LONDON (AP):

DAVID BECKHAM returned to international competition yesterday and led England to a 3-0 win over Estonia in European Championship qualifying. World Cup finalists Italy and France also won.

Beckham, returning after 10 months away, set up two goals at Estonia. Italy beat hosts Lithuania 2-0 to keep the pressure on group leaders France, who beat Georgia 1-0.

Also, Germany beat Slovakia 2-1 and defending European champions Greece scored in injury time to earn a 2-1 win over visiting Moldova.

Joe Cole gave England a 37th-minute lead with a spin and volley from the edge of the area before Beckham, who was recalled to boost the team's flagging qualifying campaign, set up second-half goals for Peter Crouch and Michael Owen with crosses from the right.

"It's been nice to get back with the lads," Beckham said. "We've scored some good goals tonight and played some good football - confidence is gradually coming back in the team.

"Hopefully we've put ourselves in a better position now, but we need to carry on playing."

Beckham crossed from deep in the 54th for Crouch to head past the goalkeeper from just inside the area and gave the ball to Owen eight minutes later for the striker to score his first goal since 10 months out with a knee injury.

England stayed fourth in the Group E standings, with just the top two teams from each seven-team group set to advance to next year's tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

Croatia drew 0-0 with visiting Russia and were joined at the top of the standings with 17 points by Israel, who won at Andorra 2-0 through goals by Toto Tamuz and Roberto Colautti. Russia have 15 points, one more than England.

France, the European champions in 1984 and 2000, kept the lead in Group B with their narrow win over Georgia. Samir Nasri, a 19-year-old Marseille midfielder, scored the winning goal in just his third international match, scoring in the 33rd from Franck Ribery's deflected cross.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS

Group A: Armenia 1 Poland 0, Finland 2 Belgium 0, Kazakhstan 1 Azerbaijan 1.

Group B: Faeroe Islands 0 Scotland 2, France 1 Georgia 0, Lithuania 0 Italy 2.

Group C: Bosnia-Herzegovina 1 Malta 0, Greece 2 Moldova 1, Norway 4 Hungary 0.Group D: Germany 2 Slovakia 1.

Group E: Andorra 0 Israel 2, Croatia 0 Russia 0, Estonia 0 England 3.

Group F: Latvia 0 Denmark 2, Liechtenstein 0 Spain 2, Sweden 5 Iceland 0.

Group G: Bulgaria 2 Belarus 1, Luxembourg 0 Albania 3, Romania 2 Slovenia 0.