In Paris, a thrilling day of Nations League action unfolded as Spain, France, Germany, and Portugal secured their spots in the semifinals through intense penalty shootouts. Spain was relentlessly pursued by the Netherlands, leading to a dramatic 3-3 draw after extra time in their second leg match. This left the aggregate at a nail-biting 5-5. Barcelona’s Pedri was the hero of the shootout, scoring the decisive penalty after Unai Simón saved Donyell Malen’s attempt, concluding the shootout at 5-4.
France mirrored Spain’s dramatic path, clinching a 5-4 shootout victory over Croatia after the regular match ended with a 2-0 lead, nullifying Croatia’s earlier advantage. Dayot Upamecano settled the shootout after Mike Maignan’s heroic save from Josip Stanisic.
Germany surged ahead against Italy with three swift first-half goals before holding firm for a 3-3 draw, ultimately advancing with a 5-4 aggregate. Italy, fighting back valiantly, nearly forced extra time in Dortmund as Giacomo Raspadori netted a crucial late penalty.
Portugal battled past Denmark 5-2 in a tense extra-time encounter, overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit. Francisco Trincão was pivotal, scoring twice late on, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s early penalty miss did not prove costly.
The semifinals promise fierce competition, with Germany facing Portugal on June 4 in Munich and France against Spain the next day in Stuttgart. The ultimate clash is set for June 8.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé’s goal drought extended to seven games for France, marking his longest dry spell with the national team. Despite this, he remained crucial in the shootout, converting France’s first penalty.
Spain faced a resilient Dutch side that fought back multiple times. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice for Spain, while Memphis Depay and Ian Maatsen kept the Netherlands in contention, forcing extra time. Lamine Yamal struck for Spain, but Xavi Simons’ late equalizer led the match to penalties.
Germany displayed their attacking prowess with Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala finding the net early against Italy. A brief breakdown allowed Moise Kean to bring Italy close before Germany held on to their aggregate lead.
Ronaldo, despite an early penalty miss against Denmark, contributed by scoring an important goal later in the match, bringing his international tally to 136 goals. Portugal capitalized on an own goal by Joachim Andersen, leading to a grueling extra-time victory.
Elsewhere, Daniel Maldini made his first start for Italy, continuing the legacy of his father, Paolo, and grandfather, Cesare, who both donned the national colors.
In other matches, Romelu Lukaku’s late double ensured Belgium’s stay in League A by overturning a first-leg loss to Ukraine. Greece triumphed with a commanding 3-0 victory in Scotland to earn promotion to League A, aided by 17-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas. Turkey dominated Hungary 3-0 to secure their promotion, relegating Hungary and Scotland to League B while Ireland remained there, overcoming Bulgaria 4-2 on aggregate.
Vedat Muriqi’s hat trick led Kosovo to a 5-2 aggregate victory over Iceland, securing a move to Group B. The matches described offer a rich tapestry of football drama and anticipation for the upcoming semifinals.
