AFP, PARIS
Italy ensured qualification for the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals with a victory over Belgium on Thursday that also guaranteed France a place in the last-eight despite a lackluster display in a scoreless draw with Israel under tight security in Paris.
Lee Carsley, whose brief reign as England coach ends tomorrow, oversaw an emphatic victory in Athens that put his team top of Group B2 on goal difference.
ITALY
England’s Harry Kane, center, controls the ball from Greece’s Konstantinos Koulierakis, left, during their UEFA Nations League Group B2 soccer match at Olympic Stadium in Athens on Thursday.
Photo: AP
In Brussels, Italy were economical as they beat Belgium 1-0 in Group A2. The visitors dominated the early stages and scored after 11 minutes. A cross from fullback Giovanni Di Lorenzo deflected into the path of Sandro Tonali for a tap-in.
Belgian center-back Wout Faes hit the post with a second-half header. “We showed again that we give it a go and don’t just sit back in matches, that’s the big change,” Tonali told RAI.
ISRAEL
French President Emmanuel Macron, center, and former French presidents Nicolas Sarkozy, right, and Francois Hollande wait for the start of a UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Israel at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, on Thursday.
Photo: AFP
At the Stade de France in Paris, tentative France struggled to create and take chances as they drew 0-0 with Israel before a crowd of just 16,611 in a stadium that holds up to 80,000.
About 4,000 police and members of the security forces patrolled inside and outside the ground to prevent a repetition of the attacks on fans of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam last week.
Stewards had to intervene at one point to stop fans of both nations from clashing in the stands.
About one hour before kickoff, French police chief Laurent Nunez visited the stadium’s video surveillance facilities along with French Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau.
Three months after hosting the Olympic closing ceremony, the atmosphere has gone from festive to fearful. French President Emmanuel Macron and Retailleau were present. Former French presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy also attended.
“We will not give in to antisemitism, anywhere. And violence, including in the French Republic, will never prevail, nor will intimidation,” Macron told the BFM TV channel.
The low number of visiting fans on Thursday comes after Israel’s National Security Council warned citizens abroad to avoid sports and cultural events, specifically the match in Paris. About 100 Israeli fans attended the match despite the calls to stay away.
On the pitch, it took until the 20th minute for captain N’Golo Kante, jinking into the six-yard box, to force a first save from goalkeeper Daniel Peretz.
France had 25 attempts on goal, but Peretz had to make only two saves in the second half, first from Warren Zaire-Emery and then in added time from Christopher Nkunku.
“Anger. Frustration,” France fullback Jules Kounde said when asked his immediate reaction by French broadcaster TF1. “The only good point from tonight is that qualification is assured.”
Italy lead the group by three points, but France could still take first when the teams meet in Milan tomorrow.
“We could have done more, but we did what we needed to do against an ultra-defensive opponent,” France coach Didier Deschamps told TF1.
ENGLAND
In Athens, Carsley, forced into a string of changes by a flurry of withdrawals from his last England squad, sprung a surprise by dropping Harry Kane.
Ollie Watkins replaced the England captain and took seven minutes to justify Carsley’s decision. Noni Madueke raced onto a Jude Bellingham pass and crossed for Watkins to stab home.
As in their win at Wembley last month, the Greeks caused England’s inexperienced defense problems in the Group B2 clash.
After 30 minutes, right back Kostas Tsimikas ran into space in the box. Everton’s Jordan Pickford hurled himself to his right to turn away a piledriver from the Liverpool man.
England started the second half in control. Rico Lewis forced a save from Odysseas Vlachodimos and Bellingham hit a post with a header before Fotis Ioannidis drew another diving save from Pickford.
Kane came on, but another England talisman, Bellingham, forced the goal that put England top of the group after 78 minutes. His shot struck the post, rebounded into the back of airborne Vlachodimos and flew in.
Curtis Jones, making his England debut, added the third five minutes later.
England and Greece both have 12 points with one game to go, but England’s goal difference is three better.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” Carsley told ITV. “We have a lot of outstanding talent.”
AUSTRIA
The top two in B3 are also separated on goal difference as leaders Austria and pursuers Norway both won.
Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner and Michael Gregoritsch scored in the first 25 minutes in Almaty by which time Kazakhstan were down to ten men.
Austria saw out a 2-0 win and lead the pool on goal difference from Norway who won 4-1 in Slovenia with Erling Haaland scoring once.
