Soccer world champions France are slowly finding their way two months before the start of the World Cup in Qatar. The weakened team of national coach Didier Deschamps won his Nations League game in St. Denis against Austria around team boss Ralf Rangnick 2-0 (0-0) on Thursday (09/22/22) and after the first win of the season can count on staying in the A-League hope.
Superstar Kylian Mbappe (56th) and Olivier Giroud (65th) shot the French to victory against the Austrians, where ex-Bremen Marko Arnautovic completed his 103rd international match and drew level with record player Andreas Herzog. Previously, defending champions France had recorded two defeats and two draws at the start of the Nations League in June and thus already lost their chances of the final tournament in 2023.
In Group A1, the Equipe Tricolore (five points) now relegated Austria (four points) to last place. The decision on relegation will be made next Sunday (8.45 p.m.) when France travel to Denmark and the Austrians meet vice world champions Croatia.
Two months before the start of the World Cup in Qatar (November 20 to December 18), Deschamps had to do without goalkeepers Hugo Lloris, Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante as well as Kingsley Coman and Lucas Hernandez from Bayern Munich on Thursday.
The Dutch national football team is about to advance to the final round of the Nations League. In Warsaw, Bond coach Louis van Gaal’s team won 2-0 (1-0) against Poland around world footballer Robert Lewandowski. In the final prestige duel against the neighbors from Belgium on Sunday (8.45 p.m.) Elftal is enough for one point for the group victory and the associated qualification for the final tournament.
Cody Gakpo (13th), who was courted by numerous top clubs in the summer, gave the guests the lead in the first round. Arkadiusz Milik missed the best chance for Poland’s equalizer in the 52nd minute, the Juventus striker firing over the goal from close range. Steven Bergwijn (60th) punished the missed shot a few minutes later with the 2-0.
Afterwards, the Dutch brought the result safely over time. Central defender Matthijs de Ligt from German record champions Bayern Munich did not play.
Belgium beat Wales 2-1 while the Netherlands prevailed 2-0 in Poland.
The former successful German U21 coach Stefan Kuntz and Turkey managed early promotion to League B despite a poor 3: 3 (2: 2) against Luxembourg. The outsider from Luxembourg took the lead three times, in the end Ismail Yüksek saved briefly the happy point before the end.