World Cup qualifying: Cody Gakpo penalties help Netherlands thrash Malta

A brace of penalties by Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo helped Netherlands register a 4-0 World Cup qualifier win at Malta to move top of Group G.

Gakpo opened the scoring with a spot-kick in the 12th minute and grabbed a second from 12 yards four minutes into the second half.

Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders joined Gakpo on the scoresheet after 57 minutes following an assist by the Liverpool attacker before Memphis Depay added a late fourth to help Netherlands move three points clear of Poland.

Earlier in the day, Finland produced a second-half turnaround to down Lithuania 2-1 and move level on points with Poland.

Pijus Sirvys broke the deadlock in the 25th minute for visiting Lithuania, but Benjamin Kallman struck after 48 minutes and Adam Markhiev’s goal seven minutes later secured the points for the hosts.

Scotland boosted their World Cup hopes with a 3-1 win over recent nemesis Greece.

Greece claimed a 3-0 success at Hampden Park in the Nations League in March and looked on course for another victory when Kostas Tsimikas put them ahead, but Ryan Christie levelled two minutes later with 64 minutes on the clock.

Steve Clarke knew all three points were needed and Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson turned the tide with an 80th-minute goal before Lyndon Dykes struck in stoppage-time.

Faroe Islands recorded a remarkable 4-0 triumph over Montenegro in Group L, while the Czech Republic and Croatia played out a goalless draw.

Goals flowed in Group H with Austria winning 10-0 at home to San Marino after a four-goal salvo by Marko Arnautovic.

Meanwhile, Bosnia and Herzegovina were pegged back in stoppage-time by Cyprus in a 2-2 draw on the road.