Global Futbol Matches September 7 to 19, 2020 (UEFA Nations League)A Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2020. September 7 to 19, 2020 (UEFA Nations League)
The European Nations League kicked off this fortnight.
League D In League D, Andorra took on Latvia, with the home side keeping the majority of possession in the first half. However, it was Latvia whose efforts required three defensive clearances off the line in quick succession. The second half was a tighter affair in the midfield, with Andorra having two close efforts. Finally, Latvia broke the deadlock in additional time with substitute Igors Tarasovs sealing the first three points for Latvia, and drowning Andorra’s hopes, most likely, of progressing out of League D.
The Faroe Islands scored in the eleventh minute via Brandur Olsen against Liechtenstein to set up their first win for the Nations League. Olsen led onto a ball at the 18-yard box and pocketed the ball into the back of the net. After the break, substitute Andreas Olsen also led onto a pass, curling the ball with his left into the right-hand side of the goal. Dan Berg Í Soylu then won a penalty minutes after and easily slotted for the Islanders’ third goal, leaving Liechtenstein in their wake.
Latvia then hosted the Faroe Islands six days later, scoring at the beginning of both halves. Faroe goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen unfortunately had the final touch after the ball hit the woodwork and both sides tussled to gain possession of the rebound, instead, coming off the goalkeeper and into the net. Jānis Ikaunieks then added to the lead in the 54th minute with a brilliant header outsmarting Nielsen. The Faroe Islanders could have had a goal, only for the Latvian defence to hold firm, and gain two wins from two games.
Andorra held Liechtenstein to a scoreless draw as Liechtenstein, being the hosts, dominated across the park, only to find no cohesion in the final third. Nearly every shot was from outside the 18-yard box, and was easily blocked, or flew wide of the mark. Both sides will need to up their game next month to have any chance to reach League C.
In the match between Malta and Kosovo, the home side started with a back five in a new formation. Instead, it was the front two who combined, with Kyrian Nwoko opening the scoring. Malta had the majority of possession in the first half, only for Valon Berisha, who sneaked into the striker’s role, to equalise right before the break as he lifted his leg and toe-poked the ball before the Maltese goalkeeper could reach it. Joseph Mbong came from the right wing back late to score, giving the hosts the lead. However, Berisha replied immediately, and the game ended in a 2-2 draw.
Moldova flew to Azerbaijan and held their own in the first half as the hosts dominated across the board, only to fail to show it on the scoreboard. Straight after the break, Radu Gînsari scored for Moldova, giving them the upper hand. Azerbaijan tried in vain to equalise, and the Moldovans gained a crucial away three points.
Moldova made significant changes to their home game against Kosovo, which surprised their fans. It paid off as two shots for two goals in the first half placed Kosovo on the back foot. Mihail Caimacov led onto a ball and slotted around the Kosovan goalkeeper; six minutes later, Ion Nicolăescu headed from a corner. Kosovo fought back and had a goal from Valon Berisha in the 50th minute, also being accurate with their second shot after the first hit the woodwork. However, Moldova held on for the win, gaining six points from their first two games.
Malta then hosted Azerbaijan, gaining their second home draw for the Nations League. Stephen Pisani switched to the left midfield and had an immediate impact as he scored for Malta in the tenth minute with relative ease. However, that was undone right before the break when Ali Ghorbani was found free in the box and he equalised for Azerbaijan. The second half was a tight tussle, with Malta having the better chances, only for the ball to be cleared off the line twice. In the end, the draw favoured Azerbaijan, while the Maltese look doubtful in reaching the top of the group and being promoted to League C.
In Group D1, the Ukraine and Montenegro found themselves in the lowest League, hoping to wrestle out there after having made the Euro 2020 tournament. Montenegro had the momentum of the first half, leading to a goal by Sead Hakšabanović. The Ukraine tried in vain to equalise but failed to find a successful path to goal. Their best attempt came via Júnior Moraes, who after the break was right in front of goal from a right-wing cross, only to miss the whole goal. From there, Montenegro bunkered down in defence and let the Ukraine attack, but without giving away a goal.
Five goals from four goalscorers saw Albania defeat Gibraltar with ease. The Albanians eased into the game, scoring early via Sokol Cikalleshi, though they did manage to get a goal from Amir Abrashi right before the break. Rey Manaj set up Keidi Bare in the second half before scoring twice himself to give the Albanians the best possible start in a tough group.
Gibraltar played host to the Ukraine the following week. The visitors scored one more than Albania did, with four in the first half. Those came from Bohdan Mykhaylichenko, Ruslan Malinovskyi, Júnior Moraes and Yevhen Konoplyanka. In the second half, Malinovskyi scored two more late in the piece to gain a hat trick and come away with the half-dozen benchmark scoreline against the lowly Gibraltar side.
Albania’s Rey Manaj surprised Montenegro with a goal in the seventh minute, causing Montenegro to snap out of their lacklustre start and get back into the game. The hosts did so via Marko Bakić’s header. After the break, Montenegro took full charge of the match with goals from Aleksandar Boljević and Nebojša Kosović to gain their second win out of two games and take the early lead in Group D1.
Kazakhstan had the ideal start against Iceland in their opening Nations League match, with Marat Bystrov heading the ball into goal before the Icelandic goalkeeper could reach it. Seven minutes later, Alfred Finnbogason equalised, also using his head to ruffle the back of the net. Kazakhstan then muffed a chance to clear, with goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov being the last to touch the ball in a failed attempt to stop an own goal. From there, Iceland held their nerve across the second half, with neither side dominating the midfield.
Estonia began their campaign in similar fashion to Kazakhstan, scoring in the fourth minute via Vladislav Kreida as he got onto a loose ball after the Monaco goalkeeper had initially saved the attempted chip shot by Rauno Sappinen. Vlasiy Sinyavskiy then hit the woodwork with his header, and Sappinen tried two more chip shots, only for one to miss and the other to be saved. Kreida could not reach the latter in time to repeat his goal. After the break, Konstantin Vassiljev was found as he cut a run through the defence and struck first time, doubling the Estonians’ lead. From there, they tried for a third, but came up short.
Six days later, Monaco played host to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan reversed the scoreline of their first match against Iceland, but it was Monaco who scored first via defender Marc Vassallo. Kazakhstan restored the order of the day with Abat Aymbetov pouncing on a defensive error and scoring from a metre out. In the 74th minute, substitute Maxim Fedin reached a chipped pass first and his first touch found the back of the net. From there, Kazakhstan maintained the score at 2-1 and gained their first win for the Nations League.
Iceland and Estonia faced off, with both sides missing key shots early. Eventually, the front two of Iceland in Gylfi Sigurðsson and Alfred Finnbogason settled, with Sigurðsson scoring from closer range after a defensive error. Finnbogason’s header in the 30th minute deflected off a defender, catching the Estonian goalkeeper on the wrong foot. Finnbogason then set up Sigurðsson in the 69th minute with a relatively easy goal, finishing the game on a high note with the three-goal win and six points from two games.
League C In Group C3, Sweden and Bosnia-Herzegovina, after their Euro 2020 campaign, desired to reach the heights of League B. Both sides had chances in the first half, and though Sweden had the better of the second half, they were unable to produce a goal. Their best chance came from Marcus Berg as his header hit the bottom of the left-hand post. The game, instead, ended in a scoreless draw.
Similarly, Greece, also having qualified for Euro 2020, needed an away win against Lithuania to start their journey to potential promotion. However, Lithuania produced the only shot of the first half, and what a shot it was, as the ball from the left wing found a diving Fedor Černych as he headed home the opener. Greece did work back into the match, helped by double-teaming Černych and keeping him away from the ball for long periods. Lithuania, though, attacked without relent late in the match, with substitute Domantas Antanavičius producing the second goal needed to propel Lithuania to the top of the group after Match Day 1.
Greece hoped to turn things around as they hosted Sweden. Little happened for the first half as neither side could find the edge. Finally, Sweden’s Kristoffer Olsson found the breakthrough after his side attacked constantly. After the hour mark, Greece searched for an equaliser and pressured, only to have the Swedish goalkeeper and defence hold firm, particularly in making key saves and blocks when Greece looked likely to score. In the end, the single goal was the difference and Sweden had a crucial away victory.
Lithuania replaced the injured Rolandas Baravykas, having come off late in the match against Greece. The Bosnians thought to attack down his wing, but it proved fruitless in a frustrating match as they could not find a pathway to goal. Their best chance came in the eighteenth minute with Amir Hadžiahmetović hitting the woodwork. Nevertheless, Lithuania sits on top of Group C3, with their next opponents, Sweden, only behind on goal difference.
In Group C1, the first half between Belarus and Wales was evenly matched, though in the second half, Wales had a few opportunities to score. Instead, Maksim Skavysh scored for Belarus, heading the ball from a cross hailed from the left wing. Wales sought an equaliser, only for Belarus to hold firm.
San Marino managed to hold on for 75 minutes against Northern Ireland. When the match seemed going the way of a draw, Player of the Match Kyle Lafferty assisted three goals in the last fifteen minutes. Substitute Josh Magennis scored twice in quick succession, wrestling the win away from San Marino. Liam Boyce also came off the bench to snag a late goal, and Northern Ireland breathed a sigh of relief with a much more realistic scoreline against San Marino of 3-0.
The following week, San Marino and Belarus both made changes to their line-up and formation. Though Belarus had an early chance to score, it was San Marino who benefited the most from the changes. Nicola Nanni capped off two goals in the first half to set up a win for the hosts. The first came after Filippo Berardi set him up, where the main striker was in the box, and as he received the ball, did not turn for goal but instead set up Nanni, who smacked the inside of the post with his shot before the ball went in. His second came off his left boot after the San Marino side pressured in their attacking third. Belarus lost the ball and Nanni pounced, giving San Marino the edge in the match. Belarus tried hard to gain a goal back, only to have their shots blocked. In the end, San Marino gained their first win.
In the battle between two “Homes Countries”, Wales played host to Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland switched to a back five to limit any Welsh goals, with Magennis starting, while Wales employed a back three approach. Wales had the momentum of the initial stages, with a deft goalkeeping save denying an opener, as well as the woodwork. Down the other end, Northern Ireland wrestled for chances, before right back Michael Smith scored off a corner from long distance with a grand volley. Welshman Daniel James then hit the post with his shot, and it seemed no luck would go the way of the hosts. His teammate Sam Vokes wrestled back a goal straight after the break in what looks set to be his final match for his country. As the game intensified, Wales pushed forward for a free kick, only for the North Irish to score off a counterattack, with substitute Niall McGinn running half the field without a defender near him and outsmarting the Welsh goalkeeper. Wales did not give in and substitute Jonathan Williams scored late in additional time to ensure both sides left with a point apiece.
In Group C2, Norway flew to Cyprus to begin their Nations League campaign, in the hope to lift to League B. However, Cyprus were the hotter side of the first half, though they missed key chances early. Right at the end of the half, Ioannis Pittas cut in from the left wing and scored with his right boot. Straight after the break, however, Joshua King caught onto a poor defensive clearance and equalised for Norway. Cyprus had two more chances to score the winner, but were unable to get beyond the Norwegian goalkeeper, and the match ended in a draw.
Romania had all the play of the first half against Luxembourg, thanks to a fifth-minute goal from Ciprian Deac. Romania should have had at least two more goals in the first half, only to waste chances. In the second half, Luxembourg gained back the goal they conceded as Vincent Thill flew across the box and headed for home. Romania should have won the game, only for Deac to miss what seemed a certain goal, and his teammates followed suit, leaving the eastern Europeans short two vital points.
Six day later, Luxembourg hosted Cyprus. In the twelfth minute, Daniel Sinani had a ping at goal, chipping the goalkeeper, only to hit the post. As Konstantinos Laifis scurried to retrieve the ball, it bounced off him into his own goal, giving Luxembourg the lead. Strikers for both sides scored their opening Nations League goals; Edvin Muratovic doubled the lead before the break with a first-touch left footer and Cypriot Marios Ilia gained back a goal as he hit a rebound save from Pittas’ initial shot. However, Luxembourg held on for their first win, giving them an edge in the group.
Norway and Romania had chances to gain three more points in the group, with a few shots for both teams in the first half. Norway had the better of the opportunities in the second, only to fall short of the mark, with the match ending a scoreless draw.
In Group C4, both Belgium and North Macedonia employed a 3-4-3 formation in the hope of outscoring in a potential shootout. Belgium’s midfield excelled without the need of the Hazard brothers and Kevin de Bruyne. Thomas Meunier and Axel Witsel both scored quality goals in the first half, setting up the win. However, it was their last-gasp defence that kept North Macedonia at bay, twice needing to make sliding stops near the goal. In the second half, Belgium had the upper hand, only to fail to turn that into another goal. Still, the Belgians felt the efforts of their first game, and win, was enough.
Scotland faced Armenia; with a good chance the loser might be fighting to stay in League C. Scotland looked formidable in their attacking third as striker Lyndon Dykes hit the post twice. Instead, it was the Scottish defence that helped in attack. First, Scott McTominay, playing at right back, went on a long run that won a corner. From that corner, defender and Player of the Match Declan Gallagher headed home the opener. Seven minutes later, Ryan Fraser drifted behind the defence as a pass came through, keeping his shot along the ground and into goal. Armenia had chances, only each time their shots flew wide of mark. Instead, substitute striker Kenny McLean added to the tally in the second half, giving Scotland a three-nil victory.
Armenia needed to bounce back the following week with a win or draw against Belgium. The first half saw end-to-end football; Belgium again making some great last-minute defensive saves and Armenia holding the Belgian front three away from goal. Armenia ramped up in the second half but could not get beyond the defensive three or the goalkeeper. Finally, Timoty Castagne came off the bench and scored for Belgium, and the visitors had their second win from two matches.
Scotland also won 1-0 away against North Macedonia. Fraser scored his second goal in two games as the hosts struggled in their final third to get goals on target. When they did, the ball flew straight to the Scottish goalkeeper. Late in the match, North Macedonia found themselves free with the ball beyond the defensive line, only for Scotland as a unit to retreat and stop what seemed potential goals. Instead of Scotland and Armenia fighting to remain in League C, it seems the battle will now take place between North Macedonia and Armenia, who meet next month, while Scotland face Belgium to try and take top spot in the group.
League B In League B, Russia wanted a great start to rise back into the top League with a win over Finland. Finland played with fire by having a back three, and Russia sought to make the most of it with plenty of early chances. However, Teemu Pukki caught the Russians off guard and scored the first goal. Yuri Zhirkov led onto a chipped ball from the right midfield to equalise immediately. With his first start, Vyacheslav Karavaev nearly slotted home as he cut back in from the left, only to shudder and shake the right-hand post. From there, Russia had a late surge to gain the winning goal, including two headers hitting the crossbar, only for the Finnish defence to hold firm and gain a vital away draw.
Finland made minor changes to their line up for the home match against Slovakia. However, Slovakia attacked early and had the upper hand, particularly when Patrik Hrošovský scored from long range. Finland quickly replied via Glen Kamara before Teemu Pukki was the last to touch the ball in a desperate fling of bodies at the ball. Towards the end of the match, Finland played for the 2-1 scoreline, while Slovakia countered and nearly scored, only to fall short of the mark.
In Group B2, Turkey flew to Ireland and had the upper hand in the first half. This came about from a twentieth-minute goal off the head of Burak Yılmaz. Ireland had to bunker down in defence to stop Turkey scoring a second. After the break, it was Turkey who then held fast in defence as Ireland sought an equaliser. Shane Long should have scored twice; his first was a chip over the Turkish goalkeeper that fell to the left of goal, and the second was a header, similar to Yılmaz’s, that hit the crossbar and bounced out of play. Turkey gained the full three points, ready to host Croatia with all their might and confidence.
Yılmaz continued to score with his head at home against Croatia, this time with the ball crossed in from the left wing. He then set up Hakan Çalhanoğlu off a corner, quickly taking charge of the match. A third Turkish goal, a chipped shot by Yılmaz, effectively ended the game. However, Croatia scored either side of the break, with Luka Modrić heading home a corner and Bruno Petković making the most of poor defence. However, Kenan Karaman quickly scored Turkey’s fourth and the full three points were theirs. Seven minutes later, Ozan Tufan made it five goals, scoring with his left foot. Croatian substitute Marko Rog gained a late consolation goal, and the match ended soon after with the score five-three.
In Group B3, Portugal’s three goals in the first half set up a solid win over Switzerland. Coming from the left wing instead of Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota scored a brilliant left-footer in the thirteenth minute. Portuguese striker João Félix tried the same, only to miss the mark. Instead, Diogo Jota doubled the lead with his head, before João Félix got his name on the scorecard with a deft chip over the Swiss goalkeeper. In the second half, Portugal eased off, but certainly had their chances for a fourth goal. Switzerland could have gained a consolation goal, only for the ball to hit the outside of the post. Three-nil was the final score.
Hoping to bounce back, Switzerland faced Israel at home and went on the attack early, with Granit Xhaka scoring in the third and thirteenth minutes. The first was a dribble from outside the box to the top right quadrant of the box before shooting across the face of goal and into the correct side of the side netting. The second was a header off a perfect Xherdan Shaqiri cross. Switzerland sought a third goal, but it remained elusive until after Israeli substitute Ofri Arad pegged a goal back, making it two-one. Swiss substitute Admir Mehmedi immediately replied with a chip shot over the Israeli goalkeeper and the Swiss celebrated an important win
Group B4’s first match between neighbours Austria and Hungary was a tight affair, with Hungary making the most of their opportunities. Though Austria had the early momentum, Ádám Szalai scored for the visitors in a side that looked remarkably different from their Euro 2020 squad. Austria tried in vain for 32 minutes to gain back a goal, but were unable to, and Hungary gained a vital away victory.
At home, Hungary was on the back foot as Georgia sought an early goal. That came about via Giorgi Kvilitaia as the striker capitalised on a defence error. Hungary looked lethargic as they struggled to keep regular passes, and their runs kept stepping too near the Georgian players. Finally, their game improved in the latter stages of the match and Nemanja Nikolić and Loïc Négo both scored to give Hungary a come-from-behind victory.
League A In League A, Germany hosted Spain with a new back three. However, that back three looked out of sorts as Jesús Navas and Rodrigo scored easily with an overlapping play. Germany got a goal back when Thilo Kehrer ran on to a through pass from right midfield and ruffled the net. In the second half, İlkay Gündoğan then equalised with a brilliant goal. Germany looked set to overrun the Spaniards, but it was Ferran Torres who ran in front of Kevin Trapp, the German goalkeeper, from a cross and headed the ball out of Trapp’s reach into the left-hand post and into goal. Late blocks kept German advances away from goal, and Spain earned a solid three points.
Spain then hosted Slovenia who had risen from League B last year. Spain had all the charge in the first half but were unable to capitalise on their chances. Instead, straight after the break, Amedej Vetrih walked through the Spanish defence and scored. This propelled the home side into action and scored twice in six minutes late in the match; Sergio Busquets volleyed a cross from the right wing and Fabián Ruiz backed himself against the Slovenian defence and ramped home the winner.
The Dutch faced a formidable French side in their opening Nations League match. At first, the Netherlands felt they had the upper hand in the match, with more semi-chances coming their way. However, France took complete control, scoring via Ngolo Kanté’s head, before Adrien Rabiot outsmarted multiple defenders to find a way to goal. Kylian Mbappê scored from right in front of goal in the 69th minute, making it near-impossible for the hosts to come back in the game. Substitute Kevin Strootman did score a consolation goal, but a key three-one win meant France had started in the most perfect style possible.
France then hosted Bulgaria and had the visitors on the back foot as they worked down both wings. Antoine Griezmann caught on a cross in the fourth minute, giving his side the lead and a grip on the match. Olivier Giroud then backed up his initial cross in the second half with an easy tap in after the Bulgarian goalkeeper saved the first shot from long range. As he had against the Dutch, Adrien Rabiot then scored from just outside the box. Three goals were enough to give France the perfect beginning to the Nations League, leaving the Dutch and the Bulgarians with their tails between their legs.
Italy flew to the Czech Republic, gaining an early goal via Ciro Immobile. Both sides had remarkably different players from their Euro 2020 campaigns, and it started to show in aspects of the match. The hosts struggled to get back in the game as the Italians played for the solitary goal win. Eventually, the Czechs got their act together, and through substitute Michael Rabušic, scored in additional time to level the match and save face.
Italy then hosted Serbia in a match that was over by halftime, but in the favour of the visitors. Aleksandar Mitrović scored twice by the nineteenth minute, easily finding the back of the net. Nemanja Maksimović followed up with a third goal for the Serbians, and from there had control over the whole match. Italy tried in vain to snag at least one back but left the field in disarray as the Serbians dismantled their defence with ease.
In Group A4, England and Denmark played in the opening match, with England taking charge early. Marcus Rashford scored in the first half with a brilliant lead behind the defence and snagged the opener. Harry Kane followed up after halftime, where Kasper Schmeichel got a touch on the ball, but the shot was too powerful, and the ball fell beyond the goal line. England eased off, allowing Denmark back in the match. Christian Eriksen scored and then Daniel Wass converted a penalty, bringing the game level again. However, substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold headed the winner twelve minutes from time and gained for his country the full three points.
Poland had the better of the match when they travelled to Denmark for the second match. Karol Linetty returned to the side and scored in the thirteenth minute via a beautiful header. Denmark attempted in vain to score, and the match was all Poland’s when Robert Lewandowski turned a full 180 degrees on the edge of the box and scored without needing a second touch. Denmark must now work harder to stay out of relegation and must win their two other games, which will be a difficult task.
© 2020 Steve Clark |
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Added on October 18, 2020 Last Updated on October 18, 2020 Author
Steve ClarkAdelaide, South Australia, AustraliaAboutA free spirited educator who dabbles in the art of writing novels and articles. more..Writing
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