Five Nations League fixtures kick off at 7.45pm BST this evening, with Belgium v France, Northern Ireland v Hungary, Turkey v Italy, Sweden v Poland and Romania v Bosnia and Herzegovina all on the schedule.
Belgium v France stands out as the headline tie. Belgium were excellent in victory on Friday in what was Mark van Bommel’s first game in charge, beating Italy 2-0 in Rome. They managed it without the sidelined Jérémy Doku, though his replacement, PSG’s Mika Godts, was a revelation.
France arrive without Kylian Mbappé. The Real Madrid forward was hurt while scoring the only goal of the game in Turkey, and has since been diagnosed with hyperextension of the posterior capsule of his left knee. He is expected to be out for the rest of the international break. Now coached by Zinedine Zidane, France flickered with quality against Turkey but also looked vulnerable — far from the finished article, though there is plenty of time for Zidane to work his magic.
Northern Ireland came away from Georgia on Friday with a dramatic 1-0 win, courtesy of Shea Charles’ 99th-minute toe-poke, but tonight is arguably a stiffer test as Hungary and Dominik Szoboszlai arrive in Belfast. Hungary lost at home to Ukraine on Friday and will be determined to bounce back.
Sweden v Poland looks evenly matched, but Turkey v Italy is the pick of the games otherwise. Vincenzo Montella, Turkey’s manager, faces compatriot Roberto Mancini in the battle of the dugouts. The pair briefly played together 30 years ago at Sampdoria, in Mancini’s final season at the club, and scored a combined 37 goals in 1996-97 to help Samp qualify for the Uefa Cup. “I believe in him; he has the experience and knowledge to bring Italy back to the top,” Montella said of Mancini in the lead-up to the game. “He is the right person. Our relationship? We don’t socialise, but there’s mutual respect, esteem, and affection after our year at Sampdoria.”
It remains to be seen whether Mancini changes his XI tonight; the side that lost to Belgium looked tired and lacking in ideas. The Nations League itself continues to attract warm notices, with Jonathan Wilson describing it in his newsletter as a “palate-cleanser” that plays a similar role to the Carabao Cup — a competition that, as he put it, is not nothing but is not obviously something either.