EEngland missed revenge for losing the final of the European Football Championship against Italy. 335 days after the final, coach Gareth Southgate’s side were held to a 0-0 draw by the European champions in the Nations League on Saturday. Four days after the 1-1 draw against Germany in Munich and the 0-1 start in Hungary, the English are only last in Group 3 with two points.
At home in Wolverhampton, the English were the better team for long stretches, but were unable to capitalize on that. A Mason Mount shot in the ninth minute sent Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma brilliantly over the bar. At the other end, keeper Aaron Ramsdale prevented a deficit with a great save against Sandro Tonali.
In Group 4, the Netherlands missed out on a possible win in Rotterdam after trailing 2-0 against Poland and had to settle for a 2-2 (0-1) draw. The Poles, where world footballer Robert Lewandowski was rested, took the lead out of nowhere in Rotterdam. Right-back Matthew Cash (18th), who was born in England, scored a low shot to make it 1-0.
The second half got off to a furious start: Piotr Zielinski made it 2-0 for the guests (49′) before the Netherlands responded with a double. Former Bremen player Davy Klaassen (51′) and Denzel Dumfries (54′) brought Elftal back into play after attacks down the left flank. Memphis Depay missed the win late with a hand penalty (90+1).
Wales, who secured their first World Cup qualification since 1958 in the play-off final against Ukraine just under a week ago, were more active in the game against Belgium: Leipzig’s Ethan Ampadu’s early opening goal was denied for offside (5th minute). .). In the second half, Youri Tielemans scored for the ripped-off guests (51′), before Brennan Johnson equalized for the Welshmen shortly before the end (86′).
Coach Stefan Kuntz has brought in the next victory in the third division of the Nations League with the Turkish national football team. On Saturday evening, Turkey also won their third group game in League C in Luxembourg 2-0 (1-0). The Kuntz team thus distanced the opponent who was previously level on points by three points and remains the sovereign leader of the table with the optimal result of nine points.
Former Bundesliga professional Hakan Calhanoglu gave Turkey the lead with a penalty (37′) after the ball had jumped to Mainz midfielder Leandro Barreiro’s outstretched arm from close range. Former Darmstadt player Serdar Dursun, who came on at the break, made the final score (76th).
Salih Özcan, who switched from 1. FC Köln to Borussia Dortmund in the summer, was on the bench until the 68th minute four days after his starting XI debut. The defensive midfielder had already played for the German U21s under Kuntz, but has now decided to play in his parents’ home country. Turkey was relegated from the B-League in the last Nations League season as the bottom of the group. In League C, the Kuntz team is a big favorite with group opponents Lithuania, the Faroe Islands and Luxembourg. The Turks did not qualify for the World Cup in Qatar next winter.
