Underdogs have their day

Noteworthy surprises
The outstanding performances were those in Riga and Glasgow, where Latvia beat 2002 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists Turkey 1-0 and Scotland increased the pressure on the Netherlands by winning by the same scoreline in front of their own fans.

Gritty display
Elsewhere, favourites Croatia were held 1-1 by a gritty display from neighbours Slovenia, while Wales took a step towards their first major tournament since 1958 thanks to a courageous 0-0 draw in Russia. Spain, meanwhile, conceded what could be a costly away goal in their eventual 2-1 victory against Norway.

Opening goal
The first goal of the day arrived in the 200th international to be played at Hampden Park, as Scotland forward James McFadden struck what proved to be the winner against a Dutch side which included Patrick Kluivert and Ruud van Nistelrooij in attack. "It was a great performance in the first half, we played brilliant football," said Scotland manager Berti Vogts. [Click here for a full report].

Verpakovskis strike
Latvia, ranked 69th in the world, also upset the odds with a 1-0 home success against Turkey, with Maris Verpakovskis registering his fourth goal in three internationals. The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when the striker latched on to a long pass, turned inside Emre Asik and sent the ball beyond Turkish goalkeeper Rüstü Reçber. [Click here for a full report].

Valiant performance
Wales were missing the injured Craig Bellamy for their trip to Russia to face a team with a formidable home record, but Mark Hughes's men produced a valiant performance to earn a goalless draw. [Click here for a full report]. In Zagreb, Croatia's Dado Pršo, fresh from scoring four times for AS Monaco FC in the UEFA Champions League, gave his side the lead inside five minutes against Slovenia. Ermin Šiljak restored parity midway through the first half, setting up what will be a tense encounter in Ljubljana. [Click here for a full report]

Late lifeline
Finally, Spain needed a late own goal from Norway defender Henning Berg to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory at the Mestalla stadium. The home team were stunned to concede a 14th-minute opener to Steffen Iversen but fought back after captain Raúl González had equalised. [Click here for a full report]