⚽ UEFA Nations League ⚽ - Discussion Thread

[Adbitco]

I expect to see France come out at their best in front of their fans and give Zidane his first win at home, Belgium are not really a big threat but I'm not sure if France can do better than they did in their last game because it seems like whenever the players are approaching the end of this international break they just reduce the energy at which they play, the seriousness will reduce all in the name of avoiding injuries. France are still the favorite with the number of good players even without Mbappe they can still win this game, Belgium on the other hand just need to draw because from how I see the squad of both sides France will pressure them more so if they get a draw is a good result for them.

France has not really been doing well in their matches because they haven't been playing like the fierce team that they are known for.  Scoring 3 goals in 3 matches shows the extent of their poor performance. Belgium is not a team to walk over, they possess inner strength in them that they uses to outshine their opponents so I can't strongly say that France will have it easy with Belgium. The match has gone live currently. France with the number of quality players in the team are supposed to be winning their matches with at least 3 goals difference but here they are scoring one goal each in every match that they've played.

I have come to notice something about France, I don't know if they are doing on purpose, I have noticed their unseriousness in other competitions apart from the World cup. At the world cup they are a different beast but in the Euros and Nations League they are a different. Could it be that they don't put more importance in these competitions or it's difficult for them.

[Frankolala]

Two goals in three minutes from France to put themselves on a 2-1 lead after playing for 76 minutes without scoring any goal. Doue and Cherki scored the goals on the 77th minutes and on the 81st minutes respectively. I don't know why Zidane kept these players on the bench because they're heroes of France. Belgium tried their best to defend their one goal but France has all the qualities on the bench and after the substitutes, France turned the game around.

Lose has made it three goals. This is the best win so far, for Zidane in his campaign. What a comeback from one goal down to 3-1.

[Audrey Simmons]

I have come to notice something about France, I don't know if they are doing on purpose, I have noticed their unseriousness in other competitions apart from the World cup. At the world cup they are a different beast but in the Euros and Nations League they are a different. Could it be that they don't put more importance in these competitions or it's difficult for them.

Check the score sheet, France are leading by 2 goals, and the two goals came from the substitutes. France are not having a bad game, i don't see how you mean they are not serious. France has been the one controlling the game, got many opportunities to score, but Dembele and Barcola missed all of them.

Olise just scored the third goal before posting this, all substitutes are responsible for the victory tonight.

Edit: Olise with another goal, 4-1.

[Smartvirus]

Zidane might have just done this one. Making 4 substitutes and those 4 substitutes has made expected changes to the result of this game, Cunha with an assist for Doue, Olise with an assist for Cherki and then, Doue gets an assist for Olise, then Cherki with another assist for Olise to bring the game to a France 4:1 Belgium. That’s just strategy and no better manager to get it done than Zidane. One would have thought this game would have potentially ended in a draw but, France had other plans and they found ways to make it happen.

[tiCeR]

Zidane might have just done this one. Making 4 substitutes and those 4 substitutes has made expected changes to the result of this game, Cunha with an assist for Doue, Olise with an assist for Cherki and then, Doue gets an assist for Olise, then Cherki with another assist for Olise to bring the game to a France 4:1 Belgium. That’s just strategy and no better manager to get it done than Zidane. One would have thought this game would have potentially ended in a draw but, France had other plans and they found ways to make it happen.

That sounds too simple to be true and the reason is because Zidane couldn't just do the same next week. I know there is no match next week, but you know what I mean. It was lucky. Sometimes your substitutions hit the target or get their tasks done, sometimes they don't. Saying that no other coach could have done the same is nonsense. Zidane got a lucky hand tonight, and might have an unlucky hand next time.

If Zidane is this exceptional manager that you say he is, why did he finish the match 1-1 against Italy and why only one goal against Belgium in the first match?

The reality is that Zidane can't really make many mistakes. Look at his first eleven players and look at his bench and tell me what fundamental mistakes he could make when he substitutes players? He has by far the best 16-17 players in the world. The advantage that Spain has over France is that Spain's first eleven players fit together like 100/100%. They have a system that works from the goalkeeper to the strikers. France has a small imbalance that they need to cope with.

[icebar]

Norway has finished its tough matches , especially the games against Portugal. Now, they will face easier opponents. They have a chance to beat both Denmark and Wales if Haaland is on his game, both of these teams could concede a lot of goals against them. However, it is worth remembering that, despite their strong squad, Norway has been playing poorly in the Nations League. They could even end up finishing last in the group.

Are you sure that you have been following up this competition because Norway is already out of the competition after Portugal defeated then yesterday and stay on top of their group table. Norway only got three points out of four games and conceded a total of eight goals. It was a poor finish for them this time.

Portugal is in the next round and their opponent will determine if they can qualify easily to the semifinals or not.

Portugal is undoubtedly a good team. In that match towards the end, there was a bit of a mismatch between the players and Ronaldo. They played a fantastic match without Ronaldo and won in an attacking manner. Portugal's players are now very desperate to prove themselves. They lost to Norway in the previous match at home and in this match, they won the match even though one of their players received a red card. Portugal has won four out of four matches, which is undoubtedly a lot of praise for the team. On the other hand, despite the presence of Holland on the opposing team, Norway could not influence the result of the match. It is easy to guess that the team is no longer weak even without Ronaldo. In Ronaldo's absence, they have won against Denmark and Norway, which is a positive sign for the team.

[Somto9Light]

Two goals in three minutes from France to put themselves on a 2-1 lead after playing for 76 minutes without scoring any goal. Doue and Cherki scored the goals on the 77th minutes and on the 81st minutes respectively. I don't know why Zidane kept these players on the bench because they're heroes of France. Belgium tried their best to defend their one goal but France has all the qualities on the bench and after the substitutes, France turned the game around.

Lose has made it three goals. This is the best win so far, for Zidane in his campaign. What a comeback from one goal down to 3-1.

The match finally ended 4:1 as Michael Olise got a brace in just 3 minutes apart which is in the 88th minutes and 90+1 minutes respectively. France did wonder in this match because i never believed they will equalise the score, not to talk of making this huge comeback. France has just shown that they were never weak after all. Zinedine Zidane is here to perform some magic for France and I can already hear the bells of success ringing for the team. Nice game, nice display by France and above all, a good result because they just broke their 1 goal barrier.

[Berry2d]

Two goals in three minutes from France to put themselves on a 2-1 lead after playing for 76 minutes without scoring any goal. Doue and Cherki scored the goals on the 77th minutes and on the 81st minutes respectively. I don't know why Zidane kept these players on the bench because they're heroes of France. Belgium tried their best to defend their one goal but France has all the qualities on the bench and after the substitutes, France turned the game around.

Lose has made it three goals. This is the best win so far, for Zidane in his campaign. What a comeback from one goal down to 3-1.

This appears to be one of the best come back for france this season,  at first I never believed they could do it because of how confusing Belgium's goal made all look but they never gave up and believed it is not yet over which was the only reason they where able to turn the table around in there favour at the die minutes of the game.
With this super performance from France, I will say they are one of the best team in this tournament. They did what know one expected from them especially when it got to that 70th minute without an equaliser from France.  I won't also fail to commend Zidane's tacticality in the introduction of those players that turned the table around for there favour because it takes a great coach to understand the game as he did.

[Smartvirus]

That sounds too simple to be true and the reason is because Zidane couldn't just do the same next week. I know there is no match next week, but you know what I mean. It was lucky. Sometimes your substitutions hit the target or get their tasks done, sometimes they don't. Saying that no other coach could have done the same is nonsense. Zidane got a lucky hand tonight, and might have an unlucky hand next time.

If Zidane is this exceptional manager that you say he is, why did he finish the match 1-1 against Italy and why only one goal against Belgium in the first match?

Normally, you win some and lose some, that’s how the game goes and today, today wasn’t that day that France gets to lose.

Speaking of him being exceptional and why he couldn’t get 3 points in the Italy game, maybe we would have to look at what he did differently in today’s game.
In the game against Italy, France took the lead but couldn’t keep it.
In today’s game against Belgium, Belgium had the lead and France had to come take it.

What Zidane did differently was, not having Cherki, Cunha, Olise and Doue in the starting line up for Belgium as opposed to what he did for the Italy game. These are the very players he brought in as substitutes and they were all that was needed to make the difference for France and Zidane.

[pawel7777]

Cristiano Ronaldo saga doesn't seem to be reaching the end. His dispute with Portugal's head coach, Jorge Jesus, is making the rounds in the media.
Apparently, it's causing some division also among Portuguese fans. The media report that a big sign appeared near the Benfica stadium showing support for Ronaldo and criticising Jorge Jesus:

source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/crwyd31nw2w4o

I read that the Portuguese FA stepped in and is trying to arrange talks to defuse the situation. I don't think Ronaldo being a player in the starting 11 is an option anymore. After all the drama, allowing him back in could be detrimental to the team and, especially, to Jesus' position and authority as the head coach.
I think the goal right now is to arrange a proper good-bye game, when Ronaldo could have a proper farewell and officially retire from international football.

[IceLincoln]

Despite what Ronaldo has done for Portugal, there are people who believe Portugal is better without Ronaldo, and are using yesterday’s game as evidence. This narrative is being pushed by the media with headlines like “Ronaldo-less Portugal Prospers” e.t.c.

Neymar is washed but still went to the World Cup. The fans wanted him there because they felt they owe him that for the many years Neymar served the national team. As far as I can remember, Ronaldo carried Portugal for the longest, and now that they have good players, Ronaldo is suddenly the one holding the team back.

Ronaldo is 41 years old, do you understand that? Nobody is denying he is part of the football history, he broke several records that who knows if and when will be broken by another player, and the whole country of Portugal knows what he did. But he must understand he is not the player he used to be otherwise he would be playing in Europe, not in Saudi Arabia. Otherwise based on your logic a 50-year-old Maradona should have been called by Argentina...

Ronaldo could have announced his retirement earlier but he is still scoring goals and is physically fit so he might still be in favor of continuing to play. Another reason might be that he is still playing with the hope of completing his personal 1k goals but whatever his mental expectation is, he will probably retire at the right time. His contribution to football is undeniable and he might create more great records that the football world will remember forever. The criticism about him is not stopping at least at this crucial time when he is ready to continue fighting for more 21 goals.

Do you guys think that other legendary players who retired did so because they could not kick the ball again or they couldn’t score goals again for the goal scorers?… The only reason Ronaldo wants to keep playing is because he feels he’s not done enough and wants to hold the record for highest goals scored and he wants to achieve that at the detriment of his team or any other player.
Whatever may have transpired behind the scenes, you’re supposed to rejoice with your teammates for scoring a goal or winning a match but he only cares about himself and even the blind can see that.



Let’s leave Ronaldo talk and Focus on the progress Italy is making back to back wins against Türkiye and high scoring at that…, are they back or on their way back, let’s not forget they also drew against mighty France.

[nikola22]

Check the score sheet, France are leading by 2 goals, and the two goals came from the substitutes. France are not having a bad game, i don't see how you mean they are not serious. France has been the one controlling the game, got many opportunities to score, but Dembele and Barcola missed all of them.

Olise just scored the third goal before posting this, all substitutes are responsible for the victory tonight.

Edit: Olise with another goal, 4-1.

The French national team coach has such a vast array of players at his disposal that Mbappe’s absence might go almost unnoticed. While coaches of many other national teams agonize over who to bring off the bench, France can comfortably field five equally capable substitutes who can turn the tide of a match just as they did against Belgium.

[LGD2Business]

Another bad game and it turned out just as we expected. Türkiye lost all 4 matches. We still can't understand why Montella hasn't resigned. He's literally staying on as head coach just to collect his compensation. How many head coaches are there who keep their jobs after such terrible results?

In today's game Montella once again had the team play with a ridiculous tactical formation and player selections. What is İrfan Can still doing on this team? He's playing without a striker, he put Yunus in false 9. You can't win any big matches with this tactic. Hasn't he figured that out yet? I think he's deliberately sabotaging the team. He must be thinking, no matter how bad I manage the team, they can't fire me.

[Son Of Blockchain (SOB)]

I read that the Portuguese FA stepped in and is trying to arrange talks to defuse the situation. I don't think Ronaldo being a player in the starting 11 is an option anymore. After all the drama, allowing him back in could be detrimental to the team and, especially, to Jesus' position and authority as the head coach.
I think the goal right now is to arrange a proper good-bye game, when Ronaldo could have a proper farewell and officially retire from international football.

That's exactly what i wanted to say, it's obvious that Cristiano Ronaldo is now very old to be starting but the coach didn't handle the situation properly cause Ronaldo is not just any player that should be disrespected, that's someone that carried the team along during his prime and need to be treated with lots of respect as the most iconic player of Portugal.
 They should given him a proper farewell match so he'll resign with happiness and not disrespect, it's good the Portuguese FA stepped in so the dispute would be settled amicably and Ronaldo given the honour and respect he deserves.

[*Ace*]

Despite what Ronaldo has done for Portugal, there are people who believe Portugal is better without Ronaldo, and are using yesterday’s game as evidence. This narrative is being pushed by the media with headlines like “Ronaldo-less Portugal Prospers” e.t.c.

Neymar is washed but still went to the World Cup. The fans wanted him there because they felt they owe him that for the many years Neymar served the national team. As far as I can remember, Ronaldo carried Portugal for the longest, and now that they have good players, Ronaldo is suddenly the one holding the team back.

Ronaldo is 41 years old, do you understand that? Nobody is denying he is part of the football history, he broke several records that who knows if and when will be broken by another player, and the whole country of Portugal knows what he did. But he must understand he is not the player he used to be otherwise he would be playing in Europe, not in Saudi Arabia. Otherwise based on your logic a 50-year-old Maradona should have been called by Argentina...

Ronaldo could have announced his retirement earlier but he is still scoring goals and is physically fit so he might still be in favor of continuing to play. Another reason might be that he is still playing with the hope of completing his personal 1k goals but whatever his mental expectation is, he will probably retire at the right time. His contribution to football is undeniable and he might create more great records that the football world will remember forever. The criticism about him is not stopping at least at this crucial time when he is ready to continue fighting for more 21 goals.

Do you guys think that other legendary players who retired did so because they could not kick the ball again or they couldn’t score goals again for the goal scorers?… The only reason Ronaldo wants to keep playing is because he feels he’s not done enough and wants to hold the record for highest goals scored and he wants to achieve that at the detriment of his team or any other player.
Whatever may have transpired behind the scenes, you’re supposed to rejoice with your teammates for scoring a goal or winning a match but he only cares about himself and even the blind can see that.



Let’s leave Ronaldo talk and Focus on the progress Italy is making back to back wins against Türkiye and high scoring at that…, are they back or on their way back, let’s not forget they also drew against mighty France.

I haven't been following the events surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo closely. But the boy is now 41 years old, and Portugal must prepare for his future absence. He can't continue to live only on Ronaldo, unfortunately it's the hard and sad truth.
As for Italy, it seems to be on the right path to recovery, but I would wait before saying that Italy has returned, for me it is still too early to give this judgment.

[Dreadboost]

I expect to see France come out at their best in front of their fans and give Zidane his first win at home, Belgium are not really a big threat but I'm not sure if France can do better than they did in their last game because it seems like whenever the players are approaching the end of this international break they just reduce the energy at which they play, the seriousness will reduce all in the name of avoiding injuries. France are still the favorite with the number of good players even without Mbappe they can still win this game, Belgium on the other hand just need to draw because from how I see the squad of both sides France will pressure them more so if they get a draw is a good result for them.

France has not really been doing well in their matches because they haven't been playing like the fierce team that they are known for.  Scoring 3 goals in 3 matches shows the extent of their poor performance. Belgium is not a team to walk over, they possess inner strength in them that they uses to outshine their opponents so I can't strongly say that France will have it easy with Belgium. The match has gone live currently. France with the number of quality players in the team are supposed to be winning their matches with at least 3 goals difference but here they are scoring one goal each in every match that they've played.

I have come to notice something about France, I don't know if they are doing on purpose, I have noticed their unseriousness in other competitions apart from the World cup. At the world cup they are a different beast but in the Euros and Nations League they are a different. Could it be that they don't put more importance in these competitions or it's difficult for them.

The Euros and Nations League are important to them as the World Cup. The France team has a new manager. The new manager, Zidane, believes all the players called up for the international break stand a chance to play. He showed that today and in their last match. The team he started in the lineup didn't win the game. It was the players who came from the bench. Today, France won the game late because Zidane benched his key players. If care is not taken, Zidane wants to win the Nations League to prove that his team is capable of winning the World Cup come 2030.

[Ryu_Ar1]

I have come to notice something about France, I don't know if they are doing on purpose, I have noticed their unseriousness in other competitions apart from the World cup. At the world cup they are a different beast but in the Euros and Nations League they are a different. Could it be that they don't put more importance in these competitions or it's difficult for them.

For the World Cup they were actually quite serious but indeed Spain were in a different situation today so that made their breakout force disappear completely with the Spanish defensive scheme that utilizes possession and this condition is not common for France because they always rely on speed so that makes them confused but now the era is changing and Zidane is in coaching so it's time for them to transition and prove themselves again.

The first half I didn't really like the way they were confused when there was no Mbappe there but the good substitutions in the second half made their game different today.
Olise 30 minutes on the field 2 goals and 1 assist is crazy, he's a free player when on the field which makes Olise a little special. 4-1 made the parlay I did end up sweet.

[Italian Panic]

As for Italy, it seems to be on the right path to recovery, but I would wait before saying that Italy has returned, for me it is still too early to give this judgment.

I think it’s too early to say that Italy is back to its former self because I don’t see the right level of commitment from the older players, and unfortunately, young players alone aren’t enough to win because italy don't have a Lamine Yamal. Anyway, let’s keep the faith, but I don’t see any great players coming through the Italian youth system; perhaps the young players need more playing time so we can see how they develop, but the clubs still prefer young foreign players. Perhaps the Football Association should introduce stricter rules.

[SmartCharpa]

Check the score sheet, France are leading by 2 goals, and the two goals came from the substitutes. France are not having a bad game, i don't see how you mean they are not serious. France has been the one controlling the game, got many opportunities to score, but Dembele and Barcola missed all of them.

Olise just scored the third goal before posting this, all substitutes are responsible for the victory tonight.

Edit: Olise with another goal, 4-1.

Zidane is doing well as the new France manager. I’m sure if he was the one in charge during the World Cup, France would’ve done better in the tournament. Zidane sent his substitute to turn the game around in the 60 minutes when they were losing to Belgium. Losing many scoring opportunities means they were not serious enough to win the game. Barcola not at that level yet, he continues to miss many chances, I don’t know when he will start to score again.

Olise activated the Ballon d’Or mood tonight, scoring two goals with an assist after coming off from the bench. France did well in the second half, they dominated the last 20 minutes of the game, attacking and scoring from their chances. This is the spirit that every team needs to build, continue fighting until the last minute of the game.

[Plutomanian]

For the World Cup they were actually quite serious but indeed Spain were in a different situation today so that made their breakout force disappear completely with the Spanish defensive scheme that utilizes possession and this condition is not common for France because they always rely on speed so that makes them confused but now the era is changing and Zidane is in coaching so it's time for them to transition and prove themselves again.

The first half I didn't really like the way they were confused when there was no Mbappe there but the good substitutions in the second half made their game different today.
Olise 30 minutes on the field 2 goals and 1 assist is crazy, he's a free player when on the field which makes Olise a little special. 4-1 made the parlay I did end up sweet.

France are having the best time this season both in the previous world cup and now in the Nations League. Zinedine Zidane benched his main players and bringing them on when the second half kickoff is absolutely cinema. Michael Olise was the MOTM because tell me how he's able to provide goals and assists within the range of 60mins playing time? Olise is on another level if you ask me and there are just few players in Europe that will be able to create the magic Olise does on the pitch.

France are topping their group with humbling every oppositions that have come their way. This is what it means when we say a team like France are untouchable, they're not holding down and will always bring in the most incredible performances.