France and Italy have secured their places in the quarterfinals of the newly formatted Nations League, marking significant advancements in the tournament. Meanwhile, England managed to gain a sense of redemption against Greece ahead of the expected coaching change as Thomas Tuchel is set to take charge soon.
The match between France and Israel, held in a high-security environment in Paris, ended in a goalless draw. This event was heightened by concern following recent incidents in Amsterdam associated with Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match for the Europa League. The crowd at the Stade de France was significantly less than its capacity of 80,000, with only around 20,000 fans present, including approximately 150 supporters from Israel. During the first half, there was a momentary clash involving a few fans.
The outcome of the match was sufficient for France to guarantee a top-two finish in their group, allowing them to move forward alongside Italy, who triumphed over Belgium with a narrow 1-0 victory, courtesy of Sandro Tonali’s goal in the 11th minute. They will both proceed to the quarterfinals set for March, with the final lineup for the June mini-tournament also dependent on these results. Germany and Spain were previously the first nations to qualify for the quarterfinals back in October.
In Athens, England secured a convincing 3-0 victory, with contributions from Ollie Watkins and Curtis Jones, including an own goal that aided their win. This triumph was particularly noteworthy as it helped England bounce back from a disappointing defeat to Greece last month at Wembley Stadium. Notably, captain Harry Kane did not start the match, allowing Watkins to take the lead in the attack, though Kane did make an appearance in the second half.
Before Tuchel officially steps into his role in January as England’s next foreign manager, the squad will have one final match under interim coach Lee Carsley. In another noteworthy performance, Manchester City’s high-scoring forward Erling Haaland was among the goal scorers as Norway secured a 4-1 victory against Slovenia, continuing his impressive form.