The latest Nations League matches have offered a clear indication of the teams gathering momentum and those facing an increasingly difficult battle in the league phase.
France’s 1-1 draw with Italy was the standout result. Zinedine Zidane had won his first two matches in charge, but Italy exposed some of the defensive vulnerabilities in the French side. France had more possession and created opportunities, but Italy’s resistance, inspired by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, earned Roberto Mancini’s side a valuable point.
France still lead Group A1 with seven points, but Belgium are now only one point behind after their 3-0 victory over Türkiye. That makes Monday’s France-Belgium meeting particularly significant in the group.
Northern Ireland’s 3-0 win over Ukraine is another result that changes the picture in League B. Two goals from Ciaron Brown and another from Isaac Price moved Northern Ireland to seven points and maintained their perfect defensive record after three matches.
The result also demonstrates how quickly momentum can change in the Nations League, where teams outside the top division can use a strong run of results to push for promotion.
Spain remain one of the most impressive sides in the competition. Their 4-1 demolition of Croatia followed a 3-2 victory over England and extended their unbeaten run to 40 matches.
Lamine Yamal has been particularly influential, scoring twice against Croatia after also finding the net against England. Spain therefore enter the next phase of Group A3 with considerable attacking momentum.
Robert Lewandowski also produced one of the individual performances of the round, scoring three times as Poland demolished Romania 6-0. Romania’s early red card made the task considerably harder, but Poland capitalised ruthlessly.
Portugal’s 4-2 victory over Denmark, Germany’s 2-0 win over Serbia and Wales’ 2-1 comeback against Norway have also reshaped the standings in Group A4 and Group A2.
With another round of matches beginning on Saturday, attention now shifts to Croatia against England and Spain against the Czech Republic in Group A3, while France and Belgium prepare for a potentially decisive meeting on Monday.
