UEFA Nations League 2024/2025

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The next round of the UEFA Nations League takes place from tonight (November 14) until Tuesday (November 19), after which the teams who end up lowest on the table in each Group and League will be eliminated, and in most cases relegated. Those left will enter the Knockout Stages, but those matches won't be played until March of next year.

So all to play for then as we look at the matches on
Day One

League A, Group 2 (A2)
Belgium v Italy
King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels

Italy were top of their group going into this match, and a cert for qualification for the knockout rounds, while Belgium have failed to live up to their international reputation, perhaps missing their main man. Kevin De Bruyne has not played since the Euros, disillusioned with the effort of his teammates, and so his country has struggled. A match against the group leaders was probably the last thing they wanted right now.

Their mood was probably not helped by the early pressure they were under from the Italians, who scored in the first ten minutes, some very poor defending leading to the first goal. Eight minutes from the break Lukaku had a go, but the Italian keeper caught it easily. The Belgians came out and had a go in the second half, some decent shots but no result, in fact they almost went two down when they gave it away carelessly, but the ball went wide of the post.

Minutes later the Azzurri were at it again, this time the ball just cleared off the line, but they certainly looked to be the team most likely to score again. Two minutes later though it was Italy who were guilty of losing possession too easily, but their defence were able to keep Belgium out. The game certainly hotting up now. A period of calm then until 12 minutes from time when Lukaku again headed wide, spurning the chance to draw his team level.

In fairness, Belgium were a different team in the second half, and definitely had the lion's share of the chances, but in the end the one goal was enough for Italy to take the match, and despite all their efforts Belgium came away with nothing to show for them.



Result: Belgium 0 -1 Italy

League A, Group 2 (A2)
France v Israel
Stade de France, Saint-Denis

Israel remained pointless and surely facing elimination and relegation when they came up against high-flying France, but managed to hold the former world champions off to earn their first point, and perhaps embarrass the French.


Result: France 0 - 0 Israel

Group A2  table: Italy are top with 13 points, France second with 10, both due to go through, while Belgium at third have a mere 4 points, Israel as I say with their first point, but at the bottom of the table and due for League B relegation.

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League B, Group 2 (B2)
Greece v England
Athens Olympic Stadium, Athens

Determined to take revenge on the Greeks for the surprise defeat last time, England were in no mood to fuck around and hit the net within six minutes, Villa's Ollie Watkins with a lovely shot to put England in the driving seat early. On the half-hour Greece could have drawn level but the ball hopped off the upright. 1-0 at the break, and England had two chances to double their lead in the second half but the Greeks hung on, almost converting themselves just past the hour.

England kept up the pressure and again off the post on 77 minutes, but this time it bounced in, not out, and they were two goals to the good. 13 minutes left; seemed unlikely Greece could even level, never mind overcome that lead. Jones made it certain eight minutes from the end as he scored England's third. I guess revenge is sweet.

Result: Greece 0 - 3 England

League B, Group 2 (B2)
Republic of Ireland v Finland
Aviva Stadium, Dublin

We were just trying to avoid an embarrassing early exit and relegation here, but it was Finland who had the early shot on 15 minutes, though thankfully it went wide. After a second scare, this one banging off the crossbar, Ireland had an attack but it came to nothing as we headed towards half-time. It was Finland who come closest again though, the ball coming back off the post in the last five minutes of the half. Ireland's last attack of the half finally resulted in a goal one minute from time.

We went in search of a second as the game restarted - if there's one thing we've learned it's how to give away a match from a 1-0 lead - but it was Finland who almost levelled the match, Ireland now just hanging on desperately for the win. When the ref was sent to the monitor after the ball appeared to have hit the arm of an Ireland player, we knew what to expect. But what we did not expect - well, what I did not expect anyway - was for Kelleher to pull a "Packy Bonner" and save the penalty - twice!

With eight minutes to go, and the footballing gods perhaps on our side, could we make it to the end? It was close, but we held on for a pretty historic win I guess, certainly only the second victory for the new manager, and it keeps us in the competition, for now.

Result: Republic of Ireland 1 - 0 Finland

Group B2  table: England remain on top, on course for qualification and promotion with 12 points, level with Greece in second while we're third with 6, Finland bottom with zero points.

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League B, Group 3 (B3)
Kazakhstan v Austria
Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty

Austria took the lead 15 minutes in, adding a second 10 minutes later when one of the players from Kazakhstan was sent off for a straight red for a foul just outside the box. The resultant free kick was beautiful and put the game surely beyond the home side, even at this early stage. They could have made it safe just before half-time, but the ball came back off the post. Nevertheless, the two were enough and Austria took the win.

Result: Kazakhstan 0 - 2 Austria

League B, Group 3 (B3)
Slovenia v Norway
Stozice Stadium, Ljubljana

Norway went one better, scoring in the first four minutes to give themselves an early lead, but Slovenia proved a tougher opponent, almost levelling on 20 minutes when the ball came back off the bar, though in the process being awarded a penalty  after VAR review, which they duly converted, the game tied in the first 20 minutes. Haaland put his team in front just before the break, and Norway were three up on the hour, adding a fourth eight minutes from time.

Result: Slovenia 1 - 4 Norway

Group B3  table: Austria and Norway, with 10 points each, and first and second respectively, go through. Slovenia in third have 7 points, and may still make it, whereas Kazakhstan are on the way home and down to League C.

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League C, Group 4  (C4)
Armenia v Faroe Islands
Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan

Armenia came closest on 7 minutes, the ball almost over the line but smothered by a grateful Faroes goalkeeper, but it was the Faroe Islands who scored first, a penalty on the half hour giving them the half-time lead. Keeping that lead was mostly down to their man between the sticks, who pulled off at least three decent saves in the second half to take the game.

Result: Armenia 0 - 1 Faroe Islands


League C , Group 4  (C4)
North Macedonia v Latvia
Tose Proeski Arena, Skopje

Both sides had a chance to take first blood in the opening 15 minutes, but North Macedonia shot high and wide and Latvia could only hit the side netting, but it was just before the hour mark that the home side scored the only goal of the game, assuring themselves of qualification and promotion to League B.


Result: North Macedonia 1 - 0 Latvia

Group C4  table: North Macedonia, top of the table with 13 points go through and are promoted. The Faroe Islands, in second with 6 points may get a play-off place, while Armenia and Latvia, in third and fourth place respectively, have 4 points each.

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Tomorrow's matches
Portugal v Poland
Scotland v Croatia
Denmark v Spain
Switzerland v Serbia
Cyprus v Romania
Lithuania v Kosovo
Luxembourg v Bulgaria
Northern Ireland v Belarus
San Marino v Gibraltar

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Day Two

League A , Group 1 (A1)
Portugal v Poland
Estadio de Dragao, Porto

Portugal were ahead just shy of the hour and 13 minutes later Ronaldo was on the scoresheet as he took the penalty awarded to the Portuguese for handball, no way back now for Poland. Their third goal came with 10 minutes of normal time to play, and was a real cracker, a rocket from outside the box, a fourth added two minutes later and an all but perfect performance rounded off with a fifth goal six minutes from time. Poland well beaten, though they gave their fans something to, perhaps ironically, cheer as they netted themselves in the 87th minute. The night though belonged to Portugal, who are well on course for qualification. Who would have doubted it?

Result: Portugal 5 - 1 Poland

League A , Group 1 (A1)
Scotland v Croatia
Hampden Park, Glasgow

9 minutes in and Croatia could have been ahead, but the keeper somehow kept it out when it looked bound for the bottom corner, then Scotland had their shot on 17 but the Croatian keeper was just as agile. As the half drew to a close Croatia lost a man for a second yellow. With 15 minutes to go Croatia could have taken it but scuffed the shot, then 5 minutes from time Scotland got their reward as McGinn fired high into the roof of the net to take the game for his country.

Result: Scotland 1 - 0 Croatia

Group A1  table: As expected, Portugal are top with 13 points, while Croatia come second with 7. Scotland are hanging on at third with 4 points, but Poland also have 4 at the bottom, though with a much inferior goal difference.

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League A, Group 4  (A4)
Denmark v Spain
Parken Stadium, Copenhagen

Spain laid siege to the Danish goal from the off, scoring on 14 minutes, having come close two minutes earlier. On the hour the Spanish doubled their lead, and though Denmark pulled one back with 7 minutes to go, it was too little, too late.

Result: Denmark 1 - 2 Spain


League A , Group 4  (A4)
Switzerland v Serbia
Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich

Switzerland were desperate to avoid the drop and they started off well, but had still not scored before the break. Neither, though, had Serbia, who couldn't even score from a penalty, Switzerland netting 12 minutes from the end. Not to be outdone though, the Serbians scored with less than three minutes to go, to tie the match and rob the Swiss of their first victory.

Result: Switzerland 1 - 1 Serbia

Group A4  table: Spain, to nobody's surprise, remain top with 13 points and have already qualified, while Denmark are second with 7 points. Serbia take third place with 5 and Switzerland, having failed to win a single game, are relegated to League B.

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League C, Group 2 (C2)
Cyprus v Lithuania
AEK Arena - Georgios Karapatakis,Larnaca

Lithuania had a chance to go ahead in the first minutes but spurned the chance, then compounded their error by giving the ball away in the box on 17 minutes, Cyprus gratefully accepting the gift and opening the scoring. The visitors pulled on back almost as soon as the second half had begun, to make this less of a walkover for them as Cyprus may have expected. Just after the hour though they showed their quality with a fine strike, to take the game and assure promotion and qualification.

Result: Cyprus 2 - 1 Lithuania

League C, Group 2 (C2)
Romania v Kosovo
Arena Nationala, Bucharest

No score in this match, and I don't mean a nil-nil. Showing the darker side of football, the match was abandoned after Kosovo players walked off the pitch in response to pro-Serbian chants from the Romanian fans.

Result: Match abandoned

Group  C2 table: Despite not playing a full match tonight, Romania remain top with 13 points and are assured of qualification and promotion, while Kosovo also have little to lose, 10 points putting them in second place. Cyprus with 6 are third and Lithuania bring up the rear with nada points.

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League C, Group 3 (C3)
Luxembourg v Bulgaria
Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Bulgaria took first blood in the match, scoring halfway through the first period, the single goal enough to secure them the victory.

Result: Luxembourg 0 - 1 Bulgaria

League C, Group 3 (C3)
Northern Ireland v Belarus
Windsor Park, Belfast

Exciting times for Northern Ireland, who are top of their group and look to be headed for promotion, and qualification to the next round. Okay they're hardly in the group of death, but they're doing better than us, and they had a chance to go ahead 13 minutes in but over the bar it went. 13 minutes after that, another chance, but squandered. They kept the pressure up, another attack in the first minute, but again no goal, then Belarus got a free from a long way out, but proved as unable as the home team to score.

Five minutes into the second half Northern Ireland scored from a corner, a lovely header to open the scoring, and they added a second when handball in the box led to a penalty, Belarus in their rearview and unlikely to be seen again. They had a chance to take a third in the dying moments, but a 2-0 victory will certainly do.

Result: Northern Ireland 2 - 0 Belarus

Group C3  table: Northern Ireland with 10 points top the table, Bulgaria are second with 8, Belarus third with 6 and Luxembourg look likely to be heading home, and down, with a mere 2 points.

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League D, Group 1 (D1)
San Marino v Gibraltar
San Marino Stadium, Serravalle

Surely the nail-biter everyone had been waiting for all weekend? Well it was yet another penalty on the night which led to the opening goal for Gibraltar on 10 minutes, though having held off the visitors for another eighty minutes San Marino had their grit rewarded when they themselves got a penalty in added time, earning a draw.

Result: San Marino 1 - 1 Gibraltar

Group D1  table: Gibraltar stay top with 6 points, San Marino are second with 4 and Liechtenstein, perennial underdogs, are last with 2 points.

[jimmy jazz]

Can't wait for the next update. 

[Trollheart]

Come on! We wuz robbed! At least one stonewall penalty turned down, the other could have been one as well, and that fucking ref and his poxy cards! What, did he have to get rid of them all by the end of the game or something? Cunt.

Full report following...

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And here it is.

Day Three and Four

League B , Group 2 (B2)
England v Republic of Ireland
Wembley Stadium, London

Although we didn't really expect to have any real chance against an England team riding high at the top of the table and looking at promotion to the top League, any match against England is a matter for us to dream, though seldom if ever have our dreams been realised. Even with the two victories under our belt, we had to be seen as the underdogs going into this, especially with it being played at Wembley. In addition to this, it was the last game in which Lee Carsley was in charge before the new manager takes over, so the interim coach would want to make it count. There wasn't much at stake other than pride: England are already through and we could do no better than maintain third place, which we were not going to lose, so win lose or draw, it would make no difference.

Ireland can't claim to have any really good players, let's be honest. The days of being able to point to someone who can be a playmaker, never mind a goalscorer, are long behind us, and these days I don't even recognise many of the names in the team. We certainly don't have a Kane, a Rice or even a Maguire in our team, and we expected to be vastly outclassed, outplayed and for England to have the lion's share of the possession. What we did with the ball, when we had it, would shape how our night would go, but let's be honest, while every house in Ireland was willing our team on against "the auld enemy", in our hearts nobody expected much other than defeat, and personally I just hoped we wouldn't be slaughtered. No real harm falling in battle, but nobody wants the opposing army to come back and piss on your corpse. Figuratively speaking of course: UEFA frowns on that kind of behaviour on the pitch.

UEFA should also frown on the pretty disgraceful attitude - on both sides - to the playing of the national anthems. I don't enjoy hearing boos during anyone's national anthem - hell, even Israel and maybe Russia should be able to sing their country's song without interference. But if nothing else, the reaction shows how thin the line is between acceptance and tolerance between the two countries, and how old enmities - if only in a sporting sense (at least, let's hope so) - die very hard indeed. But after the reprehensible actions of the Romanian fans last night in the match against Kosovo, we don't need any more tensions on or off the field.

Unsurprisingly, it was the English who had the early chances, a corner five minutes in coming close, Ireland pretty much on the defensive, as we had expected to be. Three corners in the first twelve minutes told the tale of the English pressure, Ireland barely able to get out of their own half. A rare breakaway for us should really have led to a penalty as Ferguson was taken down in the box, but the ref waved it away. VAR were not interested either. I do have to wonder, had it been down the Irish end, with 70,000 England fans roaring for it, would the result have been the same?

You'd have to say the Irish defence was performing well, but we had hardly a shot on goal. Still, half an hour in and still scoreless was not a bad result. Could we last another 15 minutes and get to the break with a clean sheet? With 10 minutes left in the half we were denied a second penalty, though this one looked right; would have been soft had it been awarded. Not that we wouldn't have taken it, of course. It was heartening to hear, with five minutes to go, "Come On Ye Boys in Green" reverberate around Wembley, the England fans uncharacteristically quiet. An Irish break and a free kick in the dying minutes might have silenced them altogether, but a round of pinball in the box ended in a free for England, Ireland in the ascendancy as the half drew to a close.

Then it all kicked off in the last minute of extra time as Kane seemed to lose it, the ref calling him over after he bundled one of our players over. What colour would the card be? Well it's Wembley and he's Harry Kane, so you couldn't expect a red, nor was it. The England captain on thin ice now though.

So for all their possession, it was a case both of England not doing enough with it, and Ireland defending well. There were also the two penalty shouts to consider; should we have gotten two spot kicks, never mind one? The first looked like it should have been given - pulling the shirt in the box usually results in a penalty - the second, I thought not, but it could have been. Sort of case of on another day, another ref, another stadium, might have been given. England perhaps lucky to get away with not being at least one goal down at half time.

It all started to fall apart five minutes into the second half. England awarded a penalty after we had had two turned down - it was the right decision - and one of our men sent off for a second yellow. Kelleher had saved a penalty in the match against Finland a few days earlier; could he be a hero again and stop the mighty Kane? No, too much to ask for, and England were ahead and in the driving seat now against ten men. How would a surely dispirited Ireland respond to going one behind? Irish voices drowned out now by the England fans, nerves settled and aware their team were now on top.

Even more so when Gordon scored to put the home team two up, hardly any doubt of the outcome now, even with still over half an hour to go. For once, I can't fault Ireland: losing a man makes it almost impossible to win (or draw, if you're behind) and it was sad to see all our good work in the first half undone so quickly and so completely in the second. Just before the hour Gallagher netted to make it certain; just a case now of how many we would be beaten by. I had snorted to myself before the match that it would be 5-0, and that was unfortunately looking a real possibility now, maybe even a let-off for us. A long time to go to the final whistle.

15 minutes to go and substitute Jared Bowen made it four with a fine shot, the kind of goal he's been scoring for West Ham, and that prediction of mine was looking more and more likely, perhaps even conservative. Conservative indeed, as Ireland went five down ten minutes from time, my prophecy fulfilled, just hoping now that there wouldn't be any more. What had started out as a surprisingly decent night for us had ended in ignominy and total defeat, and even though it didn't affect our position in the table, well hell it still hurts. Not so much, had we been shite all the way through, but we had done so well, for the wheels to come off and everything just to go to Hell so badly. I think this goes down as our worst defeat to England, even if there were mitigating factors.

Result: England 5 - 0 Republic of Ireland

League B, Group 2 (B2)
Finland v Greece
Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki

Another match where, it seems, all the action took place after the restart. Greece scored both goals, as you can see, a mere four minutes between them.

Result: Finland 0 - 2 Greece

League B2 table: England march on with 15 points at the top, securing promotion to League A and qualification for the next round, Greece are second, also with 15 points, while we remain third with 6 and Finland are bottom with zero points.

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League C, Group 4 (C4)
Latvia v Armenia
Skonto Stadium, Riga

Everything seems to have happened in the second half here, Armenia scoring three minutes in and holding the lead until twenty minutes from time, when Latvia equalised. Eight minutes later Armenia scored again to take the match.

Result: Latvia 1 - 2 Armenia


League C, Group 4 (C4)
North Macedonia v Faroe Islands
Tose Proeski Arena, Skopje

The only goal scored in this match came just after the hour, and was enough for North Macedonia to take the game.

Result: North Macedonia 1 - 0 Faroe Islands

Group C4  table: North Macedonia top the table with an impressive 16 points and are promoted to League B. A long way behind, pointswise, is Armenia in second with 7, Faroe Islands in third with 6 and Latvia last with 4 points.

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League B, Group 1 (B1)
Georgia v Ukraine
Adjarabet Arena, Batumi

Things did not get off to a flying start for the Georgians when they scored an own goal in the seventh minute, and they looked likely to be on the losing side until 14 minutes from time, when they scored to level the match and take a point.

Result: Georgia 1 - 1 Ukraine


League B, Group 1 (B1)
Albania v Czech Republic
Arena Kombatare, Tirana

Nothing I can tell you here, as this was a nil-all draw.

Result: Albania 0 - 0 Czech Republic

Group B1  table: The Czechs top the table with 8 points, 7 each for Georgia and Albania, in second and third places respectively, and 5 points leaves Ukraine at the foot of the table.