Belgium on Sunday ended England’s hopes of reaching the UEFA Nations League finals with a 2-0 win, while Italy edged closer to next year’s title shake-up.
Belgium were just five minutes from joining world champions France at next year’s finals when Iceland pulled level at 1-1 with group rivals Denmark in Copenhagen.
However, a stoppage-time penalty by Christian Eriksen gave Denmark a 2-1 win and kept alive their chances of pipping Belgium to top spot in Group A2.
Photo: AP
Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens scored the goals which gave world No. 1 Belgium victory over Gareth Southgate’s England.
Leicester City midfielder Tielemans’s deflected effort went in off the post after 10 minutes.
Fourteen minutes later, Declan Rice was harshly punished for a challenge on Kevin de Bruyne just outside the penalty area and Mertens curled the resulting free-kick perfectly over the wall to give Jordan Pickford no chance.
“We were always in control at 2-0, sometimes it can be dangerous, you feel comfortable, but we defended Thibaut Courtois’ goal very well,” Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said.
A second consecutive defeat leaves England in third place, five points adrift of Belgium, with just one game remaining.
“We don’t like losing, but enormous credit to the team, all the way through they created problems and defended resiliently,” Southgate said.
Denmark’s late winner over Iceland in Copenhagen means Belgium still need a point to secure their place in the final four when they host them tomorrow.
Eriksen gave the hosts the lead from the penalty spot after 12 minutes following a foul by Ari Freyr Skulason on Daniel Wass.
Vidar Orn Kjartansson leveled for Iceland in the 85th minute, but another penalty by Eriksen in the second minute of stoppage-time after a handball by Hordur Magnusson gave Denmark the three points.
Italy brushed off the absences of several players and coach Roberto Mancini due to COVID-19 with an impressive 2-0 victory over Poland.
The Azzurri took top spot in Group A1 from the Netherlands, who beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 earlier on Sunday.
Italy will be sure of a place in the finals with victory over Bosnia in Sarajevo tomorrow.
Chelsea midfielder Jorginho opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a penalty awarded after Grzegorz Krychowiak had brought down Andrea Belotti.
In the 77th minute, Poland had Jacek Goralski sent off before Italy added a second goal from Domenico Berardi.
“It’s our culture, Italians give their best during difficult moments and become more united,” said assistant coach Alberico Evani, whose 41-man squad had been whittled down to 28, due to injuries, as well as positive and inconclusive COVID-19 tests.
Frank de Boer won his first match as Netherlands coach after Georginio Wijnaldum scored twice in the win over Bosnia.
The Liverpool midfielder struck his goals early in the first half to help new coach De Boer break his duck at the fifth attempt following three draws and a defeat, with Memphis Depay scoring the other.
“It had been five games since we’d won, so it was a good feeling to win again,” Wijnaldum said. “If I’m playing more in a sitting role, I don’t get in the box that often, but tonight I was playing as a No. 10, so I’m expected to. I basically just did my job.”
The Netherlands go to Poland in their final group game.
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