Righto, my watch is over – thanks for your company and comments and see you next time. Ta-ra.
Full-time scores
A2
Portugal 2-0 Czech Republic
Switzerland 0-1 Spain
**
B4
Norway 0-0 Slovenia
Sweden 0-1 Serbia
**
C2
Kosovo 3-2 Northern Ireland
Greece 3-0 Cyprus
**
C4
Gibraltar 1-1 Bulgaria
North Macedonia 0-3 Georgia
**
D2
Malta 1-2 Estonia
Updated
Full-time: Portugal 2-0 Czech Republic
Portugal top the group with seven from three; Czech Republic now sit third with four.
Full-time: Kosovo 3-2 Northern Ireland
For years, Norn Iron have been difficult to beat; not sop much anymore, and only goal difference keeps them off the bottom of their group – they and Cyprus have a point apiece, while Greece have nine and Kosovo six.
Full-time: Switzerland 0-1 Spain
It got a little edgy at the end, but Spain were largely untroubled and are right back in the group, their five points putting them second behind Portugal, who have seven. Switzerland sit bottom with nil pwa.
Updated
...Ujjkani swipes away, and the follow-up shot balloons over the bar.
Northern Ireland have a free-kick on the left...
Six – ! – additional minutes in Pristina. Can Norn Iron save themselves?
Three additional minutes in Geneva; can Switzerland grab something? They win a throw deep inside the Spain half and it’s hurled long, but Torres, who’s been excellent if untested, heads clear.
That’s the thing with Spain – they’re far too ruthful, and suddenly another long hump from Sommer sticks Seferovic in! But his chest control is poor, totally missing the ball – he takes it well and he’s one-one-one – then Okafor squares for him, and his shot is blocked.
A long kick from Sommer, Simon charges out of his box, doesn’t get the ball, and Seferovic does brilliantly to slide into a challenge, hooking possession and finding Embolo ... whose chips drifts wide!
I’ve stuck on the Kosovo game – I could only get coverage of two, so Portugal has gone off – and Ballard heads wide!
GOAL! Kosovo 3-2 Northern Ireland (Ballard 83)
Kosovo have seen this out pretty well, but all of a sudden Northern Ireland find a livener, and these last seven minutes should be frantic.
Updated
Switzerland only trail by a goal, but can’t get anything going. Meanwhile, in Lisbon, Portugal are pushing for a third.
Portugal send on Leao for Jota and Czech Republic Kral for Mateju; Spain do Soler for Llorente, then Switzerland try Seferovic for Akanji.
Llorente runs the channel and Azpilicueta finds him, but a heavy touch as he looks to get towards goal allows the challenge.
How is Ronaldo still out there? His team are 2-0 up and cruising, he’s 37 years old, and totally lost his way in the middle of last season when the matches came quickly. Surely he needs a rest?
I’ll level with youse: these second halves haven’t been great.
Spain have got to find themselves a reliable goalscorer. I guess they’re hoping Torres becomes that in the way David Silva did; if he can get there, they’ll be a very difficult team to beat.
Czech Republic send on Vlkanova for Hlazek while, in Geneva, Spain try Koke for Gavi and Asensio for Morata.
Spain’s lead is still a narrow one; I’d not be at all surprised if Switzerland switzerlanded them.
“Ronaldo’s ball across!” says our commentator, but I reckon that was a shot. Either way, Stanek hangs on.
Changes for Portugal, Vitinha for Bernardo and Fernandes for Carvalho.
Nice from Guedes, allowing a cross across his body while shaping to shoot. But just as he’s about to make it 3-0, a desperate tackle robs him.
Updated
Llorente, who’s probably been Spain’s best player, collects a loose ball, runs away from goal, then swivels into a rasper that flies just wide of the far post. He’s very useful indeed.
Gibraltar have equalised in Bulgaria; Malta have equalised against Estonia.
Okafor looks a pretty decent prospect, so I’m looking forward to seeing if he can make an impression here.
Now Switzerland send on Steffen and Okafor for Zuber and Aebischer.
Spain send on Olmo for Sarabia.
Meantime, Czech Republic have a three on two! The main the middle, Hlozek I think, finds Jurecka to his right, but instead of going across the keeper with precision – as Guedes did in scoring Portugals second – he thrashes wildly, a slice flying into the near-post side-netting.
“As much as I understand the complaining and fatigue about football needing a break,” emails João Fidalgo, “spare a thought countries like Portugal, full of pretty handy footballers we only get to see when there are home friendlies. I guess this is not the same for English fans, but the atmosphere in Lisbon for these (mostly meaningless) matches is pretty nice (on TV. I’m not there).”
Yes, that’s a fair point – though I think the gripe is the timing, not the existence.
Czech Republic have also improved, but Portgual look in the process of gradually taking back over.
Switzerland have looked a little better since half-time, but as I type that, Torres moseys across the face of the box from right to left and drills a low shot straight at Sommer.
GOAL! Greece 3-0 Cyprus (Limnios 48)
Greece will maintain their three-point lead over Kosovo at the top of League C Group 2.
GOAL! Kosovo 3-1 Northern Ireland (Muriqi 52)
Northern Ireland are having an absolute mare here. They were lucky not to concede at least three in the first half, and Kosovo have set things straight quickly after the restart.
Updated
Jurecka, on for Lingr, was one of three changes – Jemelka and Pesek are also on, for Havel and Kuchla.
Czech Republic make a decent start to the second half, clipping a ball into the box that Jurecka, on as sub wins in front of the keeper. But facing away from goal, he nods down and it won’t fall for any of his mates, then he’s flagged offside.
“I’m sure I’m not the first to say this,” muses Arwel Gwyn Jones, “but really, enough of the football already. We all need a bit of a break, fans as well as players.”
I feel you, sort of. The players need a break, but international football also needs to exist, so I’m not sure what the solution is – and if the game were less morally bankrupt, we’d actually be getting ready for a World Cup.
We’re back under way...
Join me in 10 minutes for the second halves....
GOAL! Sweden 0-1 Serbia (Jovic 45+3)
Serbia need a win here, and they’re in prime position to get it.
Half-time scores
Kosovo 2-1 Northern Ireland
Norway 0-0 Slovenia
Greece 2-0 Cyprus
Gibraltar 0-1 Bulgaria
North Macedonia 0-0 Georgia
Malta 0-1 Estonia
Half-time: Switzerland 0-1 Spain
Spain are by far the better side, but Switzerland are still in it.
Updated
GOAL! Kosovo 2-1 Northern Ireland (Lavery 44)
Spencer stands up a cross and Lavery nods home from two yards out. His team might’ve been further behind, but now they’re bang back in the game!
Updated
Half-time: Portugal 2-0 Czech Republic
Portugal have played pretty well, especially in the last 20 minutes, and if they maintain their intensity I’d expect them to add to their goal-tally.
Updated
Ronaldo heads a Switzerland corner clear, then seconds later twinkles to the line when fed by the magnificent Bernardo and sees his cross knocked behind.
Looking at that second Portugal goal again, it really was an excellent finish. I’d wondered whether Stanek should’ve saved it, but Guedes did so well to quickly work out how to beat him, then execute a finish that wasn’t perfect but was correct. And therefore perfect, I guess.
While I was describing that goal, Gavi perpetrated some footwork of absolute filth, beating two or three men inside a phone box. Him and Pedri in the same midfield is going to be something.
Incidentally, the various leagues in which these players play finished three weeks ago. I’m not sure they should still be flogging themselves now, though I don’t suppose there’s much option if we’re to preserve international football.
GOAL! Portugal 2-0 Czech Republic (Guedes 38)
Portugal are going clear at the top of the group! Neves plays a clever ball between the lines for Bernardo, who turns and slides a pass of his own for Guedes, running into space down the right of the box. But it goes outside not inside the defender, forcing Guedes to screw the shot to direct it across the keeper, and though he doesn’t get much pace on it, he directs it well enough and that should be enough for his team.
Updated
Spain are still pulling Switzerland all over the show. But they’ve not scored a second, or come especially close to so doing.
LOVELY GOAL! Portugal 1-0 Czech Republic (Cancelo 33)
Cancelo finds Bernardo down the right and there looks to be no danger. But he knows that his club mate will turn and slip the ball into the box, so he races into the space, it duly arrives, then he absolutely mashes a low finish into the far side-netting! I daresay Pep Guardiola should be credited with the assist for that one.
Updated
This is worthy of note, so too the enshrining of £30 away tickets – though £20 was plenty and still is.
GOAL! Greece 2-0 Cyprus (Pavlidis 20)
Greece look well set to make it three wins out of three – they’re top of the Northern Ireland group.
GOAL! Kosovo 2-0 Northern Ireland (Bytyqi 20)
Goodness me, it’s not going at all well for either Irish side, and though the North responded well to going behind, they conceded again when Spencer couldn’t clear a cross, and are in all sorts.
Updated
Switzerland win a free-kick down the right – Llorente is booked for the foul on Shaqiri which yielded it – and Shaqiri delivers a fine, swerving cross to the far post, where Embolo is unmarked! But caught between going for gaol and heading back across, he totally mistimes his intervention, shouldering into the side-netting.
Soucek rattles Jota, who stays down, but Ronaldo charges onto the loose ball, nips outside his man ... and slices a riser into the near-post side-netting.
What Switzerland are looking for is balls in behind for Embolo to latch onto. Torres might be able to match he for speed, but he can’t match him for presence, and I’d back the attacker in a one-on-one.
Spain are in rhythm here, the speed of their passing and intuition of their movement pulling Switzerland all over the show. But the hosts are expert at staying in games, and won’t mind too much that they’re one down – especially given the balance of play.
In Lisbon, Portugal are pushing the pace, but have yet to create anything serious.
GOAL! Greece 1-0 Cyprus (Bakasetas 8)
The home side lead in the derby!
I think Sarabia was a fraction off, but VAR reckons not. I don’t know, I don’t think anyone knows anything anymore, and I’m happy to go with the on-pitch decision or give the attacker the benefit of the doubt when it’s that close.
But was Sarabia offside? VAR is investigating...
GOAL! Switzerland 0-1 Spain (Sarabia 14)
Spain do really well to win it high up and Llorente marches onto the ball superbly, squares, and Sarabia slides in!
Updated
GOAL! Kosov 1-0 Northern Ireland (Muriqi pen 9)
Davis catches Rashica and Muriqi tucks the penalty away!
Updated
In Geneva, Spain have Switzerland pressed back, but when Alba crosses, Sommer collects confidently.
Portugal win a corner, Guedes curls in ... and Stanek is positive, coming out to claw away.
Havel bundles through the back of Bernardo Silva, who is apparently wanted by Barcelona – should De Jong depart. I’m not sure quite how that works, given the desire to sell the latter is partly economic and he’s go for less than the former would cost. But he’s a terrific player and would, I’m sure, fit in with how Xavi wants to play.
In Lisbon, William Carvalho nearly of every rich Premier League club but actually of Real Betis has been booked.
Updated
Immediately, Spain nash down the right, forcing Switzerland to belt into touch. Andy Hinchcliffe is in co-comms and and he’s fine, but is there really no one with more intel on these two teams?
Away we go!
Email! “The inclusion of Busquets is indeed a cause for celebration of his extraordinary skill (and longevity),” reckons Charles Antaki. Morata not so much; more a resigned acceptance that since the days of David Villa/Fernando Torres the national team hasn’t really had any more truly effective goal-getter. Look at the parade since: Negredo, Alcácer, Diego Costa, Aspas, Moreno … I know that even in their 2008-2012 pomp the team tended to win only by 1-0 when in the final knockings of competitons, but otherwise the goals rained in. Bit of a drizzle these days.”
Diego Costa was proper, but yes, it’s a strange thing. As it goes, there aren’t that many great centre-forwards anywhere, which is why Man United and Liverpool are fighting over Darwin Nunez, though I will say that the problems Spain’s great team had getting goals was partly because opponents had no choice but to sit back and hope for a counter.
Out come the teams in Geneva and Lisbon.
It’s a shame that Pedri is injured, but I also wonder if a summer off might do him good. He played a ludicrous amount of football last season, and need to be better looked after than he was. What a player he’s going to be; what a player he already is.
This is interesting from Rafael van der Vaart:
Van der Vaart: "I will explain to you why Frenkie is so good at the National Team, because he's the ONLY midfielder with these type of qualities here and he does what he wants. At Barça there is Pedri.. Gavi.. Busquets.. and so on. All of a sudden he starts adjusting again." pic.twitter.com/zEvwzTmZbV
— 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) June 9, 2022
Van der Vaart: "At Manchester United it will be just like at the National Team, being the only one with his type of qualities. I would move to Manchester United if I was him, just do it!" pic.twitter.com/kBmdRW74UA
— 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) June 9, 2022
Van der Vaart: "The Premier League is a heaven for midfielders. Everyone says 'it's quick!' but it only looks like a fast paced game because players lose the ball a lot there. Just look at Bergkamp, you can enjoy yourself there. I enjoyed myself there too." pic.twitter.com/2e0Ta9Wd4G
— 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) June 9, 2022
Though, let’s be real, should De Jong move to England and enjoy himself as much as Van der Vaart did, he’d be deemed a failure.
I said Portugal don’t have much pace in midfield – they don’t – but they’ve also not got much pace in attack. It’s so odd when managers forget that fast running is important - it happened to Arsène Wenger towards the end, when he accumulated interchangeable little lads with good technique, none of whom could get on the outside.
Here’s today’s Fiver for your delectation...
I see that in the UK, Nations League games are on yet another different channel. It’s almost funny really, in almost every field of human endeavour, choice is a good thing, but when it comes to watching sport, the consumer needs and deserves a monopoly.
Looking at that Portugal team – and bench – though they were in a difficult group, they really ought to have done better at the Euros. If Mancini manages them, there’s a good chance they win it, and it doesn’t especially look like Fernando Santos is anywhere near finding the answer. Bernardo Silva is wasted on the wing, there’s got to be a place for Bruno Fernandes, and there’s far too little pace in midfield. They should be good enough to win in Qatar too, but they won’t.
I guess that’s a common aspect of genius: simplicity. Roy Keane had a similar trick, turning out of trouble, pivoting by working the outside of his foot around the ball to lose a man. No one could do anything about it, and it set up the brilliance of the passing that followed.
It really is something that in the year 2022, Spain still have Alvaro Morata up front – just as it is that Sergio Busquets is still in midfield. What a player he is and has been, not as feted as Xavi and Iniesta, but close to as good as so important in allowing them to do what they do. Those little Cruyff turns to get out of trouble, so simple yet so difficult.
Switzerland v Spain: teams!
Switzerland: Sommer, Widmer, Akanji, Cumart, Rodriguez, Freuler, Aebischer, Xhaka, Shaqiri, Embolo, Zuber. Subs: Lotomba, Mvogo, Bottani, Kobel, Frei, Gavranovic, Steffen, Okafor, Dow, Mbabu, Seferovic.
Spain: Simon, Azpilicueta, Llorente D, Pau Torres, Alba, Llorente M, Busquets, Gavi, Sarabia, Morata, Torres. Subs: Koke, Rodri, Soler, Fati, Asensio, Olmo, Sanchez, Carvajal, Inigo Martinez, Raya, Garcia, Alonso.
Portugal v Czech Republic: teams!
Portugal: Meireles Costa, Cancelo, Pepe, Pereira, Guerreiro, Guedes, Carvalho, Neves, Ronaldo, Jota, Bernardo Silva. Subs: Monteiro, Palhinha, Carmo, Rui Silva, Leao, Rui Patricio, Valente Silva, Tavares, Dalot, Fernandes, Moutinho, Machado.
Czech Republic: Stanek, Zima, Brabec, Mateju, Coufal, Soucek, Sadilek, Havel, Lingr, Kuchta, Hloze. Subs: Vaclik, Mandous, Zeleny, Pesek, Cerny, Kudela, Kral, Jemelka, Jurecka, Vlkanova, Klavach, Tecl.
Kosovo v Northern Ireland: teams!
Kosovo: Ujkani, Kastrati, Rrahmani, Kryeziu, Rrudhani, Berisha, Dresevic, Muslija, Rashica, Muriqi, Bytyqi. Subs: Kololli, Fazliji, Idrizi, Loshaj, Domgjoni, Zeneli, Bekaj, Sahiti.
Northern Ireland: Peacock-Farrell, Ballard, Evans, Brown, Spencer, McCann, Davis, Saville, McMenamin, Lafferty, Lavery. Subs: Thompson, Southwood, McCalmont, Charles, Boyd-Munce, Carson, Lane, Bradley, Whyte, Donnelly, McGinn, Charles.
Preamble
It’s an amazing thing to say, but after many decades of trying, Uefa finally came up with a decent idea, and the Nations League was it. Yes, it came far too late to save the international game from being devoured by the club version, but it at least saved us from the perpetual purgatory of international friendlies and the 59,037 substitutions that came with them.
So it is than on a Thursday night in June, we’ve actually got some football that’s worth watching, our focus is League A Group 2. Currently, Portugal sit top after drawing in Spain walloping Switzerland, but their visitors tonight, Czech Republic, have four points too having edged Switzerland and also taken a point from Luis Enrique’s men.
That aside, we’ll be keeping tabs on Kosovo v Northern Ireland and Sweden v Serbia, as well as keeping you abreast of all the goals as they go in. And it’s live!
Kick-offs: 7.45pm BST
