FOOTBALL: QUALIFYING FOR THE 2002 WORLD CUP GROUP 3

Sports | October 3, 2001, Wednesday // 00:00

Bulgaria Plays in Prague against Czech on Saturday. The picture in Group Three before:
DEPENDING ON events in Prague, where the Czech Republic meet Bulgaria in what is effectively a play-off for a play-off, Denmark may need only a point at home to Iceland to qualify. Since they exited Euro 2000 with a 100 per cent record - of defeats - Thomas Sorensen has inherited Peter Schmeichel`s mantle (and, reputedly, his modesty). Other Premiership players like Thomas Gravesen, Per Frandsen and Jesper Gronkjaer have contributed to an unbeaten group record, a home draw with Northern Ireland their only blip.

The same can hardly be said of the Czechs. The core of the team who lit up Euro 96, Pavel Nedved, Jan Koller, Karel Poborsky, Jiri Novotny, Pavel Srnicek et al, is still there, supplemented by the precocious Tomas Rosicky. Yet they drew, implausibly, in Malta before losing in Copenhagen and Reykjavik. A repeat of the jittery display in the 3-2 home win over Malta could let in Bulgaria.

GROUP THREE
P W D L F A Pts
Denmark 9 5 4 0 16 6 19
Bulgaria 9 5 2 2 16 9 17
Czech Rep 9 5 2 2 14 8 17
Iceland 9 4 1 4 14 14 13
N Ireland 9 2 2 5 10 12 8
Malta 9 0 1 8 4 23 1
Results: Northern Ireland 1 Malta 0; Bulgaria 0 Czech Republic 1; Iceland 1 Denmark 2; Bulgaria 3 Malta 0; Northern Ireland 1 Denmark 1; Czech Republic 4 Iceland 0; Iceland 1 Northern Ireland 0; Denmark 1 Bulgaria 1; Malta 0 Czech Republic 0; Northern Ireland 0 Czech Republic 1; Bulgaria 2 Iceland 1; Malta 0 Denmark 5; Czech Republic 0 Denmark 0; Bulgaria 4 Northern Ireland 3; Malta 1 Iceland 4; Denmark 2 Czech Republic 1; Iceland 3 Malta 0; Northern Ireland 0 Bulgaria 1; Czech Republic 3 Northern Ireland 1; Denmark 2 Malta 1; Iceland 1 Bulgaria 1; Denmark 1 Northern Ireland 1; Iceland 3 Czech Republic 1; Malta 0 Bulgaria 2; Bulgaria 0 Denmark 2; Czech Republic 3 Malta 2; Northern Ireland 3 Iceland 0.

Remaining fixtures: Saturday: Czech Republic v Bulgaria; Denmark v Iceland; Malta v Northern Ireland.

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