Portugal First Into the Nations League Quarter-Finals as Greece Hold Germany; England Host Czechia on Tuesday
Portugal came from behind to beat Norway and reach the last eight, Greece held Germany 0-0, and England face Czechia at Wembley early Wednesday Malaysian time.
The October Nations League window has already produced one quarter-finalist. Portugal booked their place in the last eight on Sunday night, and there are more fixtures to come before the window closes on Tuesday.
Sunday's League A results (4 October)
- Portugal 2-1 Norway: Norway went ahead through Ajer, but João Cancelo equalised with a powerful strike and Ramos scored a late winner. Portugal stayed unbeaten in Group A4 and became the first team into the quarter-finals.
- Wales 0-1 Denmark: Rasmus Højlund's penalty gave Denmark their second win of the campaign. UEFA says it is his third goal in four recent Nations League appearances, and Denmark are now unbeaten in five against Wales.
- Netherlands 2-1 Serbia: Teun Koopmeiners and Joshua Zirkzee scored for the Dutch.
- Greece 0-0 Germany: Greece kept a clean sheet against Jürgen Klopp's side and stayed unbeaten in the competition.
Catching up on matchday 3
The previous round, played from 1 to 3 October, included a big meeting between France and Italy:
- France 1-1 Italy: Michael Olise scored for France and Alessandro Bastoni equalised for Italy.
- Belgium 3-0 Türkiye: Kevin De Bruyne scored twice and Romelu Lukaku added the third.
- Spain 3-1 Czechia: Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Mikel Merino scored as Spain made it ten wins in a row.
- Croatia 0-7 England: England's record Nations League win. Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka each scored twice, and Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers also scored.
- Germany 2-0 Serbia: Klopp's first win as Germany coach.
- Denmark 2-4 Portugal: Portugal won their third game out of three.
Tonight: France vs Belgium and Italy vs Türkiye
Group A1 finishes this round tonight. France host Belgium and Italy play Türkiye, both at 20:45 CET, which is 2.45am Tuesday in Malaysia.
England vs Czechia preview
England host Czechia at Wembley on Tuesday at 7.45pm UK time, which is 2.45am Wednesday in Malaysia. Group rivals Croatia and Spain play on the same night.
Here is how Group A3 looks after three matches:
- Spain: 9 points
- England: 6 points
- Croatia: 3 points
- Czechia: 0 points
England go into the game on a high. Their 7-0 win in Rijeka was Croatia's heaviest-ever defeat and England's biggest win over any team in FIFA's top 50. Bellingham scored to finish a 27-pass move and set up three more. Alex Scott made his first senior start.
Thomas Tuchel said the team used the disappointment of their World Cup exit as fuel. "You have to play with the pain if you still feel the disappointment, you have to play with it," he said. "The focus in the meetings, the translation of the meetings onto the pitch... to win with this dominant performance, that is the way to move on."
England already beat Czechia in Prague on matchday 2. Another win would keep them in touch with Spain, who beat them 3-2 at Wembley in the opening round. England's last two group games, against Croatia at home and Spain away, are in November.
Key takeaways
- Portugal beat Norway 2-1 and are the first team into the Nations League quarter-finals.
- Greece and Germany drew 0-0; Denmark won 1-0 in Wales; the Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1.
- France vs Belgium and Italy vs Türkiye kick off at 2.45am Tuesday, Malaysian time.
- England host Czechia at 2.45am Wednesday, Malaysian time, three points behind group leaders Spain.
FAQ
What time is England vs Czechia in Malaysia? 2.45am on Wednesday 7 October (7.45pm Tuesday UK time) at Wembley.
Who has qualified for the Nations League quarter-finals? So far only Portugal, after Sunday's 2-1 win over Norway. The quarter-finals are in March 2027.
What happened between France and Italy? They drew 1-1 on 2 October, with Michael Olise scoring for France and Alessandro Bastoni for Italy.
Sources: UEFA, The FA (englandfootball.com), beIN Sports