Norway and Belgium into Elite round

Free-scoring Norway and Belgium made short work of Kazakhtan and Andorra to claim the qualifying berths in UEFA European Under-19 Championship Group 11, the Scandinavian side finishing first by virtue of their Matchday 3 victory.

Hamme time
Neither of the eventual qualifiers conceded a goal in their first two matches as each eased into the Elite round with a game to spare. Nils Johan Semb's Norway team opened up by overcoming Kazakhstan 2-0, the losers having Vladimir Sedelnikov sent off as Vegar Eggen Hedenstad opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute before Thomas Lehne Olsen clinched the win with a second 15 minutes from time. Hosts Belgium were more emphatic against Andorra in Hamme, Kevin De Bruyne breaking the deadlock in the 43rd minute before second-half strikes from Gianni Bruno, Jason Bourdouxhe with a penalty and Birger Longueville completed the win.

Emphatic wins
It was a similar story on Matchday 2, Lehne Olsen, Markus Henriksen, Flamur Kastrati, Simen Wangberg and Stian Ringstad helping Norway to a 5-0 win against Andorra at the FC VW Hamme Stadium. Belgium, meanwhile, scored four goals without reply for the second match in a row against nine-man Kazakhstan. Christian Kabasele (2) and Bruno found the net before Askhat Mynbayev was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 66th minute, Bruno making it 4-0 from the penalty spot a minute later and Igor Pikalkin also saw red with 21 minutes left.

Norway success
That meant only first place was at stake at the RS Waasland Stadium on Matchday 3 and after a cagey first period, Longueville's own goal in added time gave Norway the half-time advantage. Further strikes from Stefan Johansen and Manchester United FC's Joshua King, the latter a penalty after Maxime Lestienne had been dismissed, stretched that by the 58th minute and, though late goals from Ziguy Badibanga and Timothy Durwael threatened a Belgian revival, King's second in the 90th minute clinched Norway's win. Kazakhstan, meanwhile, recovered from Joseph Vall's eighth-minute opener to beat Andorra to third place thanks to goals either side of half-time from Maxat Kurmashev and Sergey Lissenkov.