Last night's European qualifiers had it all, drama, revenge and a topsy-turvy battle of intrigue from Eastern Europe.

The revenge came in Paris as France gained a measure of revenge for their World Cup final defeat beating Italy. 

Sidney Govou scored twice and Thierry Henry got the other goal while Alberto Gilardino scored for the world champions who now prop up the table with one point.

But if it's drama you like, Windsor Park Belfast provided the stage as David Healy propelled Northern Ireland to an upset over Spain, who once again subjected their fans to an evening of horror worthy of Hitchcock at his best. Healy levelled twice and then hit a stunning winner for an unlikely 3-2 win.

There were no Oscar nominations as England struggled to a 1-0 win over Macedonia in Group E - Peter Crouch scored the goal, his 11th in 10 matches.

The Netherlands maintained their 100 percent start in Group G with a 3-0 win over Belarus in Eindhoven with goals from Robin van Persie (2) and Dirk Kuyt.