Nations League round-up: Isaac Price scores hat-trick for five-star ...
Isaac Price's hat-trick powered Northern Ireland to a stunning 5-0 win over Bulgaria that sent them top of their Nations League group.
After battering Belarus without reward in the opening 45 minutes of Saturday's goalless draw, Northern Ireland took their frustrations out on Bulgaria as Price became the first Northern Ireland player to hit a treble since David Healy in a 4-1 win over Liechtenstein in March 2007.
After the Standard Liege forward got the opening two, Brodie Spencer's shot hit a post and rebounded in off Bulgaria goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov to make it 3-0 at the break.
Price completed his hat-trick with the best goal of the night, a rising shot from the edge of the box, before Josh Magennis came off the bench to hit a late fifth.
The last time Northern Ireland won 5-0 at home, George Best scored a hat-trick against Cyprus in April 1971.
With Belarus and Luxembourg drawing 1-1 in Hungary, Northern Ireland sit top of League C Group 3 by one point before facing those two teams in their final games next month.
Meanwhile Portugal all but sealed their berth in the Nations League quarter-finals despite a 0-0 away draw with Scotland, the first points Roberto Martinez's side have dropped in four games of the competition.
The Portuguese maintained top spot in Group A1 with 10 points, three ahead of Croatia, who drew 3-3 with Poland in Tuesday's other game in the group, while Steve Clarke's struggling Scotland side are last on one point. Third-placed Poland have four points with the top two in the group moving on to the last eight.
Portugal were on the front foot for most of the night but squandered numerous chances including a sitter early in the second half for Cristiano Ronaldo, who had scored in each of the previous three games. Unmarked in the box and with virtually all the time in the world, the 39-year-old flashed a diving header over the crossbar.
Scotland had their chances despite a sloppy night plagued by careless turnovers, with Scott McTominay narrowly missing with a header before the game was five minutes old. Scottish keeper Craig Gordon made a handful of terrific saves in the dying minutes against a swarming Portugal side to hold on to the draw.
Finally, European champions Spain claimed a place in the last eight with a 3-0 home win over Serbia thanks to goals by Aymeric Laporte, Alvaro Morata and Alex Baena.
With two games left, Spain have secured at least a second-place finish as they top League A Group One with 10 points, three ahead of Denmark and six clear of Serbia, with Switzerland bottom on one point after a 2-2 home draw with the Danes.
