Switzerland proved to be the hangover that followed Portugal's big night out in Paris, beating them 2-0 on Tuesday night. The new European Champions were without Cristiano Ronaldo, but that was the case for the majority of their historic win in France too and it didn't seem to slow them down then. They were very poor in Switzerland, struggling to create any chances at all. Is it possible that they might follow up their glorious success with an abject qualification failure? There's a long way to go yet. But this was hardly an auspicious start.
Their vanquished opponents from Paris didn't fare much better either. France were held to a goalless draw by Belarus. This was not the sort of recovery process that Didier Deschamps would have envisaged. Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud was guilty of missing a number of excellent chances, particularly when he found himself clear on goal but could only swipe the ball wide of the far post. There was some consolation though: Sweden and Netherlands, France's biggest rivals in the group, also drew.
Did Martin Skrtel have an early dinner reservation? Was he parked in a no parking zone? Why on earth was he in such a hurry to depart Slovakia's clash with England on Sunday? He could easily have been sent off long before he eventually saw red for stamping on Harry Kane's leg in clear view of the referee. Teammate Jan Durica's claims of a conspiracy against Slovakia were laughable. "I think the referee was waiting for Skrtel to commit a foul," he muttered. But we all were. This was the most inevitable red card since the last time Nigel de Jong took to a football field.
Only Filip Novak will know how he missed the gilt-edged chance presented to him midway through the second half of Czech Republic's 0-0 draw with Northern Ireland. Presented with the ball in space on the edge of the six-yard box, he somehow contrived to slash the ball wide of Michael McGovern's goal. "I have to understand why he did what he did," said the Czech coach Karel Jarolim mournfully.
Poland's burgeoning reputation as the new great underachievers of European football was strengthened by a desperately disappointing draw in Kazakhstan. Poland led by two goals at half-time, but a six minute brace from Sergei Khizhnichenko cost them two crucial points. Poland, still rueing the flat performance that saw them exit Euro 2016 at the hands of eventual winners Portugal, haven't reach a World Cup since 2006. They'll have to sharpen up if that grim record is to end.