Football: World Cup Round-Up: Eranio's late show saves Italy

A LAST-MINUTE goal from the Milan midfielder, Stefano Eranio, gave Italy a 2-2 draw with Switzerland in their opening World Cup qualifier in Cagliari last night.

Italy looked beaten as they trailed to first-half goals from Christophe Ohrel and Stephane Chapuisat. Roberto Baggio put them back in contention with a 20- yard drive in the 83rd minute, and Eranio pounced on a poor clearance for the equaliser. Switzerland, though, stay top of Group One.

The Dutch also had to come back from two goals down, Peter van Vossen striking twice in his second international to secure a 2-2 draw with Poland in Rotterdam.

Roman Kosecki and Wojciech Kowalczyk put the visitors 2-0 up in the opening 20 minutes, but two minutes before half-time van Vossen of Anderlecht, one of several changes to the Dutch side beaten 2-1 in Norway last month, pulled a goal back. He equalised in the first minute of the second half.

Goals from Jean-Pierre Papin and Leeds United's Eric Cantona gave France a long-overdue victory at Austria's expense. But they should have had a hatful against a side with little to offer.

Four disallowed goals and a penalty ballooned over the bar by Papin himself were all an unimaginative French side could muster.

Sergei Yuran, the Ukraine-born striker, earned Russia a 1-0 victory over Iceland on their World Cup debut. The Benfica player, who chose Russia because he felt Ukraine had an uncertain future, stabbed the ball home from 12 yards in the 64th minute.