PARIS: Russia and Scotland kept their World Cup hopes on track Saturday as a host of European heavyweights faced crucial qualifiers on the road to South Africa.

Russia edged minnows Liechtenstein 3-0 in St Petersburg in Group Four to move just a point behind leaders Germany, who they meet in Moscow on October 10.

CSKA Moscow defender Vasily Berezutsky and Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, with two penalties, made sure of the three points for Guus Hiddink's team.

Veteran striker Jari Litmanen came off the bench to grab a late winner to give Finland a 2-1 win in Azerbaijan to keep up his team's hopes of grabbing second spot in the group.

In Glasgow, Scotland grabbed a 2-0 win over Macedonia courtesy of Scott Brown's first international goal and a superb solo effort from James McFadden.

Macedonia had looked the better team in the first-half but a magnificent second-half showing sealed the three points for Scotland, who now need to beat the Netherlands on Wednesday to secure second place in Group Nine.

The Dutch have already qualified for the finals with a perfect 21 points from seven matches, leaving their rivals to scramble over the runners-up spot and a possible place in the play-offs.

"We always had the belief we could win the match. The players showed the commitment, passion and belief that was needed," said Scotland boss George Burley.

"We've come off the park with a lot of smiling faces. It was a good feeling and we want that feeling again on Wednesday night."

Macedonia manager Mirsad Jonuz said his team had been superior in the first-half.

"It's really difficult to play as visitors but we had several chances to score and get a result. Sometimes you need to be lucky to get a good result and today we missed that," he said.

In Group Five, Bosnia defeated Armenia 2-0 in Yerevan to stay second behind European champions Spain who were facing Belgium later Saturday. Bosnia now have 15 points from seven matches while Spain have a perfect 18 points from six.

In Kiev, Ukraine needed three penalties to see off little Andorra 5-0 to stay in contention for the runners-up spot in Group Six where England are virtually assured of making the finals having won all of their seven matches.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the world's most expensive footballer, faces a tense World Cup survival battle later Saturday as Portugal, semi-finalists in 2006, desperately seek to prevent their 2010 campaign from suffering a humiliating derailment.

Portugal are third in Group One on nine points, trailing leaders Denmark by seven points and Hungary by four with four games left.

On Saturday, Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz, a former assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, takes his team to Copenhagen to tackle the Danes and then to Budapest next Wednesday.

Only Europe's nine group winners are assured of places in the finals; the eight best runners-up have to play-off.

France, the 1998 world champions and runners-up in 2006, welcome Romania to Paris.

The French are second in Group Seven, five points behind Serbia but with a game in hand ahead of a testing trip to Belgrade on Wednesday.

Croatia, third-place finishers at the 1998 World Cup, are seven points behind runaway Group Six leaders England. They face Belarus before travelling to Wembley on Wednesday to take on Fabio Capello's England, who were facing Slovenia in a friendly.

Turkey, World Cup semi-finalists in 2002, are third in Group Five, 10 points behind Spain and seven off Bosnia. They need to beat Estonia to maintain their slender hopes of squeezing into the play-offs.

World champions Italy lead Group Eight by one point from Ireland and have a game in hand.

Italy go to Georgia while Ireland are in Cyprus, who still harbour outside hopes of making the play-offs.