⚽ UEFA Nations League ⚽ - Discussion Thread

[RaltcoinsB]

An unexpected result came from the Italy vs. Belgium national team match. I had noticed that Italy seemed to be the favorite in that match. The odds for Italy to win were around 2. But the final result of the match was far from what was predicted with the final score ending up at 0-2. This was a nightmare start for Roberto Mancini one that will continue to haunt him in future matches.

Let’s face it, Belgium isn’t exactly a small team, they are an elite team but they weren’t the favorites in this game for sure, that was a spot for Italy but somehow, I expected Belgium to get a good result in this game.
They surprisingly played a a strong attacking football today, didn’t expect that much of them but they did, they found a way to put Italy under pressure, had over 8 shots on target and 8 corners while not giving Italy much opportunity to get back at them especially in the first half, it was a good game for Belgium.

Italy took 21 shots but failed to score. Moreover, suffering this defeat on home soil was a terrible outcome. They are set to play a match in Belgium, and we know that will be an even tougher game. In my opinion, Italy really needed to win this match while they had the home-crowd advantage. Of course, we cannot say that Italy was the only one at fault, because Belgium played very well. Despite playing away from home, they attacked frequently and created numerous scoring chances. The match was enjoyable in this respect; it was a high-paced, exciting game rather than a dull one. In my opinion, both goalkeepers performed well, but Belgium emerged as the winner.

[EL MOHA]

Let’s face it, Belgium isn’t exactly a small team, they are an elite team but they weren’t the favorites in this game for sure, that was a spot for Italy but somehow, I expected Belgium to get a good result in this game.
They surprisingly played a a strong attacking football today, didn’t expect that much of them but they did, they found a way to put Italy under pressure, had over 8 shots on target and 8 corners while not giving Italy much opportunity to get back at them especially in the first half, it was a good game for Belgium.

People already underestimate this Belgium team because they think they have passed on from their golden generation years and are no longer the same but to be honest even though that’s true I think the manager has managed to keep this team competing at big level even after some past poor performances. We saw in the World Cup what a determined Belgium side can do to anyone, they went toe on toe with eventual winners Spain in what was one of Spain’s most difficult matches in the tournament.

Italy on the other hand was Supposed to start their new reign and that’s why people were excited and expecting much from them but I don’t see any new reign from this performance, hopefully they can use it to bounce back

[l99l]

First of all I want to congratulate Türkiye because of the fight they put up against France, I thought we would lose by a much bigger score but we only lost 1-0. Even though we were down to 10 men in the final minutes, we were actually the side creating more attacks.
It was a good match. The only bad thing was Uğur Can Çakır getting a red card.

Türkiye with red card or not, they were the better team because they controlled the game although they find it challenging to put the ball at the back of the net. Did you watch the game? I can't help but noticed Arda Guler. He was so brilliant for the Türkiye side, always finding chances to create and convert, a player like Arda Guler is very important for Türkiye if only they want to advance far and win games.

Arda Güler is our superstar and a really quality player, i also watch him at Real Madrid and his touches on the game are really good.
He could be even better at Real Madrid but I think the other players in the team are the problem, he also played very well tonight.

Just imagine what could have happened if there had been a proper center-forward playing ahead of Arda Güler. If the team had possessed a top-tier striker, we could have beaten France today.
Even someone at Burak Yılmaz's level would have sufficed I’m not belittling Burak Yılmaz, and I’m not saying we needed an Mbappé or a Haaland, but if we’d had just one forward of Burak Yılmaz's quality, we would have secured the three points today.
If only that free-kick Arda Güler took had gone in had it resulted in a goal, the team would have played with much more drive and determination.

[danadc]

If only that free-kick Arda Güler took had gone in had it resulted in a goal, the team would have played with much more drive and determination.

You're right, for me France played poorly, but they played enough to win. Winning is ultimately the goal. They have Zinedine Zidane, and that coach has led teams to victory in the best competitions, in the World Cup when he was a player, at Real Madrid, and now he might continue making history with France. I can only imagine how he must think, and it reflects the results they have now.

France wants to win this tournament, and they can do it. They have very high-quality players. As for Turkey, they can't afford to lose any more if they want to advance.

[yenerbatmaz]

We were pleased with the 1-0 defeat against France; the difference in quality between the two teams was very apparent.
In our group, Belgium also defeated Italy 2-0 away from home.
Following the opening matches, Italy sits at the bottom of the table. Our next match is against Italy. While there were moments yesterday when we played well against France, they largely dominated the game.
Italy is also a team currently out of form. I believe we will defeat them in Bursa with the support of the home crowd.
Mbappe suffered an injury during yesterday's match. He was hurt after scoring the goal, though it seemed to me that the poor condition of the pitch played a role in the injury.

[Out of mind]

The performance of the Turkish team against the French team was really extraordinary, although many thought that Turkey would lose this match badly, but it was not. Rather, there was a lot of competition in this match and the Turkish team players resisted the French team's attacks a lot, so the French team had to win by only 1 goal. Mbappe's great goal and Michael Olis's assist allowed the French team to win this match and collect their points. Although we can already see that it has been a challenging match for the French team, especially Mbappe's injury, which has weakened the team a bit. However, the French team has enough stars and they are still strong enough, and apart from Mbappe, they can attack a lot. Their attack line is very strong. Since the next match will be against Belgium, it will be a long time before Mbappe's injury is cured, and he will be able to return to the team. However, this is Zidane's first victory, he will plan to play with better tactics for the next match.

[MAAManda]

In my opinion, there is a very high probability of both teams scoring (BTTS), making it a popular choice among bettors.

As it turns out, reality isn't as simple as we all expected. France certainly struggled to win, as they only managed to score a goal. On the other side, it turns out Turkey isn't as formidable as we thought in terms of their attack, 11 shot attempts & 5 shots on goal, with no goals scored. A lot of gambler had their betting slips go haywire today, LOL.

[Phoenix Anka]

In my opinion, there is a very high probability of both teams scoring (BTTS), making it a popular choice among bettors.

As it turns out, reality isn't as simple as we all expected. France certainly struggled to win, as they only managed to score a goal. On the other side, it turns out Turkey isn't as formidable as we thought in terms of their attack, 11 shot attempts & 5 shots on goal, with no goals scored. A lot of gambler had their betting slips go haywire today, LOL.

We are well aware that Turkey has a problem with its strikers. If we had a quality striker, this team could easily reach the semi-finals of the European Championship. However, because we lack a prolific forward, we struggle to score goals. That is why Montella generally plans attacks the wings. The wingers play almost like shadow strikers, yet against France who have excellent defenders we naturally failed to find the net. It would have been great to score and at least secure a draw on home, but considering the big of the opponent, our team performance gave us hope.

[GIF-JOBS]

To be honest, Türkiye played quite well, where France was expected to win by a much bigger margin, Türkiye faced a very strong opponent and lost by only 1-0. Türkiye had a strong counterattack, but their finishing was not good and so despite the strong counterattack they could not score. And also, Türkiye had a great chance to score just 3 minutes into the match, but they could not use that chance either. Kylian Mbappé scored the first goal in the 54th minute with an assist from Michael Olise, and while scoring that goal Mbappé got injured, which is why Désiré Doué was brought on as a substitute. After that, there were no more goals, France won as expected, but they could not be as aggressive as expected and could not score much. And also, the pitch conditions were very bad, and this definitely affected the game.

[Daniel91]

Interesting results from the second day of qualifying. Turkey put up a good fight against the big favorites, but France was still too strong. The biggest problem for France and Real is the possible injury of Mbappe, who has left the national team.
Italy is still in a serious crisis and it seems that there is no "light at the end of the tunnel" for all the frustrations of Italian fans in recent years.
The results of the other matches yesterday were as expected, except perhaps for the victory of Ukraine away against Hungary.
Today, the most interesting to watch will be the big derby between England and Spain and I think the match will be completely open.

[blomen]

contrary to what most people expected, the turkey-france match wasn’t all that high-scoring or fast paced. i think everyone thought france would score a lot of goals before the match.

i didn’t expect france to win 1-0, but they did win in the end. that was my prediction for the bet, and i mentioned it at halftime as well. so, congratulations to anyone who placed that bet.

if turkey had managed to take a surprise point from this match, their path in the group might have been a little easier, but now it’s very difficult.

[AprilioMP]

Italy took 21 shots but failed to score. Moreover, suffering this defeat on home soil was a terrible outcome. They are set to play a match in Belgium, and we know that will be an even tougher game. In my opinion, Italy really needed to win this match while they had the home-crowd advantage. Of course, we cannot say that Italy was the only one at fault, because Belgium played very well. Despite playing away from home, they attacked frequently and created numerous scoring chances. The match was enjoyable in this respect; it was a high-paced, exciting game rather than a dull one. In my opinion, both goalkeepers performed well, but Belgium emerged as the winner.

21 shots with an expected goals total lower than Belgium’s isn’t enough for Italy to rely on its current strength to face the challenges ahead. If Italy loses to Belgium even at home, it’s still possible for Italy to earn 3 points in an away match in Belgium—but only if Mancini makes immediate changes in upcoming matches, such as the one against Turkey in three days in Bursa.
From what I’ve observed, Mancini hasn’t called up any players from AC Milan at all. It’s possible that none of AC Milan’s starting lineup is from Italy.

[eisen33]

contrary to what most people expected, the turkey-france match wasn’t all that high-scoring or fast paced. i think everyone thought france would score a lot of goals before the match.

i didn’t expect france to win 1-0, but they did win in the end. that was my prediction for the bet, and i mentioned it at halftime as well. so, congratulations to anyone who placed that bet.

if turkey had managed to take a surprise point from this match, their path in the group might have been a little easier, but now it’s very difficult.

I think the most predictable outcome here was a France win. I also expected there could be a lot more goals in this match because, firstly Turkey are good in attack, and secondly they often concede a lot of goals. But I think that because Zidane is now France’s manager, he has changed their strategy a little, and that has affected their attacking output.

Overall, France’s first half was very cautious and controlled, I haven’t seen them play like that in a long time. So I think that with Zidane, we’re going to see a slightly different France.

[Umulala-alala]

We will be having an exciting match today, the match between England and Spain is going to be an exciting and also an interesting match to watch, Spain is currently the best team in the world now after their world cup glory, i don't believe England will be able to win them but England wouldn't want that to happen after Spain won them 2-1 in UEFA Euro 2024 final in Berlin, but this will strictly depend on how good their performance will be today although i still have more confidence on the Spanish team to win the English side in their opening match tonight.

[Bitcoin_people]

To be honest, Türkiye played quite well, where France was expected to win by a much bigger margin, Türkiye faced a very strong opponent and lost by only 1-0. Türkiye had a strong counterattack, but their finishing was not good and so despite the strong counterattack they could not score. And also, Türkiye had a great chance to score just 3 minutes into the match, but they could not use that chance either. Kylian Mbappé scored the first goal in the 54th minute with an assist from Michael Olise, and while scoring that goal Mbappé got injured, which is why Désiré Doué was brought on as a substitute. After that, there were no more goals, France won as expected, but they could not be as aggressive as expected and could not score much. And also, the pitch conditions were very bad, and this definitely affected the game.

The performance of the Turkish team was truly incredible, many did not think that they would compete so strongly against a strong team like France. I thought that maybe the French team would have a chance to win by a bigger margin against Turkey, but in the end, the French team won by only 0-1 goals. The strong players in the attack line of the French team played amazingly, but they tried hard to score more goals but did not succeed. However, the match was very exciting between the two teams. The attack line of the Turkish team was not very strong like the one in France.
If the attack lines of both teams were good, then maybe the Turkish team would have had a chance to score goals. The attack of the French team did not go as expected and they could not complete it as well as they expected, but anyway, they have to take better steps for the next match. Since they have collected their points by defeating the Turkish team, in that case, they have to win the next match against Belgium or they will lose points.

[Die_empty]

Interesting results from the second day of qualifying. Turkey put up a good fight against the big favorites, but France was still too strong. The biggest problem for France and Real is the possible injury of Mbappe, who has left the national team.
Italy is still in a serious crisis and it seems that there is no "light at the end of the tunnel" for all the frustrations of Italian fans in recent years.
The results of the other matches yesterday were as expected, except perhaps for the victory of Ukraine away against Hungary.
Today, the most interesting to watch will be the big derby between England and Spain and I think the match will be completely open.

Turkey defended very well and also didn't fail to threaten France's attack through counterattacks. Even with Kylian Mbappe's departure, France kept the momentum because the team still has quality players. Ousmane Dembele, Rayan Cherki, and Michael Olise kept mounting pressure, but they failed to increase the tally.  

Although I expected the that the French to win by a high margin, but its a good start for Zinedine Zidane. He has dreamt of this job, and it's time to prove that he deserves the job. The next game for the Les Bleus is against Belgium at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.  

[pawel7777]

We have 10 games to be played today.
Odds (1win.com) and fixtures:

Slovenia x2.60 Vs Scotland x2.88; Draw x3.15
San Marino x33.20 Vs Finland x1.09; Draw x9.50
Iceland x1.31 Vs Estonia x10.00; Draw x5.30
Bulgaria x2.36 Vs Luxembourg x3.42; Draw x3.01
Faroe Islands x2.29 Vs Kazakhstan x3.34; Draw x3.18
England x3.52 Vs Spain x2.11; Draw x3.54
North Macedonia x9.30 Vs Switzerland x1.35; Draw x4.95
Slovakia x1.15 Vs Moldova x20.50; Draw x7.40
Czechia x3.55 Vs Croatia x2.08; Draw x3.55
Albania x1.60 Vs Belarus x6.20; Draw x3.80

Obviously the biggest one is England Vs Spain. I would not be surprised at all if England gets the win. Spain are the favourite as they recently won the World Cup, so have proven to be the strongest team in the world, but England, on a good day, can play really well.

The biggest underdog are San Marino, who are taking on Finland. As far as I know, San Marino consists mostly (or entirely?) of amateur players who have "normal" jobs. But Finland are also not titans themselves, so who knows, maybe San Marino could squeeze out a draw.

[Sim_card]

Turkey defended very well and also didn't fail to threaten France's attack through counterattacks. Even with Kylian Mbappe's departure, France kept the momentum because the team still has quality players. Ousmane Dembele, Rayan Cherki, and Michael Olise kept mounting pressure, but they failed to increase the tally.  

Although I expected the that the French to win by a high margin, but its a good start for Zinedine Zidane. He has dreamt of this job, and it's time to prove that he deserves the job. The next game for the Les Bleus is against Belgium at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.  

I knew it's going to be a high tensed match because Turkiye would play hard to win and that was exactly, what happened. France will always look for a way to win the game provided Mbappe is on the pitch. I believe that assuming Mbappe wasn't injured, they would have doubled their goal. A good performance from Turkiye despite losing the game.

[liasbaa]

To be honest, Türkiye played quite well, where France was expected to win by a much bigger margin, Türkiye faced a very strong opponent and lost by only 1-0. Türkiye had a strong counterattack, but their finishing was not good and so despite the strong counterattack they could not score. And also, Türkiye had a great chance to score just 3 minutes into the match, but they could not use that chance either. Kylian Mbappé scored the first goal in the 54th minute with an assist from Michael Olise, and while scoring that goal Mbappé got injured, which is why Désiré Doué was brought on as a substitute. After that, there were no more goals, France won as expected, but they could not be as aggressive as expected and could not score much. And also, the pitch conditions were very bad, and this definitely affected the game.

Turkey were very aggressive with only 38 percent of the ball in their possession. France was a strong team and Turkey's defensive and offensive strategy against this team was impressive. With almost 62 percent of the ball in their possession throughout the match, France managed to put only 5 shots on target, while Turkey had the same number of shots on target. Despite being very aggressive from the start of the match, France had to wait 53 minutes for a goal. Mbappe scored the winning goal in the 54th minute of the match.

France may have won as expected, but if Turkey had converted the few goal opportunities they had, the outcome of the match could have been different. Despite the fact that both teams created almost the same number of goal opportunities, France was relatively strong and won.

[Finebone]

We have 10 games to be played today.
Odds (1win.com) and fixtures:
b]x3.18[/b]
England x3.52 Vs Spain x2.11; Draw x3.54

Czechia x3.55 Vs Croatia x2.08; Draw x3.55

Obviously the biggest one is England Vs Spain. I would not be surprised at all if England gets the win. Spain are the favourite as they recently won the World Cup, so have proven to be the strongest team in the world, but England, on a good day, can play really well.

This is truly the star game of the round, and it's a game that can keep us at the edge of our seat all through.
As you have said already, the Spanish national team are the favourite here, but since the English team are playing from home and considering how good they also are, I don't think the Spanish team will easily have their way in this game because the English team on a very good day is up there with the rest of other good teams in the world.

Another game I will be paying close attention to is the Czech Republic game vs Croatia. In their last five games between them, they have drew three time and Croatia has won two times, so that makes the Croatia team the favourite, but this is football, so anything can happen, because Czech Republic might do everything possible to end their bad run of result they have against the Croatians recently.