Portugal & France lose perfect records; England beat Belgium
Italy remain on top of group
MILAN, Oct 12, (AP): Portugal and France lost their perfect records in this season’s UEFA Nations League after playing out a 0-0 draw against each other, and Belgium saw their 13-match unbeaten run ended by a 2-1 defeat against England.
Two of the sport’s best forwards were kept quiet at a chilly Stade de France.
Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo had a good chance in the second minute of injury time, but goalkeeper Hugo Lloris palmed away his angled shot from the left. France’s Kylian Mbappe was substituted near the end after having failed to make an impression against the Nations League champions’ resolute defense.
Portugal stay top in Group 3 of League A, ahead of France on goal difference, with both teams on seven points.
Third-place Croatia have three points after beating Sweden 2-1. Substitute Andrej Kramarić scored the winner in that match, nine minutes after coming off the bench.
England came from behind to beat Belgium and move top in Group 2 of League A.
Marcus Rashford’s penalty canceled out Romelu Lukaku’s spot-kick in the first half before Mason Mount’s looping, deflected shot clinched England’s first victory over a top-ranked team in nine years.
England moved a point ahead of second-place Belgium and three above Denmark who beat Iceland 3-0.
Italy were held to a 0-0 draw against Poland but remained top of their group after The Netherlands drew by the same score against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The match was supposed to pit two of Europe’s top goalscorers against each other in Robert Lewandowski and Ciro Immobile. However, Italy coach Roberto Mancini surprisingly left Immobile on the bench.
Italy are a point above The Netherlands and Poland in Group 1 of League A. They play The Netherlands on Wednesday.
Erling Haaland netted a hat trick to help Norway thrash Romania 4-0 and assuage their European Championship playoff disappointment.
Alexander Sørloth scored Norway’s other goal. Haaland already has six goals in the competition.
Norway lost a Euro 2020 playoff to Serbia on Thursday.
Norway are level on six points with leaders Austria in Group 1 of League B.
Austria beat hosts Northern Ireland 1-0.
Finland beat Bulgaria 2-0 in Group 4 of League B and Ireland drew 0-0 against Wales.
Also in League B, it was: Israel vs Czech Republic 1-2; Scotland vs Slovakia 1-0; Russia vs Turkey 1-1; and Serbia vs Hungary 0-1.
There were four draws in League C: Armenia vs Georgia 2-2; Estonia vs North Macedonia 3-3; Kazakhstan vs Albania 0-0; and Lithuania vs Belarus 2-2.
Also, Greece beat Moldova 2-0 and Slovenia won 1-0 in Kosovo.