Scotland caused the upset of the latest round of World Cup qualifiers in Europe with a 1-0 victory at Croatia on Friday.

But it was still errant Italy forward Mario Balotelli who stole the headlines as he was sent off in his team's 0-0 draw against the Czech Republic.

There was little to get excited about in the game itself as the hosts dominated but were kept at bay by a Juventus-dominated Italian rear-guard.

But 18 minutes from time, AC Milan striker Balotelli picked up his second booking within three minutes to earn a red card.

That sent the troubled 22-year-old into an angry fit as he lashed out at anything within range once he'd left the pitch, as Italy coach Cesare Prandelli told him to sit down on the bench and stay calm.

"Balotelli was indeed agitated, it was his personal problem and he should learn to cope with it," said Prandelli.

Gianluigi Buffon kept Italy in the match with saves from Vladimir Darida, Petr Jiracek and Libor Kozak.

"We would have lost without him, he was the best one on the pitch," the coach said of his goalkeeper.

That was enough to push out the Azzurri lead over second-place Bulgaria at the top of Group B to three points, with the Czechs two points further back.

In Zagreb, Robert Snodgrass notched the only goal of the game as Gordon Strachan's Scotland earned its first win of the qualifying campaign, ending Croatia's unbeaten Group A record.

Snodgrass volleyed home on the stretch after a mazy run from Wigan's Shaun Maloney ended with the ball breaking kindly to his teammate off a home defender.

"It's amazing what you can do when you get a group of players who play for each other and who play from the heart," said a defiant Strachan after his first win as national team boss.

"I never even think about the critics. I've no need and the players have no need to prove anyone wrong."

(China Daily 06/09/2013 page7)