Alexis Sanchez stars for Chile, Sergio Aguero gets only a second half run-out for Argentina and Philippe Coutinho is among the goals for a clinical Brazil as the final international break of the season draws to a close.
A packed night of action also involves a raft of European friendlies, while chaos surrounds two Monday matches involving some of the Premier League’s African stars. Here’s how it developed…
Chile 3 Venezuela 1
Alexis Sanchez opened the scoring from a free kick, set up Chile’s third goal and played the full 90 minutes in a typically all-action display that also included a missed penalty late on.
The news that the midfielder has clearly not been overly hindered by an ankle injury picked up just before the break will delight the 26.2% of Fantasy Premier League managers with Sanchez in their squads.
The fact that he has, as ever, been at his usual industrious best ahead of a long trip back for three Premier League matches in eight days for Arsenal? Maybe less so.
However, as we’ve seen previously, resting Sanchez is not an option that Arsene Wenger will approach without caution – not least due to the reaction from player and press at this most delicate time. A start for Sanchez in Sunday’s clash with Manchester City looks assured.
Sanchez should also be in good spirits – the win put Chile back into the automatic qualification spots for Russia 2018 and his opener moved him to joint-top of his country’s all-time goalscoring chart.
Meanwhile, City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo also played the full match for Chile, while West Brom forward Salomon Rondon did the same for the visitors, scoring Venezuela’s consolation goal.
The striker’s 5.4% ownership base haven’t seen their man find the net in the league since Gameweek 16. He has trips to Man United and Watford and a home match with Southampton to reverse that trend over the next week and a half.
Brazil 3 Paraguay 0
Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho was among the scorers as Brazil over-ran Paraguay to confirm their qualification for next year’s World Cup finals with four matches to spare.
The midfielder’s form has been patchy since returning from injury in Gameweek 21, with just one goal and no assists in nine matches.
Both the 17.8%-owned asset and his compatriot and team-mate Roberto Firmino (9.5%) played 87 minutes for Brazil before heading back to England on a chartered jet ahead of Saturday’s Merseyside derby.
Man City midfielder Fernandinho was an unused sub, while Chelsea winger Willian replaced Coutinho late on.
Bolivia 2 Argentina 0
It was bad night for Argentina, but there were mixed blessings for FPL managers as the Albiceleste dropped out of the automatic qualifying places for Russia 2018.
The 21.7%-owned striker Sergio Aguero was dropped to the bench in Bolivia, only coming on after 56 minutes, which should leave him relatively fresh for Sunday’s vital trip to The Emirates.
But Everton defender Ramiro Funes Mori, found in 3.6% of FPL squads, lasted just 36 minutes before being forced off with a knee injury that makes him a doubt for the weekend’s Merseyside derby.
With Seamus Coleman now out for the season, the Toffees’ defensive resources suddenly look very stretched just as they are about to embark on a tough run of Liverpool and Man United away and a home match with a resurgent Leicester City over eight days from April 1. Funes Mori’s absence could, however, assure Mason Holgate of a start at Anfield, either at right-back or as part of a back three.
Manchester United pair Sergio Romero and Marcos Rojo played the full 90 minutes for Argentina.
Elsewhere, both Antonio and Enner Valencia started for Ecuador in their 0-2 home defeat to Colombia, with the latter subbed off after 59 minutes. Swansea winger Jefferson Montero was an unused substitute for the hosts, while Arsenal keeper David Ospina kept a clean sheet for Colombia.
Premier League players Abel Hernandez and Cristhian Stuani didn’t make it off the bench as Uruguay lost 2-1 in Peru.
In the AFC section of World Cup qualifying, Japan eased past Thailand 4-0, with Leicester’s Shinji Okazaki and Southampton defender Maya Yoshida among the scorers, while Spurs’ Heung-Min Son and Swansea midfielder Sung-yeung Ki played the full 90 minutes as South Korea beat Syria 1-0.
It was an even busier night of friendlies in Europe and Africa.
Russia 3 Belgium 3
A Belgium side full of Premier League talent put in a fairly typical domestic performance involving both attacking intent and defensive negligence as they blew a two-goal lead in Russia.
After going behind early on, Everton’s Kevin Mirallas equalised from the penalty spot after Christian Benteke was fouled.
The Crystal Palace striker then scored twice for the visitors before the break.
West Brom midfielder Nacer Chadli set up Benteke’s second for a Belgian team that also included Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, in for the injured Thibaut Courtois, and Spurs trio Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele in the starting line-up.
Romelu Lukaku came on for the final 13 minutes, with Divock Origi and Michy Batshuayi again unused on the bench.
Austria 1 Finland 1
Stoke City’s Marko Arnautovic needed only 45 minutes to continue his good run of recent form, scoring his second goal of the international break for Austria after coming on for the second half against Finland.
The midfielder has also scored twice in his last two league starts although his run of form is likely to go largely ignored, given that the Potters fail to offer us a double Gameweek.
Watford’s Sebastian Prodl played the full 90 minutes for the Austrians, with Spurs defender Kevin Wimmer again an unused sub.
France 0 Spain 2
A deserved Spain win came with plenty of help from the video technology being trialled ahead of possible inclusion in Russia 2018.
France had a goal disallowed for offside – rightly – after it was referred to the video assistant, before second half substitute David Silva dispatched a penalty following a foul by Laurent Koscielny.
Spain’s second goal was initially ruled out for offside before a second review overturned the decision.
David de Gea and Pedro started and finished the match for Spain, with Ander Herrera given a run-out for the last 16 minutes.
After an injury scare in training, Diego Costa was relegated to the role of an unused substitute, joining his club team-mate Cesar Azpilicueta and Arsenal’s Nacho Monreal. Costa will doubtless be assessed on his return to Chelsea and will be expected to be in contention for Palace’s visit.
Koscielny, Hugo Lloris and N’Golo Kante all played the full 90 minutes, with Olivier Giroud coming on just after the hour mark.
Elsewhere, West Brom’s James McClean and Burnley duo Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick started for the Republic of Ireland in their 1-0 loss to Iceland.
In the absence of Seamus Coleman, Brady captained a much-changed side from the one that faced Wales, with Shane Long and Hull’s David Meyler on the bench.
The Southampton striker came on for the last 18 minutes, while Iceland’s main man, Gylfi Sigurdsson, was given the night off. There were earlier claims of a minor injury from Icelandic source, although there are no new reports to confirm that Sigurdsson missed out due to anything sinister. The Swans had also reported 24-hours later that he would be available for Tuesday’s encounter.
The aptly-named Holland interim manager Fred Grim oversaw another Dutch defeat, a 2-1 loss to Italy.
Bruno Martins Indi, Daley Blind and Georginio Wijnaldum were all given significant match-time for the hosts, with Man United’s Matteo Darmian getting 89 minutes for the Italians.
Spurs back-up keeper Michel Vorm was again on the bench for the Dutch.
Defenders Jose Fonte and Cedric Soares watched, presumably in horror, from the bench as Portugal relinquished a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Sweden, while Asmir Begovic was again in goal for Bosnia-Herzegovina as they won 2-1 in Albania.
Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny scored Egypt’s third goal in a 3-0 win over Togo. He also played the full 90 minutes – something he’s managed just twice for the Gunners in the league this season.
Liverpool centre-half Ragnar Klavan started and finished his second match of the international break as Estonia beat a below-strength Croatia 3-0.
Monday night’s two friendlies both had more than a hint of farce about them.
Ivory Coast were drawing 1-1 with Senegal when the match, held in Paris, had to be abandoned when fans invaded the pitch.
Senegal’s Lamine Gassama was rugby tackled by one spectator, prompting the referee to end the fixture.
Before the chaos, Liverpool’s Sadio Mane had given Senegal a second-half lead from the penalty spot.
Manchester United’s Eric Bailly, Everton’s Idrissa Gueye and Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha also featured in a match which was called off with two minutes remaining.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s second friendly of the international break, again due to be played at Barnet, didn’t even start when seven of opponents Burkina Faso’s squad failed to gain UK entry visas.
The Nigeria squad ended up staging a match amongst their own players behind closed doors at The Hive, which meant a rather less strenuous work-out for the Premier League contingent of Leicester pair Wilfred Ndidi and Ahmed Musa, Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi, Watford’s Isaac Success and Man City striker Kelechi Iheanacho.
Chelsea’s 2.4%-owned midfielder Victor Moses had been training with the squad, but took no part in last week’s friendly with Senegal and then returned to his club before the Burkina Faso debacle as he continues to recover from a calf injury.
