England shrugged aside the potential ramifications of sanctions over poppy emblems on Friday with a 3-0 Wembley win over Scotland to bring a 2018 World Cup berth a step closer.
A trio of headers from Liverpool pair Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana and Chelsea's Gary Cahill saw interim coach Gareth Southgate's side cruise home, the win consolidating England's leadership of Group F as they made it 10 points from four games.
For Southgate, who replaced newspaper sting victim Sam Allardyce following an opening away success in Slovakia, the three points were a welcome boost after a nervous draw in their previous outing in Slovenia, aiding his chance of taking the post fulltime.
Slovenia stayed in touch just two points behind the leaders after edging Malta 1-0 while Slovakia are two points further back after whipping Lithuania 4-0.
The Scots meanwhile now trail England by six points, their hopes of snatching a place in the finals in Russia seemingly at an end as coach Gordon Strachan hangs on to his job by his fingernails.
While England and Scotland defiled FIFA's opposition to symbols which might be seen as political by wearing armbands featuring poppies to mark Armistice Day, emotions ran high in Paris as France hosted Sweden a year on from terror attacks in the French capital.
A capacity crowd of 80000 at the Stade de France held a minute's silence to mark Sunday's first anniversary of the attacks which left 130 people dead prior to the hosts' come-from-behind 2-1 win over Sweden.
On the night of the coordinated attack across Paris, France were playing Germany at the same stadium in a friendly when three suicide bombers blew themselves up immediately outside the ground, killing one man.
French president Francois Hollande attended the Sweden game, as he had the Germany match, Friday's encounter held on a public holiday marking the day that saw the guns fall silent at the end of World War 1 in 1918.
France's win- courtesy of goals from Paul Pogba and Dimitiri Payet after Emil Forsberg had put the Swedes ahead- lifted them atop Group A with seven points from three games as their visitors slid three points off the pace.
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