The UEFA Nations League for 2022/2023 resumed on Thursday, September 23, 2022, as several stars performed excellently to help their teams win grab the maximum three points.
France vs Austria:
On Thursday, France welcomed Austria at the Stade de France in a Group A1 match as the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League reaches its final phases.
For many teams hoping to find great form during what will be the penultimate international window before the Qatar 2022 World Cup, there is a lot on the line; for others, it is simply a matter of making sure they finish on a high note.
Thursday’s UEFA Nations League matches saw some top players from their respective teams representing their countries.
These include players like Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, Feland Mendy, Raphael Varane, Jules Kounde, and Olivier Giroud.
Les Bleus entered the match with a losing record in the Nations League this year and were at risk of dropping out of League 1 Group A.
At Stade de France, France dominated the first half but was unable to overcome a motivated Patrick Pentz’s side.
Mbappe ultimately broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, and he did so elegantly.
The PSG star picked up the ball nearly 40 yards from Austria’s goal.
Nine minutes later, Olivier Giroud doubled France’s advantage by scoring his 49th goal for his nation.
Olivier Giroud blasted his header past Pentz and into the top corner after Antoine Griezmann crossed the ball.
Just two goals separate the AC Milan striker from tying Thierry Henry’s all-time French goal total.
There were no more goals, giving France a 2-0 advantage and a crucial three points.
With one game left, France has now surpassed Austria and climbed to third place in the group.
Belgium vs Wales:
Additionally, in the King Baudouin Stadium, Belgium hosted Wales as their UEFA Nations League campaign resumed.
At the King Baudouin Stadium on Thursday, Kevin De Bruyne scored one goal and assisted on another as Belgium defeated Wales 2-1 thanks to a solid first-half performance.
After goals by De Bruyne and Michy Batshuayi and several more missed opportunities by their hosts, Wales was fortunate to not be more than 2-0 down at the half.
However, Wales halved the deficit early in the second session when Kieffer Moore headed in from close range.
Second-placed With five wins and 10 points, Belgium travels to Amsterdam on Sunday to resume their UEFA Nations League campaign.
Playmaker Eden Hazard received 65 minutes from the home team as he tried to demonstrate his fitness and form ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, which begins in November.
Gareth Bale came off the bench for Wales in the closing 30 minutes, giving manager Rob Page hope for their Sunday home match against Poland as they try to stay in the pool. With one point, they are currently at the bottom.
Poland vs Netherlands:
On Thursday, September 22, 2022, in the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland was defeated by the Netherlands.
With a 2-0 victory over Poland, the Netherlands maintained their lead in Group A4 of the Nations League, extending their unbeaten streak to 14 games.
Teun Koopmeiners sustained a head injury after a 50-50 challenge with Karol Linetty with only four minutes remaining in the UEFA Nations League match at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw.
Less than ten minutes later, the Dutch seized the lead after an excellent passing play that was completed by Cody Gakpo at the far post. The attacker scored a simple tap-in from Denzel Dumfries’ low right-side cross.
After a lackluster first half, Poland came out firing in the second. In the 52nd minute, the White and Red should have been tied, but Arkadiusz Milik’s close-range shot went over the crossbar.
The Netherlands will now play Belgium in a critical encounter on Sunday at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam to determine which team from Group A4 will proceed to the Nations League finals next year. Belgium defeated Wales in the second group match of the evening.
Croatia vs Denmark;
In addition, Croatia plays Denmark at Stadion Maksimir stadium, a UEFA Nations League match in which Croatia triumphed.
On Thursday, Croatia defeated Denmark 2-1 to win UEFA Nations League A Group 1; the winning goal was scored by substitute Lovro Majer two minutes after the excellent equalizer by the visiting team’s captain Christian Eriksen.
Croatia will conclude their group stage of the UEFA Nations League campaign against bottom-placed Austria, who on Thursday fell to France 2-0 in Paris. The French team will be seeking retribution when they play the Danes in Copenhagen on Sunday after losing the initial match.
⏰ RESULTS ⏰
— UEFA Nations League (@EURO2024) September 22, 2022
Which team had the best performance? 🤔 #NationsLeague
