ENGLAND’S faltering Euro 2008 qualifying campaign suffered a further setback as the side was held 0-0 by Israel in Tel Aviv on Saturday.

In another match, Kevin Kuranyi scored two goals Saturday to put Germany in control of its qualifying group after a 2-1 victory at the Czech Republic, and Nicolas Anelka kept France on course with the goal in a 1-0 victory at Lithuania. European champion Greece lost its lead and tumbled 4-1 to visiting Turkey.

In a meeting of two teams level on points at the top of Group D, Germany moved three ahead of the Czechs as Kuranyi scored with two headers in Prague. Milan Baros replied for the Czechs, who are now tied for second with Ireland, which edged Wales 1-0.

Not considered for last year’s World Cup by France coach Raymond Domenech, Anelka scored a solo goal in the 73rd minute in Vilnius, dribbling through the middle and shooting from outside the area.

The victory kept the World Cup runners-up level on points with Scotland at the top of Group B, while Ukraine moved ahead of idle Italy and into third place.

The Scots beat Georgia 2-1 at Hampden Park on Craig Beattie’s 89th-minute goal and Ukraine posted a routine 2-0 victory at the Faeroe Islands with strikes by Volodymyr Yezerskiy (20th) and Oleg Gusiev (57th).

The results mean that Italy now has five points to make up on Scotland and France, and is two behind Ukraine. The World Cup champions host Scotland on Wednesday.

England wasted chances in Tel Aviv and has not won or scored in Group E in three games. England stays level on points with Israel but five behind group leader Croatia, which beat Macedonia 2-1, and three behind Russia, which won 2-0 at Estonia.

Croatia now has 13 points, followed by Russia with 11, England and Israel with eight, and Macedonia with seven.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos gave Greece a fifth-minute lead against the Turks in Athens, but the visitors hit back with strikes by Tuncay Sanli, Gorgkhan Unal, Tumer Metin and Gokdeniz Karadeniz, and now lead the Group C standings by three points.

Bosnia-Herzegovina won 2-1 in Oslo. Poland jumped from third to the top of Group A with a 5-0 victory over Azerbaijan while Serbia was upset 2-1 at Kazakhstan and Portugal outplayed Belgium 4-0.

The Netherlands stayed at the top of Group G despite being held to a 0-0 draw by visiting Romania. The Dutch have 11 points from five games, Bulgaria and Romania are level on eight points, and Belarus has seven after a 2-1 victory at Luxembourg.

(SD-Agencies)