UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying Group 7

Standings and results for Group 7 of the UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying tournament.

Group 7 consisted of Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Republic of Ireland and Scotland. Group winners were Republic of Ireland, who finished one point clear of second-placed Bulgaria. It was Ireland's first appearance in the final stages of a major tournament: while Belgium, who had recently taken fourth place in the 1986 World Cup, were group favourites but importantly failed to win any of their matches against either Ireland or Bulgaria, who both finished ahead of them. Scotland, who finished fourth, had started the group badly but as soon as qualification was a mathematical impossibility, they made a late run in which they scored victories over both Belgium and Bulgaria: the latter, a victory with a late goal four minutes from time, secured Ireland's place in the finals after Ireland had finished all their matches, when a draw would have handed the group to Bulgaria on goal difference. Then with typical perversity, Scotland faltered in their final match against minnows Luxembourg, a 0-0 draw handing them their only point of the campaign when a victory would have put them certainly into third place and possibly second.

Final table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification          
1   Republic of Ireland 8 4 3 1 10 5 +5 11 Qualify for final tournament 2–0 0–0 0–0 2–1
2   Bulgaria 8 4 2 2 12 6 +6 10 2–1 2–0 0–1 3–0
3   Belgium 8 3 3 2 16 8 +8 9 2–2 1–1 4–1 3–0
4   Scotland 8 3 3 2 7 5 +2 9 0–1 0–0 2–0 3–0
5   Luxembourg 8 0 1 7 2 23 −21 1 0–2 1–4 0–6 0–0
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

Results

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Belgium  2 – 2  Republic of Ireland
Claesen   14'
Scifo   69'
Report Stapleton   18'
Brady   90' (pen.)
Attendance: 22,212
Referee: Ioan Igna (Romania)
Scotland  0 – 0  Bulgaria
Report
Attendance: 35,070

Luxembourg  0 – 6  Belgium
Report Gerets   6'
Claesen   9', 54', 89'
Vercauteren   41'
Ceulemans   87'

Republic of Ireland  0 – 0  Scotland
Report
Attendance: 47,000
Referee: Einar Halle (Norway)

Scotland  3 – 0  Luxembourg
Cooper   24' (pen.), 38'
Johnston   70'
Report
Attendance: 35,078

Belgium  1– 1  Bulgaria
Janssen   48' Report Tanev   62'

Scotland  0 – 1  Republic of Ireland
Report Lawrenson   8'
Attendance: 45,081

Bulgaria  2 – 1  Republic of Ireland
Tanev   41', 82' (pen.) Report Stapleton   53'
Belgium  4 – 1  Scotland
Claesen   10', 55', 86'
Vercauteren   75'
Report McStay   14'

Republic of Ireland  0 – 0  Belgium
Report
Attendance: 44,629

Luxembourg  1 – 4  Bulgaria
Langers   59' Report Sadakov   49'
Sirakov   55'
Tanev   62'
Kolev   82'

Bulgaria  3 – 0  Luxembourg
Sirakov   25'
Yordanov   39'
Kolev   56'
Report

Luxembourg  0 – 2  Republic of Ireland
Report Galvin   44'
Whelan   64'

Republic of Ireland  2 – 1  Luxembourg
Stapleton   31'
McGrath   75'
Report Krings   28'
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Keith Cooper (Wales)

Bulgaria  2 – 0  Belgium
Sirakov   19'
Tanev   70'
Report

Republic of Ireland  2 – 0  Bulgaria
McGrath   52'
Moran   83'
Report
Scotland  2 – 0  Belgium
McCoist   14'
McStay   79'
Report
Attendance: 16,052
Referee: Paolo Casarin (Italy)

Belgium  3 – 0  Luxembourg
Ceulemans   17'
Degryse   55'
Crève   81'
Report
Attendance: 2,504
Referee: Egil Nervik (Norway)
Bulgaria  0 – 1  Scotland
Report Mackay   86'

Luxembourg  0 – 0  Scotland
Report

Goalscorers

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There were 47 goals scored in 20 matches, for an average of 2.35 goals per match.

7 goals

5 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

References

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