Belgium edges Serbia in Euro 2008 qualifier

BRUSSELS, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Belgium beat Serbia 3-2 in a crucial tie here in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Wednesday night, keeping alive its chance of qualifying for the finals next June.

Under must-win circumstances, Belgium's young guns played aggressively, with Moussa Dembele opening the score for the hosts after converting Steven Defour's right-wing cross from 12 meters before the goal in the 10th minute.

In the 30th minute, Kevin Mirallas doubled Belgium's lead to 2-0 with a long-range shot.

In the second half, Serbia was determined to hit back early on, with Zdravko Kuzmanovic cutting the deficit to 1-2 by slotting home Ivica Dragutinovic's left-wing cross from six meters.

But a Dembele double in the 88th minute sealed the victory for the hosts. Kuzmanovic scored his second goal of the night in the injury time, but it was too late.

With the much-needed win, Belgium is now fifth in the Group A, with 10 points from nine matches. Serbia has dropped to fourth, with 14 points from eight matches.

In the eight-team group, Poland still leads with 19 points out of nine matches, followed by Finland, with 17 points out of nine matches, and Portugal with 15 points out of eight matches.

The top two finishers will qualify from the group.

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