European Championship Qualifying: Six of the biggest wins in recent history

Gary Lineker scored a hat-trick in England's 8-0 win over Turkey

As England prepare for their double header against European minnows San Marino and Estonia, Mike Norman takes a look at some of the biggest victories in the recent history of European Championshp Qualifying with a view to a possible repeat later this week...

San Marino 0 Germany 13
September 6, 2006

Germany started their Euro 2008 Qualifying campaign with a nervy 1-0 win over Republic of Ireland thanks to a second half Lukas Podolski goal. Next up for new boss Joachim Lw was an away trip to San Marino, a game in which the 2006 World Cup third-place finishes would have little problems winning, but few would have predicted the record breaking score that was about to unfold.

Starting the game with 21-year-old Podolski, and 22-year-olds Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm - a sign of things to come from Lw - the Germans were rampant, scoring six goals before half time. They would have been excused for taking their foot off the gas in the second half but they would have none of that, eventually running out 0-13 winners to record the biggest win in the history of the European Championship.

Netherlands 11 San Marino 0
September 2, 2011

At the time of San Marino's visit to the Philips Stadion, Bert van Marwijk's Netherlands were the number one ranked team in the world following seven straight victories in their qualifying group. San Marino, who had already lost 8-0 to both Finland and Hungary earlier in the campaign, were up next.

The Dutch produced a masterclass as they recorded the biggest win in their history thanks in part to four goals from in-form striker Robin van Persie. Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt scored a brace, while even Everton's John Heitinga managed to get on the scoresheet.

Come Euro 2012 itself the Dutch, one of the tournament favourites on the back of their hugely impressive qualifying campaign, simply capitulated, losing all three group games while scoring just two goals.

France 10 Azerbaijan 0
September 6, 1995

France started Euro 96 Qualifying with three straight 0-0 draws against Romania, Slovakia, and Poland, leaving them with an uphill task in Group 1. The locals weren't happy. Aim Jacquet was the man in charge and next up was a trip to Azerbaijan in a must win game. The French didn't impress, but they got the victory they needed thanks to goals from Jean-Pierre Papin and Patrice Loko.

Two more draws followed and after seven games France were in trouble - two wins and five draws had left them trailing in the group; only victories from here on in would book an automatic qualifying slot.

Thankfully Azerbaijan were up next and Jacquet could field a side that included the likes of Marcel Desailly, Frank Leboeuf, Didier Deschamps, and Zinedine Zidane. The result was never in doubt but on the night the French were superb, running out 10-0 winners in a game that saw eight different players get on the scoresheet. Les Bleus then went to Romania and won 1-3 and their place at Euro 1996 was assured.

Spain 9 Austria 0
March 27, 1999

Not so much the 9-0 win over Austria alone, but all of Spain's Euro 2000 Qualifying campaign was quite remarkable. Incredibly Jos Antonio Camacho's men started with an embarrassing 3-2 loss to Cyprus before having to come from behind and win late on against Israel. Calls for Camacho's head were in full cry by the time Austria came to the Mestalla Stadium in 1999, with only a convincing win for the Spanish side being enough to appease the home support.

A convincing win is exactly what Spain achieved with star man Raul scoring four. From that game on the Spanish went goal-crazy, recording a 6-0 win in San Marino before beating the same nation 9-0 two months later on home soil. Camacho's men then scored three in Austria before wrapping up automatic qualification with another huge win, 8-0, over Cyprus. Spain's four home qualifiers for Euro 2000 yielded 29 goals scored and none conceded.

England 8 Turkey 0
October 14, 1987

Following three straight wins to their Euro 88 Qualifying campaign, and as is the norm after one bad result, Bobby Robson's England received a huge amount of criticism for drawing 0-0 with Turkey in their fourth game. The Turks were seen as one of the whipping boys of European football back then, and failure to beat them was ultimately classed as humiliation.

In the Three Lions' very next qualifying game they had a chance to put things right, and Robson's men did so in emphatic style. Peter Beardsley and John Barnes were magnificent as they constantly attacked a Turkey side who were simply put to the sword on the night. Goal poacher supreme Gary Lineker scored a hat-trick in the game, his first goal still to this day being one of the best instinctive finishes you will ever see.

Good old Bobby even had the luxury of being able to give Cyrille Regis 20 minutes on the slick Wembley pitch. Needless to say Regis didn't score, and he never donned an England shirt again.