the France midfielder Dimitri Payet scored the winner after setting up the equaliser in a 2-1 victory over Sweden. The visitors went ahead 54th minute through Emil Forsberg before Paul Pogba and Payet hit back with goals in the 58th and 65th minutes respectively to put France on 10 points, three points ahead of Sweden after four games.

Holland, who travel to Luxembourg on Sunday, are in third place on four points.

The former Arsenal striker Serge Gnabry scored a debut hat-trick as a second-string Germany team demolished San Marino 8-0 on Friday to stay top of Group C with maximum points from four matches.

The Germans have now made their best ever start to a World Cup qualifying campaign with four straight victories and no goals conceded.

The Denmark playmaker Christian Eriksen scored twice to extinguish the challenge of a tough but limited Kazakhstan side and put his side on the road to a 4-1 victory in Copenhagen in Group E qualifier.

Czech Republic’s Michael Krmencik scored 11 minutes into his debut and Jaromir Zmrhal added a second on the hour mark as the they beat Norway 2-1 in a battle between two sides that had previously struggled in Group C.

In Group F Slovenia stay within two points of England after an unimpressive 1-0 win over Malta while Slovakia were 4-0 winners over Lithuania.