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The Italian national football team won the required victory in the last group tournament of the UEFA League of Nations on Wednesday and secured a place in the next round of the tournament.
In the first group of the League of Nations A, Italy defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 (1: 0).
Andrea Beloti took the lead after 22 minutes, as a result of Lorenso Insinjes’s awkward, but ultimately successful, shot from the right. After a short break in the 68 minute, Domeniko Berardi seemed to change their tactical approach a bit.
In another game of this group, Poland gave up 1: 2 (0: 1) to the Netherlands, which played in the final last season.
Kamils Južvjaks gave Poland the lead after 6 minutes, as he successfully challenged the guests’ central defenders, then placed the ball unreachably at the keeper’s right post. In the 77th minute, Memphis Depay reached the balance on the scoreboard with a realized “pendulum”, but the victory for the Netherlands was ensured by the blow of the head by Georgino Weinaldum in the 84th minute.
The Bosnians had already lost hope of remaining in Group A before this duel and will be forced to compete in Group B next season. In the group with 12 points, Italy takes the first place, the Netherlands has one point less, Poland follows with two points, but the Bosnians have scored two.
In the second group, Belgium beat Denmark at home with 4: 2 (1: 1).
The result of the game was opened by the Belgian Juri Tīlemanss in the third minute, but Jonas Vinds returned a draw 14 minutes later. In the second half, Romel Lukac took the victory for the Belgian national team, who stood out in the 57th and 69th minutes, but Kevin de Brujne had the final say three minutes before the end of regular time.
Lukaku has scored 17 goals in the last 14 Belgian national team games.
Meanwhile, England beat Iceland in the same group at home with 4: 0 (2: 0), which will be visible in Group B next season. Phil Foden scored two goals in the England national team, while Declan Raise and Mason Maunt hit it from time to time.
Raise became Westham’s first United player to score for England over the past decade on Wednesday.
The leader of the second group with 15 points is Belgium, Denmark and England with ten points, but Iceland remained in the beige and will fight to keep the place in the playoffs.
Elsewhere in the first group B match, Austria played a 1: 1 (0: 0) draw with Norway at home. Gajas Zahids took the lead in the 61st minute, but Adrians Grbičs scored 1: 1 in the fourth minute of the compensation time with a shot from about 15 meters.
On Sunday, the Norwegian team had to compete with Romania, but shortly before the match, Covid-19 was diagnosed with Omar Elabdelau, as a result of which the Norwegians did not leave. The Association of European Football Federations (UEFA) later stated that Norway was directly responsible for the match, which resulted in a 0: 3 technical loss to the team.
Such a decision by UEFA prevented Norway from taking first place in Group B, which would ensure participation in Group A next year.
In the second game of this group, Romania played a 1: 1 (0: 0) draw against Northern Ireland. Liems Boiss stood out in the Northern Ireland national team, but Eric Bikfalvi equalized in the 81st minute.
Austria is first with 13 points, Norway three points lower, while Romania and Northern Ireland scored five and two points respectively. Northern Ireland will have to fight in the playoffs, but Austria has earned a place in Group A.
In group B2, the Czech Republic defeated Slovakia at home with 2: 0 (1: 0).
Tomāšs Součeks neatly controlled the ball after a short corner, and knocked it on to Zdeneks Ondrāšeks who had the whole net open before him, but only managed to hit the post.
In the same group, Israel defeated Scotland 1-0 (1: 0). In the penultimate minute of the first half, Manor Solomon scored the winning goal for the Israeli team.
The Czech Republic won the first place with 12 points and the opportunity to play in Group A next season, while Scotland was at ten points, Israel scored eight, but the Slovaks with four points remained fourth and will be forced to play the playoffs.
Serbia won a devastating success in the third group B match, beating Russia 5: 0 (4: 0) at home.
Luka Jovičs scored both goals in the first half, but Nemanja Radonjičs, Dušan Vlahovičs and Filips Mladenovičs also scored.
Meanwhile, Hungary defeated Turkey 2-0 (0: 0). The victories of the Hungarians were ensured by the precise broadcasts of David Sigera and Kevin Varga.
Hungary won the first place with 11 points, Russia scored eight points, but Serbia and Turkey, which took the fourth place and will be forced to participate in the playoffs, have two less.
The games also took place in Group B, where Wales, Finland, Ireland and Bulgaria play.
Wales defeated Finland 3: 1 (1: 0). Harry Wilson, Daniel James and Kiefer Moore scored in the Welsh national team, while Theme Puki scored the Finnish “honor” goal.
Meanwhile, Ireland played a draw 0-0 (0: 0) with Bulgaria at home.
Wales secured a spot in Group A with 16 points, Finland with 12 points, Ireland with three, but the Bulgarians earned two points and will fight in the playoffs.
Armenia, a member of the second group C, also succeeded, defeating Northern Macedonia at home with 1: 0 (0: 0).
The victory goal in the 55th minute was scored by Hovhaness Hambarjyyan in the Armenian national team. The goal scored by the football player gave the Armenian national team the first place in the group, as a result of which next season there will be an opportunity to play in group B.
Group C may have to say goodbye to their northern neighbors, the Estonians, who played a 0-0 draw with Georgia.
The Estonian national team took the last position in their group, so it will be necessary to avoid reprimands for maintaining the place.
In the second group C, Armenia has 11 points, Northern Macedonia has two less, while Georgia and Estonia have gained seven and three points, respectively.
Kosovo C defeated Moldova 1: 0 (1: 0) in the third group game at home. Victory goal for Lirim Kastrati.
In the second game of this group, Slovenia played a draw 0: 0 (0: 0) with Greece.
Slovenia was the best in the third group C with 14 points, Greece less than two, Kosovo earned five points and Moldova one, so the playoffs are expected.
Next season, the place in Group B was earned by the Albanian national team, which won the second leading team of this group Belarus 3: 2 (3: 1) in its field.
By the 27th minute, Sokol Cikaleši had already scored two goals for the Albanian national team, but Ray Manai had already achieved 3: 1 in the 44th minute, because previously the only goal in the Belarusian national team was scored by Maxim Skavišs.
Max Ebongs missed one goal in the 80th minute, but the Albanians maintained the lead and won the group.
In the second game of this group, Lithuania defeated Kazakhstan 2: 1 (1: 1) away from the playoffs.
50 minutes were showing on the scoreboard when Islambeks Kuats received his second yellow card and was sent off. The Lithuanians managed to use the numerical advantage only in the fourth minute of the compensation time, scoring significant goals for Arvīds Novikovs.
Albania scored 11 points in six games, Belarus one less, Lithuania followed with eight points, and Kazakhstan scored four.
In the League of Nations, the group winners earn the opportunity to play in a higher group next year. Namely, the team that wins in one of the C groups has a chance to start in one of the B groups, while the winners of the B groups will be strong in the A groups next year.
Those teams that have won the first two places in their groups, but have not previously qualified for the 2022 World Cup, will be eligible to participate in the World Cup qualification “play-off” round.
The League of Nations tournament is taking place for the second year. In the first season of the League of Nations, Portugal was crowned the winner.
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