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Pacesetters aim to stay ahead

Netherlands and Czech Republic head the list of sides hoping to protect unbeaten runs in Saturday's qualifiers.

Show of strength
"There is a bad feeling about the Dutch team because we missed the World Cup," Dutch midfield player Paul Bosvelt said. "We now want to show that we are a good team and we have the quality to do that."

Group leaders
The teams meet in Rotterdam as joint leaders of Group 3 with two wins apiece. The visitors are fresh from a friendly victory over France in Paris but must do without suspended midfield player Jirí Jarosík, while Dutch winger Andy van der Meyde has dropped out through injury. The other game in the group brings together two sides who are yet to get off the mark, Belarus and Moldova, in Minsk.

No mercy
France and Wales will also be defending 100 per cent records, though theirs stretch back as far as three matches. Group 1 leaders France take on Malta in Lens with Jacques Santini urging his players to show no mercy to a team that has lost four out of four qualifiers. "I'll play my strongest lineup," said the coach, who must nevertheless do without the injured Robert Pires. Cyprus entertain Israel in Limassol in the other fixture in the section.

Wales warning
Group 9 leaders Wales are more surprising pacesetters, chasing a first appearance in a major finals since 1958. With Azerbaijan the visitors to Cardiff, Mark Hughes' men will be confident of extending their winning sequence to four games, yet the manager warned: "Azerbaijan were thought to be the weakest team in our group, but they got a good draw against Serbia and Montenegro last month. We have to respect their ability."

In and out
Neither Italy or Finland, who lag five and six points behind the Welsh respectively, can afford to lose when the sides meet in Palermo. Italy recover Francesco Totti from injury, but the Scandinavian team are without injured captain Jari Litmanen.

Spanish showdown
Spain go into their Group 6 showdown with Ukraine in Kiev with the cushion of two wins behind them. Both squads, however, are bereft of key players: Serhiy Rebrov, Oleh Luzhny and Gennadiy Zubov miss out for Ukraine, along with Spain's Iván Helguera and Carlos Puyol. Elsewhere in the group, a first victory is up for grabs between Armenia and Northern Ireland in Yerevan.

Missing parts
The Group 10 leadership is the prize for Russia if they can beat Albania in Shkoder. There is a debut on the Albanian bench for coach Hans-Peter Briegel, while his opposite number, Valery Gazzaev, must find a replacement for the injured Ruslan Pimenov. The Republic of Ireland also have a striker missing, Robbie Keane, for the match against Georgia in Tbilisi.

Pick-me-up
England will want a return to winning ways against Liechtenstein in Vaduz after the recent friendly defeat by Australia. Despite injuries to Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole, they will expect a morale-boosting three points ahead of Wednesday's meeting with Group 7 leaders Turkey. Bottom side Slovakia also need a restorative result away to F.Y.R. Macedonia.

On the rise
Romania will go top of Group 2 above Norway if they defeat Denmark in Bucharest. An away victory, however, would leave the Danes - who are without Thomas Helveg - level on points with their Scandinavian rivals. Bosnia-Herzegovina tackle Luxembourg in Zenica in the other group match.

Issues at stake
Hungary will become joint Group 4 leaders Latvia on seven points with a win against Poland in Chorzow. Group 8 is less congested, although Belgium can stay on Bulgaria's coat-tails by beating Croatia in Zagreb. In Group 5, meanwhile, leaders Germany should hand a debut to Kevin Kuranyi against Lithuania in Nürnberg, while second-placed Scotland take on Iceland in Glasgow without the suspended Steven Thompson and Maurice Ross.