Two for Totti as Italy get back on track

FRANCESCO TOTTI scored twice as Italy got their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a 4-3 victory over Belarus in a remarkable Group Five game.

Italy went ahead in the 27th minute through a twice-taken penalty from Totti and then doubled their advantage six minutes later with a confident strike from midfielder Daniele De Rossi.

Belarus replied seven minutes into the second-half with a spectacular 35-metre drive from Maxim Romashchenko before Marcello Lippi's side restored their two-goal cushion in the 74th minute with a beautiful free-kick from Totti.

But the Belarussians made the Azzurri sweat when three minutes later Vitaly Bulyga robbed Gennaro Gattuso inside the Italy area and fired past Gianluigi Buffon.

Alberto Gilardino made it 4-2 for Italy in the 86th minute, stooping to head in after a Gianluca Zambrotta shot had been parried. But there was more drama when Romashchenko fired in a brilliant free-kick in the 89th minute.

Ruud van Nistelrooy scored a goal in each half as the Netherlands recovered from a goal down to beat Finland 3-1 in Group One.

Finland shocked the Dutch by taking the lead after just 14 minutes when Teemu Tainio headed home after Jonas Kolkka's strike hit the bar.

Six minutes before the break Philip Cocu set up Wesley Sneijder to equalise from close range and Van Nistelrooy gave the Dutch the lead two minutes later, scoring from a rebound after Dirk Kuijt had struck the bar.

Van Nistelrooy sealed the victory in the 63rd minute after a pass from Romeo Castelen.

Norway transformed their qualification chances with a 3-0 victory over Slovenia in Group Five.

After a draw and a defeat in their opening two matches, Norway clinched their second win in five days after the 1-0 victory in Scotland to move level on points with Slovenia.

John Carew put Norway ahead after seven minutes, curling a shot inside the far post after beating keeper Borut Mavric in a race for the ball.

Morten Gamst Pedersen made it 2-0 from close range in the 60th minute and substitute Alexander Odegaard scored the third in the 90th minute.

Liechtenstein won their first ever World Cup match when they beat Luxembourg 4-0 in their Group Three qualifier to complete the greatest week in their soccer history.

Before their 2-2 draw with Portugal on Saturday, Liechtenstein had lost 20 successive qualifiers in eight years scoring only four goals and conceding 84.

But the last five days have produced a win and a draw and an astonishing 6-2 goals difference and they are now level with Latvia on four points in fifth place in the group, four clear of bottom-placed Luxembourg.

Franz Burgmeier, who also scored against Portugal on Saturday, scored twice after 44 and 84 minutes with Martin Stocklasa (41) and Mario Frick (57 penalty) adding the others.

Sweden struck four first-half goals, including two from Henrik Larsson, to thrash Iceland 4-1 and move top of Group Eight.

Sweden followed their 3-0 win over Hungary on Saturday with another convincing victory to move two points above unbeaten Croatia, who did not play on Wednesday and have a game in hand.

Fleet-footed Christian Wilhelmsson was behind Sweden's most dangerous attacks and the Anderlecht midfielder wrapped up the victory with his first goal in his 16th international.

Wilhelmsson set up two stylish Larsson goals and a slightly lucky one for Marcus Allback in a purple 15-minute patch that started midway through the first half before scoring himself with a powerful volley from 18 metres a minute before halftime.

Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen hammered home a consolation goal for disappointing Iceland in the 66th minute.

Spain's stuttering World Cup form continued when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Lithuania in a Group Seven qualifier which left them in third spot in the table.

Two goals from Dejan Stankovic and one apiece by Savo Milosevic, Ognjen Koroman and Zvonimir Vukic gave Serbia & Montenegro a 5-0 win over San Marino in the Group.

But the big names did not entirely dominate the day Andorra scored a 1-0 victory over Macedonia with a 60th-minute volley by midfielder Marc Bernaus. A tiny principality in the Pyrenees, Andorra had lost every qualifying game for the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004.