France and England on a goal-scoring spree

Ronaldo suffers an injury as Portugal draws again

March 26, 2019 10:21 pm | Updated 10:21 pm IST - PARIS

Starting the deluge: Michael Keane, left, snaps in the first of England’s five goals against Montenegro

Starting the deluge: Michael Keane, left, snaps in the first of England’s five goals against Montenegro

Mesmerising Kylian Mbappe led France’s rout of Iceland in Euro 2020 qualifiers on Monday, but Cristiano Ronaldo hobbled off in Portugal’s disappointing draw with Serbia and racist abuse overshadowed five-star England in Montenegro.

Mbappe scored one and set up two more as the reigning World champion crushed Iceland 4-0 at the Stade de France to move top of Group H in Euro 2020 qualifying. The result gives France six points from its first two matches and puts it ahead of Turkey, which also won 4-0 on Monday, on goal difference.

In Group A, England, fresh from a 5-0 demolition of the Czech Republic, was forced to come from behind in a 5-1 win over Montenegro. But the impressive victory for the Three Lions was overshadowed by allegations of racist abuse in Podgorica.

It was a different story in Lisbon as champion Portugal notched up a second draw, 1-1 at home to Serbia.

If the result wasn’t disappointing enough, captain Ronaldo hobbled off after 30 minutes with no word on whether the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would be fit for to play for his club Juventus in the first leg of its Champions League quarterfinal at Ajax on April 10.

The results: Group A: Montenegro 1 (Vesovic 18) lost to England 5 (Keane 30, Barkley 39, 59, Kane 71, Sterling 81); Kosovo 1 (Zeneli 61) drew with Bulgaria 1 (Bozhikov 39).

Group B: Portugal 1 (Danilo 42) drew with Serbia 1 (Tadic 7-pen); Luxembourg 1 (Turpel 34) lost to Ukraine 2 (Tsygankov 40, Rodrigues 90-og).

Group H: Andorra 0 lost to Albania 3 (Sadiku 21, Balaj 87, Abrashi 90); France 4 (Umtiti 12, Giroud 68, Mbappe 78, Griezmann 84) bt Iceland 0; Turkey 4 (Kaldirim 24, Tosun 26, 54, Ayhan 70) bt Moldova 0 .

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