The top two met in Group D with Germany winning 2-1 in the Czech Republic, taking Joachim Loew's men to 13 points from five games and leaving them three points clear of the Czechs who were joined on 10 points by Ireland who have played a game more.
Bastian Schweinsteiger and Kevin Kuranyi scored Germany's goals -- in the 42nd and 62nd minutes -- to give their side a commanding lead before Milan Baros pulled one back 14 minutes from time.
But they could not find another goal to salvage a point and lost for the first time in the group.
Turkey stunned arch-rivals and European champions Greece 4-1 in Athens and took a huge step towards qualifying for the finals.
The top of the table clash in Group C left Turkey three points clear of Greece with 12 points from four matches as the visitors maintained their 100 percent start to the campaign.
Greece lost for the first time and conceded their first goals as Tuncay Sanli (26th), Gokhan Unal (55th), Metin Tumer (70th) and Gokdeniz Karadeniz (80th) gave Turkey victory after Sotiris Kyrgiakos put the home side in the fifth minute.
There was another upset in the group for all the wrong reasons as the Norway-Bosnia game in Oslo was halted shortly after it began when fans threw flares on to the field, some hitting players, while one set an advertising hoarding ablaze.
The match resumed 30 minutes later after English referee Mike Riley took the players off the field but the Norwegian and Bosnian FAs are likely to face stiff penalties from UEFA, European football’s governing body.
Bosnia eventually won 2-1 to move above Norway into third place behind Greece.
There were late strikes for France and Scotland who stayed neck and neck at the top of Group B and remained on course for the finals.
France won 1-0 in Lithuania and Scotland beat Georgia 2-1 in Glasgow.
Nicolas Anelka scored for France 14 minutes from time while Craig Beattie got Scotland's winner in the 89th minute.
Scotland and France have 12 points from five matches followed by Ukraine, who won 2-0 in the Faroe Islands, who are third on nine points.
Croatia also kept on course for the finals but had to come from behind to beat visiting Macedonia 2-1 in Zagreb in their Group E match.
Croatia's victory, coupled with Russia's 2-0 win in Estonia and England's 0-0 draw with Israel in Tel Aviv, left them top with 13 points ahead of Russia on 11 and England with eight.
Poland were the highest scorers as they thrashed Azerbaijan 5-0 in Group A to go top after Serbia suffered a shock 2-1 defeat in Kazakhstan in the same section.
It was Kazakhstan's first competitive win and the first time they had scored at home in a qualifier since joining UEFA in 2002.
Kairat Ashirbekov and Nurbol Zhumaskaliyev gave them a 2-0 lead before Nikola Zigic pulled one back for the Serbs.
Poland moved to the top with 13 points from six matches, two points clear of Finland who did not play and have a match in hand. Serbia slipped to third on 10 points.
Spain gave their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign a major boost night with a crucial 2-1 victory against 10-man Denmark at the Bernabeu which left them four points behind second-placed Northern Ireland.
Valencia duo Fernando Morientes, with his 27th international strike, and David Villa netted first-half goals as Spain moved on to six points with only their second win in four Group F matches.
Denmark, who were unbeaten in their three qualifiers, pulled a goal back just after half-time through Michael Gravgaard but they could not add to that as a nervy Spain held on for a vital three points.
A Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Portugal injected new life into their flagging Euro 2008 Group A qualifying campaign by trouncing Belgium 4-0.
The Portuguese had not made the best of starts in a competitive group and it took 53 minutes for Nuno Gomes to break the deadlock against the Belgians.
Two goals from Manchester United winger Ronaldo sandwiching one by Ricardo Quaresma then ensured a convincing win for coach Luiz Felipe Scolari and his men.
Ronaldo headed home a right-wing cross in the 55th minute and then fired in a left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 74th minute.
