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Group
5 From the moment the UEFA EURO 2004 qualifying draw was made Germany were the overwhelming favourites to win Group 5 above Scotland, Iceland, Lithuania and the Faroe Islands. Such a prediction proved accurate but the group was far closer than anyone would have dared forecast.
Indeed, only a win against Iceland on the final day sealed Germany's place in Portugal and while the 2002 FIFA World Cup finalists remained unbeaten, three of their rivals long held realistic hopes of clinching automatic qualification. When the group began in September 2002, little over two months after the World Cup final, it all seemed so different. Germany eased to a 2-0 win in Lithuania, while Scotland's hopes were dented as they were held 2-2 in the
Faroes, a game the home team had led 2-0 with an hour gone.
Scotland bounced back the following month to win 2-0 in Iceland, while Lithuania got off the mark by beating the Faroese by the same scoreline. Four days later, Germany's form began to dip as they scraped a 2-1 victory at home to the
Faroes, while Iceland were more convincing in overcoming Lithuania 3-0. The next fixtures were in March. Scotland moved level on points with the leaders as they edged past Iceland 2-1 and Lithuania earned a surprise 1-1 draw in Germany. Lithuania beat Scotland four days later, meaning both sides were only behind Germany on head-to-head record.
June brought further twists. While Scotland were holding Germany 1-1 in Glasgow, Iceland, under new coach Asgeir
Sigurvinsson, delighted in a last-minute winner against the
Faroese. Four days later the Icelanders hit top form with a 3-0 win in Lithuania, while Germany needed two late goals to beat the Faroese 2-0. Iceland's excellent run continued in August as a 2-1 victory in the Faroe Islands took them top of the section.
Iceland, therefore, welcomed Germany to Rekjavik in September knowing that victory would put them in command of the group. In the event the Germans managed to secure a 0-0 draw that had the effect of eliminating Lithuania from contention, while Scotland's win against the Faroe Islands made their subsequent trip to Dortmund pivotal. That game was no easy matter for Germany, but they eventually prevailed 2-1 to ensure they only needed a final-day draw against Iceland in Hamburg to qualify.
A subsequent 3-0 victory saw the Germans home while Iceland were denied a play-off place as a 1-0 win against Lithuania gave Scotland second place and set up a testing play-off encounter with the Netherlands.
- UEFA.com
| Lithuania |
0-2 |
Germany |
07/09/02 |
| |
Ballack
26
Stankevicius og 59 |
| Faroe
Islands |
2-2 |
Scotland |
07/09/02 |
| Petersen
6, 12 |
n/a |
| Lithuania |
2-0 |
Faroe
Islands |
12/10/02 |
Razanauskas
pen 22
Poskus 37 |
|
| Iceland |
0-2 |
Scotland |
12/10/02 |
| |
Dailly
7
Naysmith 63 |
| Germany |
2-1 |
Faroe
Islands |
16/10/02 |
Ballack
pen 2
Klose 58 |
Friedrich
og 45 |
| Iceland |
3-0 |
Lithuania |
16/10/02 |
| n/a |
|
| Germany |
1-1 |
Lithuania |
29/03/03 |
| Ramelow
8 |
Razanauskas
73 |
| Scotland |
2-1 |
Iceland |
29/03/03 |
Miller
12
Wilkie 70 |
Gudjohnsen 48 |
| Lithuania |
1-0 |
Scotland |
02/04/03 |
| Razanauskas
pen 73 |
|
| Scotland |
1-1 |
Germany |
07/06/03 |
| Miller
69 |
Bobic
23 |
| Iceland |
2-1 |
Faroe
Islands |
07/06/03 |
Sigurdsson
50
Gudmundsson 90 |
Jacobsen
63 |
| Faroe
Islands |
0-2 |
Germany |
11/06/03 |
| |
Klose
89
Bobic 90 |
| Lithuania |
0-3 |
Iceland |
11/06/03 |
| |
Gudjonsson
59, 70
Hreidarsson 90 |
| Faroe
Islands |
1-2 |
Iceland |
20/08/03 |
| Jacobsen
66 |
Gudjohnsen
6
Marteinsson 72 |
| Scotland |
3-1 |
Faroe
Islands |
06/09/03 |
McCann
8
Dickov 45
McFadden 74 |
Johnsson
36 |
| Iceland |
0-0 |
Germany |
06/09/03 |
| |
|
| Germany |
2-1 |
Scotland |
10/09/03 |
Bobic
25
Ballack pen 50
|
McCann
60 |
| Faroe
Islands |
1-3 |
Lithuania |
10/09/03 |
| Olsen
43 |
Morinas
21, 58
Vencevicius 88 |
| Scotland |
1-0 |
Lithuania |
11/10/03 |
| Fletcher
70 |
|
| Germany |
3-0 |
Iceland |
11/10/03 |
Ballack
9
Bobic 59
Kuranyi 79 |
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