Predrag Mijatovic broke the deadlock in the 64th minute for the winner in front of 35,000 fans in Belgrade. The match was originally scheduled for October 10, but put back because of Nato air-strike threats against Yugoslavia due to the Kosovo crisis.

Reigning European champions Germany escaped with a 1-1 draw against the 2000 co-hosts Holland, who should have held more than a 1-0 half-time lead and were penalised for it when Olaf Marschall cancelled out Michael Reiziger's opening strike.

The other Euro 2000 hosts, Belgium, were embarrassed with a goalless draw in Luxembourg. Three-times World Cup winners Italy had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Spain and England defeated Czech Republic 2-0 at Wembley.

In Belgrade, the Irish defence allowed the high-powered Yugoslav striker duo of Mijatovic and Savo Milosevic littlespace.

Chances were sparse, but Dejan Stankovic fired a dangerous long range shot from a left angle just off target 18 minutes into the game.

Talented Darko Kovacevic of Real Sociedad came as a substitute for the second half. There, Yugoslavia's efforts finally paid off in the 64th, when Real Madrid's Champions League hero Mijatovic fired home Stankovic's free-kick after it sailed past friend and foe.

It was the first goal Ireland conceded in the campaign after a 2-0 upset over third-placed World Cup finishers Croatia and a 5-0 rout over minnows Malta.

Ireland top Group Eight with six points, ahead of Macedonia -- 2-1 winners at Malta on the night -- and Croatia, who also have six. Yugoslavia have three and Malta zero points.

Holland had lost the World Cup match for third place to Croatia, but should have won against the Germans in Gelsenkirchen.

German coach Erich Ribbeck conceded, ``We were outplayed in the first half,'' but the Dutch failed to capitalise on Reiziger's 22nd-minute long rangegoal.

Jaap Stam's header was nodded off the goal-line by Jens Jeremies and Patrick Kluivert and Jeffrey Thalan also were narrowly off target within seconds in the 43rd.

With no skill to match the Dutch, the Germans dug out their famed fighting spirit for the second half. They were awarded quickly in the 52nd, when 130-times capped veteran Lothar Matthaeus showed his class with an accurate deep pass to Marschall, who struck from short range.

In Salerno, visiting Spain salvaged the 2-2 draw with Italy courtesy of a 81st-minute penalty from Raul Gonzalez.

Juve striker Filippo Inzaghi scored his first two international goals. He opened the scoring in the 14th after a fine feed from Roma playmaker Francesco Totti -- standing in for injured Alessandro Del Piero -- and gave the hosts the lead back at 2-1 in the 73rd with a left-footer.

In-between, Francisco De Pedro was responsible for Spain's first equaliser in the 33rd.

The Czechs were at Wembley, where they lost the 1996 European Championship final,and again they left empty-handed by losing to an inspired England team. Tottenham striker Darren Anderton swept the ball home for the opener after 22 minutes.

Aston Villa's new centre forward Dion Dublin caused the visitors all sorts of trouble in the air and it was his header that found club team-mate Paul Merson in the 39th minute for England's second, which already marked the final score.

In other qualifying action, Greece played a goalless draw in Tirana against Albania and by not winning, failed to snatch the Group Two lead from Latvia.

Ireland failed to move level on six points with Group Three leaders Finland and Turkey and even had to come from behind twice for a 2-2 home draw in Belfast against Moldova. In Group Six, Cyprus won 1-0 to climb into second place with six points behind Austria, who have seven.

In other friendlies, Egypt and Norway drew 1-1 in Cairo, Hungary defeated Switzerland 2-0 in Budapest and Georgia defeated Estonia 3-1 in Tblissi.