Bulgaria keep Euro 2008 hopes alive

Bulgaria boosted their own hopes and prolonged Holland’s Euro 2008 qualification campaign after they claimed a 1-0 Group G win over Romania in Sofia.

Romania had already qualified and if the hosts had only drawn, Holland would have gone through regardless of the result in their late game with Luxembourg.

Bulgaria took the lead after six minutes through Velizar Dimitrov who headed in Martin Petrov’s left-wing cross.

Daniel Niculae tested Bulgaria keeper Dimitar Ivankov but Romania produced precious little and Dimitar Berbatov missed a great chance to extend the lead.

Finland came from behind to beat Azerbaijan 2-1 in Helsinki to move equal on points with Portugal in Group A.

Makhmud Gurbonov put the visitors ahead in the 63rd minute against a dominant Finland side.

However, Mikael Forssell headed a 79th-minute equaliser before Shefki Kuqi headed the winner four minutes from time to give Finland a lifeline ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Portugal.

Latvia overcame the shock of going behind against bottom side Liechtenstein to claim a 4-1 victory in Group F in Riga.

The visitors stunned their hosts when Dzintars Zirnis put through his own goal but the lead lasted just a minute before Girts Karlsons levelled.

Maris Verpakovskis, Juris Laizans’ and Aleksejs Visnjakovs scored the other goals.