- Belgium falls into reserve against Poland, but then turns it up a notch and outclasses Robert Lewandowski and Co.
- The Netherlands celebrate a last-minute win in Wales after late drama.
- Ukraine is back on winning ways after disappointment in the World Cup playoffs.
League A, Group 4: Belgium strikes back, Netherlands stay clean
The “Red Devils” have redeemed themselves for the 1: 4 defeat at the start of the Nations League against the Netherlands. After a weak start, the Belgians turned up the heat against Poland in Brussels and secured the first 3 points of the current campaign. Robert Lewandowski gave the guests the lead after just under half an hour. This lasted until just before the break, when Axel Witsel managed to equalize with a well-placed shot.
In the 2. nd half only the hosts played. Kevin de Bruyne after a nice pass from Eden Hazard (59th) and Leandro Trossard with a strong solo (73rd) converted the Belgian dominance into goals and made the turnaround perfect. Towards the end of the game, the Poles fell apart completely. Trossard with a dream flick (80′), Leander Dendoncker with a long-range shot (83′) and Loïs Openda with a skillful lob (91′) ensured the clear verdict.
Wales 1-2 Netherlands
Welsh fans went through an emotional rollercoaster in Cardiff. Rhys Norrington-Davies brought the stadium to a boil with his goal to make it 1-1. But the euphoria vanished immediately when Wout Weghorst used his air superiority in the 94th minute and headed a pinpoint cross from Tyrell Malacia to make it 2-1.
In an attractive game without tactical constraints, the Dutch took the lead shortly after the break through midfielder Teun Koopmeiners’ first international goal. Thanks to the last-minute victory, «Oranje» greets them from the top of Group 4 with the maximum number of points. The Netherlands meets Poland on Saturday, while Belgium visit Wales.
League B, Group 1: wins for Ukraine and Scotland
3 days after losing the World Cup playoff final against Wales, the Ukrainians found their way back to victory. In their first Nations League game, a goal from Wiktor Zyhankow shortly after the restart was enough for the East Europeans to kidnap all 3 points from Ireland. Ukraine had already scored a goal before the break. However, this was disallowed for an offside position.
- Scotland 2-0 Armenia
The Scots did better than the Irish. The “Bravehearts” were 2-0 up against Armenia before half-time and never gave up their lead. Anthony Ralston (28th) and Scott McKenna (40th) celebrated as goal scorers. It was also the first appearance in the Nations League for Scotland, who failed in the World Cup playoff semifinals against Ukraine.