Portugal’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a goal during the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Armenia.

DPA/Berlin

Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski and Andre Schuerrle scored hat-tricks as Portugal, Poland and Germany stayed on course for Euro 2016 qualification with victories Saturday.
World champions Germany swept to a 7-0 win over Gibraltar to stay a point behind Poland in Group D, while there were wins for Denmark, Hungary and the Faroe Islands.
Portugal came from behind to beat Armenia 3-2 while Lewandowski bagged his treble in the last four minutes - in record time in the history of Euro qualifiers - as Poland ran out 4-0 winners over Georgia.
Poland and Germany’s group rivals Ireland and Scotland meanwhile finished 1-1.
Group I leaders Portugal went behind in Yerevan from a Marcos Pizzelli free-kick in the 14th minute but Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot in the 29th and struck twice in the 55th and 58th minutes.
Portugal were down to 10 men minutes later when midfielder Tiago was sent off following a second booking, and the home side were able to pull one back through Hrayr Mkoyan in the 72nd minute.
The win put Portugal on 12 points from five games, two  points ahead of Denmark who defeated Serbia 2-0 with goals from Yussuf Poulsen in the 13th minute and Jakob Poulsen in the 87th.
Poland cemented their position at the top of Group D after overcoming Georgia, with all the goals coming in the last half hour.
A superb curling shot from Aradiusz Milik following a well-worked short corner broke the deadlock in Warsaw in the 62nd minute.
Bayern Munich’s Lewandowski then struck in the 89th minute, and followed up with a header two minutes into stoppage time and a third a minute later, taking his goal tally to seven in six qualifying games.
“We played with patience and kept calm which gave us the result we wanted,” Poland coach Adam Mawalka said.
Poland move to 14 points from six games, and stay one ahead of Germany who scored six of their goals in Faro, Portugal in the second half. Substitute Max Kruse with a double while Ilkay Guendogan and Karim Bellarabi were also on target.
Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, who had an early penalty saved by Jordan Perez, said: “We weren’t that resolute in the first-half and my penalty was also not well struck. The important thing though was that we went out and scored the goals in the second half- “We have the three points and 7-0 is a result you can live with.”
Scotland are now two points behind Germany after a 1-1 draw with Ireland (9 points) in Dublin.
Ireland took the lead when Jon Walters scored from close range in the 38th minute after keeper David Marshall parried Daryl Murphy’s header.
Scotland levelled two minutes after the interval when Shaun Maloney played a one-two with substitute Ikechi Anya before curling in a shot which deflected off Ireland defender John O’Shea into his own net.
“Naturally, the advantage is with Scotland because the status quo remains,” Ireland coach Martin O’Neill said. “They must be delighted to have gone away with something from the game.”
Romania remained top of Group F on 14 points after a goalless draw in Belfast with Northern Ireland, who remain a point behind Hungary stayed in the running on 11 points with a 1-0 win over Finland in Helsinki, Zoltan Stieber scoring with a shot from the edge of the area eight minutes from time.
The Faroe Islands beat bottom side Greece for a second time, following up a 1-0 win in Piraeus in November with a 2-1 victory in Torshavn with goals from Hallur Hansson and Brandur Olsen. Faroe Island move to fourth in the group on six points while Greece are still without a win.