Italy's Daniele De Rossi scored a late penalty to earn a 1-1 draw against Spain in their World Cup qualifier on Thursday, sparing home goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon's blushes after he gifted the visitors the lead.
Buffon, making his 164th appearance, rushed out of his area as Vitolo broke clear but the 38-year-old completely mistimed his tackle, allowing the Spaniard to go round him and put the ball into an empty net in the 55th minute.
Italy, who had been outplayed in the Group G clash, fought back and levelled in the 82nd when Eder was fouled by Sergio Ramos and De Rossi converted the spot kick, their only shot on target in the match.
Spain forward Diego Costa was lucky not to be sent off after the break. Having already been booked in the first half, he hoofed the ball away in disgust after being flagged offside but escaped a booking and was immediately substituted.
The result, in a rough game which produced 32 fouls and eight yellow cards, left both Italy and Spain with four points from two games behind Albania on six after their 2-0 win away to Liechtenstein.
"The best goalkeeper in history has shown that he is human, we had all begun to think he was a machine," said Italy midfielder De Rossi, who plays for AS Roma. "Of course, it would have been better if he had made that mistake while playing for Juventus."
Italy remain unbeaten in European and World Cup qualifying matches since 2006, a run of 52 matches, while Spain have not lost a World Cup qualifier since 1993, a total of 55 games.
GROUP G RESULTS, STANDINGMacedonia 1 Nestorovski 63
Israel 2 Hemed 25, Ben-Haim II 43
Italy 1 De Rossi 82 (pen)
Spain 1 Vitolo 55
Liechtenstein 0 Albania 2 Jehle 11 (og), Balaj 71
Standings P W D L F A Pts
1 Albania 2 2 0 0 4 1 6
2 Spain 2 1 1 0 9 1 4
3 Italy 2 1 1 0 4 2 4
4 Israel 2 1 0 1 3 4 3
5 Macedonia 2 0 0 2 2 4 0
6 Liechtenstein 2 0 0 2 0 10 0
Dramatic late Iceland comeback floors Finland
Euro 2016 quarter-finalists Iceland struck twice in a thrilling last six-minute spell to claim a stunning 3-2 victory over Finland in World Cup Group I qualifying on Thursday.
Alfred Finnbogason equalised after 90 minutes before Gylfi Sigurdsson bundled in the winner in the sixth minute of added time.
Two of Iceland's goals came from corners and from another they won a penalty for handball but Sigurdsson missed it, firing against the crossbar in the 51st minute.
Sigurdsson hit a post with another shot a few minutes later and the hosts looked like having a miserable night as goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky made a string of good saves.
Finland were inspired in the first half by attacking midfielder Robin Lod of Panathinaikos. Lod was involved in the build-up for his side's first goal, a header by Teemu Pukki from Kari Arkivuo's cross. He then scored the second himself with a powerful left-foot shot in the 39th minute after Iceland had levelled through Kari Arnason.
Iceland, who joined group leaders Croatia on four points from two games, were without three regular starters because of injury, goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson and forwards Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson.
They hope to have the trio back for Sunday's home game against fourth-placed Turkey. Finland are second from bottom with one point
Mandzukic hat-trick as six-goal Croatia crush Kosovo
Mario Mandzukic grabbed a hat-trick as Croatia turned on the style to thump FIFA new boys Kosovo 6-0 in a World Cup Group I qualifier played in Shkodra, Albania on Thursday.
The Juventus forward struck in the sixth, 24th and 35th minutes to take his international goal tally to 27. The other goals came from Matej Mitrovic in the 68th minute, Ivan Perisic after 83 and Nikola Kalinic in stoppage time.
It was the first 'home' qualifier for Kosovo since they were admitted as a member of worldsoccer's ruling body FIFA and European equivalent UEFA in May.
GROUP I RESULTS, STANDINGTurkey 2 Tufan 45+1, Calhanoglu 81 (pen)
Ukraine 2 Yarmolenko 24 (pen) Kravets 26
Kosovo 0 Croatia 6 Mandzukic 6,24,35, Mitrovic 68, Perisic 83, Kalinic 90+2
Iceland 3 Arnason 37, Finnbogason 90, Sigurdsson 90+6
Finland 2 Pukki 21, Lod 39
Standings P W D L F A Pts
1 Croatia 2 1 1 0 7 1 4
2 Iceland 2 1 1 0 4 3 4
3 Ukraine 2 0 2 0 3 3 2
4 Turkey 2 0 2 0 3 3 2
5 Finland 2 0 1 1 3 4 1
6 Kosovo 2 0 1 1 1 7 1
Arnautovic scores twice as Austria hold Wales
Marko Arnautovic scored twice for Austria as they drew 2-2 with Euro 2016 semi-finalists Wales in an eventful Group D World Cup qualifying match in Vienna on Thursday.
The result left both teams with a win and a draw from their opening two games, the same as Ireland and Serbia. Top seeds Wales, ranked 10th in the world, have the best goal difference.
Austria's Baumgartlinger in action with Wales' Bale during their World Cup Qualifying European Zone Group D match
REUTERS Wales have only ever reached the World Cup finals once before, in 1958, but after their surprise showing in France this summer are expected to qualify for the tournament in Russia.
Joe Allen gave them the lead midway through the first half, volleying in from 20 metres, but his Stoke City team mate Arnautovic equalised six minutes later with a neat downward header from David Alaba's incisive pass.
Captain Coleman hands lacklustre Ireland win over Georgia
Captain Seamus Coleman's first international goal handed a relieved Ireland a 1-0 World Cup Group D qualifying win over Georgia despite producing a lacklustre display on Thursday.
After battling for a draw in a scrappy opening game in Serbia, Ireland were utterly flat and careless in possession throughout the first half and were fortunate to end it on level terms with Georgia.
Danger man Valeri Kazaishvili fired a warning shot for the visitors after 15 minutes when he flashed the first chance of the match wide.
GROUP D RESULTS, STANDINGAustria 2 Arnautovic 28,48
Wales 2 Allen 22, Wimmer 45+1 (og)
Moldova 0 Serbia 3 Kostic 20, Ivanovic 37, Tadic 59
Ireland 1 Coleman 56
Georgia 0Standings P W D L F A Pts
1 Wales 2 1 1 0 6 2 4
2 Serbia 2 1 1 0 5 2 4
3 Austria 2 1 1 0 4 3 4
4 Ireland 2 1 1 0 3 2 4
5 Georgia 2 0 0 2 1 3 0
6 Moldova 2 0 0 2 0 7 0
Austria's Baumgartlinger in action with Wales' Bale during their World Cup Qualifying European Zone Group D match REUTERS Wales have only ever reached the World Cup finals once before, in 1958, but after their surprise showing in France this summer are expected to qualify for the tournament in Russia.
Joe Allen gave them the lead midway through the first half, volleying in from 20 metres, but his Stoke City team mate Arnautovic equalised six minutes later with a neat downward header from David Alaba's incisive pass.