Portugal became the first team to reach the Nations League quarterfinals after defeating Norway 2-1 on Sunday. Meanwhile, the German team under Jürgen Klopp faced frustration in their match against Greece.
The Portuguese demonstrated that they do not need Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the camp on Wednesday when coach Jorge Jesus benched him. Gonçalo Ramos secured the victory in the 86th minute following a powerful shot from João Cancelo, which leveled an amazing goal by Christopher Ayr, scored from outside the penalty area, for the Norwegian national team, which is aiming for the World Cup quarter-finals.
After the match, Jesus stated that he is willing to allow 41-year-old Ronaldo to return to the national team, but this will depend on the player's decision. 'If he wants to, he will return to the national team... we can talk before the next camp, but Cris will decide,' Jesus told reporters.
Results of matches in the UEFA Nations League
The German team under Jürgen Klopp could not overcome the resilient Greek side, ending the match in Thessaloniki in a 0-0 draw. In the first half, Germany had a scoring opportunity through forward Jonathan Burkard of 'Aintras Frankfurt', but the shot was disallowed. Klopp's current record as the new head coach of Germany stands at one loss, one win, and one draw.
The Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 thanks to the winning goal by Joshua Zirkzee, thus taking first place in their Nations League group. The Manchester United forward came on as a substitute in the second half in Eindhoven and scored the decisive goal, finishing off a cross from Tijjani Reinder.
This match also marked Virgil van Dijk's fourteenth international appearance. The new Dutch coach, Havi, remains undefeated after four games, with two wins and two draws.
Israeli players wore black ribbons on their sleeves in their 1-1 match against Ireland to honor the memory of the victims of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, after Irish players wore such ribbons in a previous match in Hungary to protest the war in Gaza. The simple black ribbons of the Israelis were inscribed with the numbers '7.10' to denote the date of the attack.
As in the first match last week, which Ireland won 3-0, the Irish players again bowed during the playing of the Israeli anthem, and the teams declined to shake hands before the match in the small Serbian town of Baka Topola. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) refused to host Israel on its territory due to security concerns following calls for a boycott.
On Sunday, Troy Parrott put Ireland ahead from the penalty spot in the 39th minute after a foul by Dora Perez on Jimmy Dunne. However, Perez equalized two minutes after the break, scoring from close range after a shot deflected off Irish defender Liam Scales and went into his trajectory. This result complicates Ireland's qualification chances, as they are now in third place in Group B of League 3 behind Austria and Kosovo. Israel is in last place with two points.
Wales lost again when Rasmus Højlund converted a penalty in the 75th minute, securing a 1-0 victory for Denmark in Cardiff. Welsh goalkeeper Danny Ward made numerous saves but conceded the penalty after fouling Danish midfielder Gustav Isaksen.
