The Dutch national football team has qualified for the Nations League finals. On the last day of play, Bond coach Louis van Gal’s Elftal defeated neighboring Belgium 1-0 (0-0) and maintained their lead in group A4. In the parallel game, Poland won 1-0 (0-0) in Wales around ex-Munich Robert Lewandowski, which was then relegated to the B league.
Belgium, who had former French star striker Thierry Henry on the touchline for the suspended Roberto Martinez, would have needed to win by three goals to pass Oranje. But the Red Devils around ex-Dortmunder Axel Witsel remained too harmless for the entire duration of the game. Virgil van Dijk scored the winning goal (73′) for the Netherlands, who will fight for the title in June 2023.
Wales around star striker Gareth Bale, on the other hand, did not win in the sixth game either, and relegation is the consequence. In a balanced game, Welshman Daniel James missed the best opportunity in the first half after a counterattack (32′), Karol Swiderski scored the winning goal (58′) for the Poles after strong preliminary work from Lewandowski.
Rangnick and Austria descend
Team boss Ralf Rangnick has also been relegated from the A class with the Austrian national team. The long-time Bundesliga coach finally saw a 1:3 (1:1) defeat against vice world champions Croatia, which sealed the last place in group A1.
The Croatians advanced to the finals in June as leaders. Despite the 2-0 (2-0) win against world champions and defending champions France, Denmark had to settle for second place.
In the first leg on June 3rd, Rangnick started his engagement in Austria with a 3-0 win in Croatia. Since then, however, there has been no victory – and now the return to the B-League.
Dolberg uses Upamecano blunders
Captain Luka Modric gave the Croatians an early lead in front of 42,000 spectators at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna (6th). But just three minutes later, Hoffenheim’s Christoph Baumgartner equalized with a header.
The goalscorer (24th) missed a top-class chance for the Austrian lead before the break, as did record national player Marko Arnautovic (45th), who passed Andreas Herzog in his 104th game. Substitute Marko Livaja (69′) and Dejan Lovren (72′) scored at the other end.
In the parking lot in Copenhagen, Kasper Dolberg used a mistake made by Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano to make it 1-0 for the hosts (34′). Andreas Skov Olsen increased (39th) before the break. After the restart, superstar Kylian Mbappe failed with three big chances.
Denmark and France will also meet in the preliminary round at the World Cup in Qatar in two months’ time. Until then, coach Didier Deschamps in particular still has a lot of work to do with the defending champion.