Norway 0 Germany 3: Muller inspires winning start for defending champions

“This time I do not want to experience such a mixed qualifying”.

The win means that England start off their road to World Cup 2018 in the best possible manner, which could help them restore some confidence after a dismal showing in France in the summer, where they were eliminated by Iceland in the Euro 2016 Round of 16.

Norway have managed to win one of the previous 19 duels between the sides, and to make things more curious, that was also the most recent meeting.

Lithuania played out a 2-2 draw at home to Slovenia in tonight’s other Group F fixture.

And after Muller starred in a dominant win for the defending champions in Oslo, where Joshua Kimmich also got his name on the scoresheet, Low joked that the player’s eye for goal had arrived a few months too late.

Thomas Muller opened the scoring for Germany after just 15 minutes in after Ozil slid in a pass to him.

Scotland defeated Malta 5-1.

The 26-year-old opened the scoring after just a quarter of an hour when he pounced on a rebound and looped the ball in before sliding a handsome pass through for Kimmich to finish just before the break. Norway goalkeeper Rune Jarstein prevented his side from going further behind with a string of good saves.

Northern Ireland held Czech Republic to a goalless draw in their first game following the Euro 2016 run.

They enjoyed 68 percent of the possession, spent almost the entire game inside the Norway half and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, given the captaincy in place of Schweinsteiger, did not have to save a single shot on target.

Leicester City’s 19-year-old winger Bartosz Kapustka had put Poland ahead and Robert Lewandowski doubled the lead from the penalty spot, only for Kazakhstan to score twice in the second half.

But two quick goals in the second half from Sergei Khizhnichenko ensured Kazakhstan started Group E with a point in Astana. “In the first 20-30 minutes the full-backs got forward and played a lot of balls up the pitch”. Still, it’s hard to sustain a fluke long enough to score 34 goals in 79 caps.