in the second minute of added time to stun the home fans into silence.

Switzerland might still have won it but debutant Uran Bislimi struck the crossbar with virtually the final kick of the game to cap a disappointing night for the hosts.