France bounced back with a commanding win over Belgium, while Italy secured their second consecutive victory in an exciting night of UEFA Nations League action that saw hat-tricks from Benjamin Šeško and Kerem Aktürkoğlu.
France 2-0 Belgium
France got their UEFA Nations League campaign back on track with a 2-0 victory over Belgium in Lyon. After a disappointing loss to Italy, Didier Deschamps’ side overcame a determined Belgian team. Ousmane Dembélé’s initial effort was parried by Koen Casteels, only for Randal Kolo Muani to convert the rebound, putting France ahead in the first half. Dembélé then sealed the win in the second half with a powerful shot, lifting France level with Belgium in Group A2.
Israel 1-2 Italy
Italy continued their perfect start to the tournament with a 2-1 win over Israel in Budapest. Despite Israel’s promising start, including a near miss by Manor Solomon, Italy struck first with Davide Frattesi chipping Federico Dimarco’s cross into the net. Moise Kean doubled Italy’s lead after capitalizing on a saved shot, but a late volley by Mohammad Abu Fani kept Israel in the game. However, they couldn’t complete the comeback, leaving Italy with six points from two matches.
Highlights from Other Matches
Elsewhere, Benjamin Šeško scored a hat-trick to lead Slovenia to a 3-0 win over Kazakhstan, while Kerem Aktürkoğlu’s treble helped Türkiye secure a 3-1 victory against Iceland. Erling Haaland netted his 32nd goal for Norway in a 2-1 win over Austria, although Norway lost Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard to an ankle injury. Wales took an early 2-0 lead over Montenegro and held on for a 2-1 win despite late pressure.
Other Results
– Norway 2-1 Austria, Slovenia 3-0 Kazakhstan
– Montenegro 1-2 Wales, Türkiye 3-1 Iceland
– Cyprus 0-4 Kosovo, Romania 3-1 Lithuania
Spain 4-1 Switzerland
Spain secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Switzerland despite being reduced to ten men in the first half. Early goals from Joselu and Fabián Ruiz put Spain in control before Robin Le Normand was sent off. Switzerland’s Zeki Amdouni pulled one back just before halftime, but Spain struck twice late in the second half, with Ruiz scoring again and Ferran Torres adding a fourth.
Portugal 2-1 Scotland
Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench to score the winner as Portugal defeated Scotland 2-1. After a tough 3-2 loss to Poland, Scotland started strong with a goal from Scott McTominay. Portugal responded with a second-half equalizer from Bruno Fernandes on his 30th birthday, and Ronaldo’s late goal maintained Portugal’s perfect record in the Nations League.
Croatia 1-0 Poland
A brilliant free-kick from Luka Modrić gave Croatia a narrow 1-0 win over Poland. The 39-year-old captain’s stunning strike in the 52nd minute was enough to secure Croatia’s first points of the campaign. Despite Poland’s efforts, including a shot from Robert Lewandowski that hit the post, Croatia held on to claim victory.
The action continues as teams fight for supremacy in the UEFA Nations League.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
