New format hailed a success
Any doubts that UEFA’s new Nations League competition might fail to capture a jaded public’s imagination were dispelled where it mattered most – on the pitch, where many of the groups went down to the wire.
Attention was held until the final minutes in many key matches, with dramatic comebacks by Switzerland, Holland and England providing excitement until the last moments of the campaign.
The three-team format in Leagues A and B certainly contributed to the drama, but even in Leagues C and D there were many notable storylines, including the emergence of UEFA’s newest member, Kosovo.
The promoted teams from all 16 groups will now compete in play-offs, which will add a new – if somewhat confusing – element to the qualifying campaign for Euro 2020 which kicks off in March. Holland confirmed their revival under Ronald Koeman by winning Group 1, ahead of world champions France and 2014 World Cup winners Germany.
France’s 2-0 reverse in Rotterdam ended their 15-game unbeaten run and took the group to the final game. Didier Deschamps’ side were missing injured midfielder Paul Pogba and it was his replacement, Steven Nzonzi, who was at fault for Holland’s opening goal, when his poor clearance was punished by Georginio Wijnaldum. Memphis Depay added a penalty in injury time.
France were still favourites to finish top going into the final group game when the Dutch travelled to Germany needing at least a point to dislodge the French.
A blistering first-half from Germany’s young attackers Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Sandro Werner put Joachim Low’s side 2-0 up and in control at the break. But a remarkable recovery from the visitors, with late goals from Quincy Promes and Virgil Van Dijk, secured an unlikely point for Koeman, who has found key roles for new captain Van Dijk, Ajax youngsters Matthijs De Ligt and Frenkie De Jong, the revived Depay, and veteran forward Ryan Babel.
In contrast, Germany’s problems continue. Low attributed his team’s failure to kill off the game to a lack of experience, saying: “This is a relatively young team. Sometimes, this is the price you have to pay.”
Belgium looked set to top Group 2 after they beat Switzerland 2-1 in Brussels with two goals from Michy Batshuayi. That result meant the Swiss would need to beat the Belgians by two clear goals in their final game in Lucerne.
Despite missing Mousa Dembele, Romelu Lukaku, Marouane Fellaini, Jan Vertonghen and Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium went 2-0 up on Swiss soil with two early first-half goals from Thorgan Hazard. A Ricardo Rodriguez penalty handed the hosts a lifeline, then two goals from Haris Seferovic put them 3-2 up at the break.
A Nico Elvedi header from a cross by Xherdan Shaqiri gave them the required two-goal cushion before Seferovic completed his hat-trick.
Iceland, pointless and yet to win under new coach Erik Hamren, were relegated to League B.
Portugal qualified for the final playoffs, which they will host next summer, after holding Italy to a goalless draw in Milan. They did so without Cristiano Ronaldo, who was rested amid his legal distractions, and it remains unclear whether the Juventus forward will return to international action.
Despite missing out on the play-offs, Italy coach Roberto Mancini earned praise for introducing new blood such as Moise Kean, Nicolo Barella and Sandro Tonali. However, a lack of cutting edge cost them dear against Portugal.
Poland, who have yet to win under coach Jerzy Brzeczek, were relegated.
Gareth Southgate’s England won a
group that could have gone three ways on the final match day.
In the end, Harry Kane bundled in a late winner to secure a 2-1 victory that relegated Croatia and put England ahead of Spain. World Cup runners-up Croatia had taken the lead at Wembley through Andrej Kramaric, but substitutes Jesse Lingard, Dele Alli and Jadon Sancho made the difference.
It was a mixed bag of results for Spain’s new coach Luis Enrique: two wins – including a 6-0 thrashing of Croatia – followed by two defeats.
After losing 3-2 at home to England in Seville, Spain went down 3-2 in Croatia in a pulsating game that was settled by an injury-time winner, the second of two unlikely goals from defender Tin Jedvaj, who said: “I’ve never scored two goals. I scored a goal and an own goal, but never two goals!” Ukraine, now coached by former star Andriy Shevchenko, were confirmed as group winners after a 1-0 win over Czech Republic in Kharkiv, as Ruslan Malinovskyi’s long-range, first-half strike secured a third successive win and their best run for four years.
Defeat left the Czechs and neighbours Slovakia in a battle to avoid relegation. Jan Kozak quit as Slovakia coach after October’s 2-1 defeat to Czech Republic in Trnava, a second successive Nations League defeat, with Kozak protesting that a group of seven players had gone out partying after the loss. His replacement, Pavel Hapal, oversaw a sparkling 4-1 win over Ukraine – who were already confirmed as group winners - which included a spectacular backheeled goal by Adam Zre’lak.
However, in the decisive final game against Czech Republic at Prague’s Eden Arena, Roma striker Patrik Schick scored the only goal of the game to relegate Slovakia.
Sweden, with a 2-0 win over Russia in their decisive final game, took top spot in Group 2 thanks to their better head-to-head record. Having drawn 0-0 in Moscow in October, the teams met again in Solna, where goals from Victor Lindelof and Marcus Berg gave the Swedes victory.
Three days earlier, Sweden had won a tight encounter in Konya by a single goal – a Andreas Granqvist penalty – to relegate Turkey.
Bosnia’s 0-0 draw with Austria in Vienna was enough to give Robert Prosinecki’s side promotion to League A.
Austria salvaged some pride with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Northern Ireland in Belfast, Valentino Lazaro scoring with the last kick of the game. It was a hugely disappointing campaign for Northern Ireland, who were the only
League B team to finish pointless, and they were relegated.
Denmark’s 2-1 victory over Wales in Cardiff gave them promotion from Group 4. Counter-attacking goals from Nicolai Jorgensen and Martin Braithwaite put the Danes in control and although Gareth Bale’s well-taken shot prompted a late Welsh rally it was not enough for Ryan Giggs’ side.
Republic of Ireland, whose only goal of the campaign came in the 4-1 defeat away to Wales in their opening game, were relegated, prompting the departure of manager Martin O’Neill and assistant Roy Keane after five years in charge. A James Forrest hat-trick gave Scotland a thrilling 3-2 victory over Israel at Hampden Park to secure top spot in Group 1 and firmly answer the critics of manager Alex McLeish.
Forrest had also scored twice in a 4-0 win in Albania three days earlier.
McLeish, back for his second spell in charge, denied he had been set to quit if the Israel and Albania results had gone against him.
Scotland were missing a host of injured and suspended players, including Kieran Tierney and John McGinn, but McLeish recalled Steven Fletcher and deployed the Sheffield Wednesday striker alongside Forrest and Bournemouth’s in-form Ryan Fraser.
Israel, who had installed former Austria international and Jurgen Klinsmann assistant Andi Herzog as coach, enjoyed home wins over Scotland and Albania in October but came up short in Glasgow.
Albania, missing injured and suspended players, including striker Armando Sadiku and winger Odise Roshi, had a disappointing campaign, prompting calls for Italian coach Christian Panucci to resign, but he did regain some credibility with a friendly win over Wales.
Finland clinched promotion to League B despite losing their final two games to Greece and Hungary. New Greece coach Angelos Anastasiadis, who replaced Michael Skibbe after losses to Hungary and Finland, started promisingly with a win over Finland but then lost to bottomplaced Estonia in their final match.
Hungary, under new Italian coach Marco Rossi, finished the group strongly with wins over Estonia and Finland.
Norway clinched promotion from Group 3 with a 2-0 win in Cyprus, with both goals scored by LA Galaxy forward Ola Kamara. Bulgaria could have taken the top spot but were held 1-1 by Slovenia in their final game, thanks to a late goal from Empoli attacker Miha Zajc.
Slovenia, having losing their opening three games, drew with Norway and Bulgaria in their final two matches, but the points were not enough to avoid relegation.
Serbia secured their promotion to League B with a 4-1 win over Lithuania in Belgrade, with all the goals scored in the second half.
Top scorer Aleksandr Mitrovic was one of those on target, but three days earlier he had scored, along with Adem Ljajic, to put the Serbs 2-0 up against Montenegro by half-time - only to then miss a second-half penalty in what ended up as a narrow 2-1 win.
Romania were also unbeaten in the group, while relegated Lithuania were the only League C team to finish the campaign without a point.
Georgia cruised through Group 1, with coach Vladimir Weiss overseeing five wins and a draw. Teenage number 10 Giorgi Chakvetadze, scorer of the winner against Kazakhstan in their final game, emerged as an exciting new star.
It was a disappointing start as Latvia coach for Mixu Paatelainen, whose side played out a goalless draw with Andorra in their final game.
Luxembourg enjoyed their most successful spell but missed out on promotion after losing 2-0 to Belarus in their penultimate game and then drawing with Moldova in their final match.
Bottom team San Marino were the only team in League D to end the tournament pointless.
Kosovo, four years on from their first international, thrashed Azerbaijan 4-0 to clinch top spot in their group. The victory was notable for a hat-trick from winger Arber Zeneli, one of a number of exciting young second-generation KosovanAlbanians who are now opting to play for the country.
Kosovo had earlier beaten Malta 5-0 and the competition marked a new low for the Maltese who finished bottom, below Faroe Islands, in a disappointing start for coach Ray Farrugia.
Macedonia finished ahead of Armenia to claim top spot in Group 4, and there was further progress for Gibraltar, who finished above bottom-placed Liechtenstain despite a 4-0 defeat by Macedonia in their final game.