Star striker Wayne Rooney was sent off as England reached the Euro 2012 finals on Friday while continental heavyweights France and Portugal were left waiting anxiously on their fates. Rooney was red-carded in the 73rd minute in Podgorica as Montenegro fought back from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw. A last-minute equaliser from substitute Andrija Delibasic grabbed a share of the points after England had taken the lead with goals from Ashley Young and Darren Bent.
---- France, Portugal, Germany and Netherlands win
The Montenegro fightback was not enough to prevent Fabio Capello's men from earning the point they needed to secure qualification from Group G for next year's finals in Poland and Ukraine, however. But England's night was so nearly ruined by Rooney's 73rd minute moment of madness, the Manchester United striker sent off for aiming a petulant kick at Miodrag Dzudovic.
Rooney's dismissal capped a miserable week following the arrest on Thursday of his father and uncle in connection with a football betting scam. Montenegro secured their play-off spot when Wales beat Switzerland 2-0 in Swansea. France outclassed Albania 3-0 in Paris to go within a point of a place at the finals.
Goals from Florent Malouda and Loic Remy gave the hosts a 2-0 half-time lead, before Anthony Reveillere put the seal on a comfortable night's work with his first international goal in the 67th minute. Bosnia-Herzegovina's 5-0 thrashing of Luxembourg prevented France from qualifying automatically, but they are now assured of at least a play-off place.
Bosnia visit Paris for the final match in Group D next Tuesday, when a draw for France will be sufficient. Second-half goals from Georgios Samaras and Thoefanis Gekas sealed a 2-0 win for Greece over Croatia in Group F. Portugal crushed Iceland 5-3 in Porto with Manchester United starlet Nani hitting a brace. Spain defeated the Czech Republic 2-0 in Prague with first-half goals from Juan Mata and Xabi Alonso.
Spain stay top of Group I with seven wins from seven games. The Czechs are second on 10 points, two ahead of Scotland who have two games to play but the Scots can leapfrog the Czechs with a win at lowly Liechtenstein on Saturday. Germany earned their ninth consecutive win in Group A as Bayern Munich trio Mario Gomez, Thomas Mueller and Bastian Schweinsteiger all netted in the 3-1 win over Turkey in Istanbul. The Netherlands saw off Moldova 1-0 thanks to a Klaas-Jan Huntelaar 39th-minute goal in Rotterdam to take their Group E record to nine wins in nine matches. Sweden made sure of a play-off spot in the same pool with a 2-1 win in Finland with Sebastian Larsson, of English Premier League side Sunderland, and Blackburn's Martin Olsson on target.
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