Here’s our report from Cardiff.
Reuters take on that Croatia win in Austria.
Croatia qualified for the Nations League semi-finals next year as defender Dejan Lovren marked his return to the team with a rare goal in a comprehensive 3-1 victory over relegated Austria in Vienna.
Lovren, playing his first international in almost a year, scored the third goal for the visitors, who topped League A Group 1 with 13 points from six matches, one point ahead of second-placed Denmark. Austria finished bottom.
Luka Modric gave Croatia an early lead with his 23rd international goal as he took a touch to control Nikola Vlasic’s pass and fired low into the net. That joy was short-lived as Austria equalised three minutes later when Christoph Baumgartner glanced Marcel Sabitzer’s cross into the net with a deft header.
But two goals in three minutes midway through the second period sealed the points for Croatia as Marko Livaja headed home at the back post after a cross from Ivan Perisic, before Lovren was left free by the home defenders to score with a header from Lovro Majer’s cross. Despite the loss, it was a special night for home forward Marko Arnautovic, who won an Austrian record 104th international cap and moved past Andreas Herzog at the top of the country’s list of most appearances.
Reuters take on the Netherlands, who are on their way to the Nations League final with Croatia.
Captain Virgil van Dijk netted a second-half winner as the Netherlands beat neighbours Belgium 1-0 on Sunday to ensure top spot in their Nations League group and a place in next year*s finals tournament.
Van Dijk powered home a header from a corner in the 73rd minute at the Amsterdam Arena on Sunday to ensure the Dutch finished runaway winners in League A Group Four. They finished with 16 points, six more than Belgium who had a chance to leapfrog their neighbours, and take first place, but needed to win by three goals or more on Sunday to do so. Any hopes of a goal feast were quickly stymied, however, as the two sides effectively cancelled each other out in a tight tactical battle.
The Dutch pressing game frustrated Belgian efforts at building up attacks, while a five-man defence for the visitors meant there was little room for the home strikers.
Reuters on France’s loss to the Danes.
Nations League holders France lost 2-0 to Denmark in their final Group 1 game but salvaged their place in the top tier at the end of a dismal campaign on Sunday.
Didier Deschamps’s side, who will face Denmark in Group D at the World Cup in November, conceded first-half goals by Kasper Dolberg and Andreas Skov Olsen to finish third in their Group with five points from six games.
Austria were relegated to League B after a 3-1 home defeat in Croatia left them bottom of the group on four points. Croatia qualified for the final four with 13 points, one ahead of Denmark, who burst into life against France after being dominated in the first 20 minutes.
Full-time scores in the Nations League
Austria 1-3 Croatia
Denmark 2-0 France
Faroe Islands 2-1 Turkey
Netherlands 1-0 Belgium
Luxembourg 1-0 Lithuania
Full-time: Wales 0-1 Poland
Not the way Wales would like to sign off ahead of going to Qatar but this was a young, inexperienced team, with Gareth Bale playing only for match fitness, and who failed to make much of a free-kick in the dying embers. Much to admire in the performance of Brennan Johnson, but for now, Wales have been relegated from the elite section of the Nations League. Now for the next 58 days, and Team USA in Doha.
90+3 min: Wales push on and on, Brennan Johnson in the middle of it. Then Sorba Thomas takes the corner, and that’s cleared. Moore heads down, and there’s a claim for a handball, only for the Moore to be booked for his challenge on Krychowiak.
90+2 min: Bale heads against the crossbar! This time, Sorba Thomas’ cross is perfect and Bale powers the ball beyond Szczesny and off the bar.
90+1 min: It’s full-time as Denmark have beaten France 2-0.
90 min: There will be five minutes on, and Wales are at least pushing hard.
88 min: Wales waste a free-kick as Sorba Thomas, usually so good at these moments, especially for Huddersfield, just lumps the ball into the wall.
86 min: Thomas is now on for Roberts for Wales. Colwill, all bouffant hair and youthful promise, escapes down the left-hand channel. Johnson is waiting in the middle, and he can’t be found. Szczesny has been a safe pair of hands tonight.
84 min: Score correction: it’s actually Luxembourg 0-0 Lithuania. Must have been a VAR.
83 min: Poland making a series of subs now as they attempt to further run down the clock.
82 min: Matt Dony gets in touch: “Bergkamp-esque. Except, Lewandowski meant it. (Tin hat: On)“
Peter Oh: “I’m having a hard time keeping things straight. Tell me if I’ve got it right: England are poor, Scotland are good, and Wales are mediocre.”
Alexander McMillan: “Seems to me, it depends on who you think football is for. If you think it’s for the serial winners (big clubs and major nations) then you probably don’t like it. But if you think it’s for everyone, and that all nations deserve the chance to progress and play against opponents of a similar level, then you’ve got to be all for it. Lots of the ‘lower’ standard European sides showing massive improvements.”
80 min: Wales’ attacks have been rather less than fluid, with the Poles sat deep in numbers, and Bale, somehow still on the field, struggling to impose himself.
78 min: Scoreflash: Austria 1-3 Croatia, goals from Marko Livaja and Dejan Lovren are good news for France who are now likely to stay up.
77 min: Szczesny makes a fine save – again – James whipping in the ball from the left, and the Polish goalkeeper dived late to force it away from danger. Kieffer Moore might have been on the crime scene there.
76 min: Scoreflash: Netherland 1-0 Belgium and Virgil van Dijk got it.
75 min: It’s getting even more bitty, with Poland running down the clock, they have plenty of experience in their team. Lewandowski buys time off a Cabango foul.
72 min: On comes Rubin Colwill, and off goes Levitt. That would seem to have left just Joe Morrell as a Wales central midfielder.
70 min: All huff and puff for Wales, who Poland are keeping at arm’s length here.
68 min: Bogdan gets in touch: “Tell me honestly what do you really think about this Nations league project, is it good or bad for football? I just don`t know, in some way for me it has improved the international football since there are no meaningless friendlies but, on the other hand, there are more difficult competitive matches and the players get more tired playing not-so-important games?”
I am torn, I have to say. I sigh each time the Nations League comes around then enjoy some of the games. So it’s better than friendlies, but then it’s not the Premier League or a major finals. Hmm.
65 min: Scoreflash: The Faroe Islands are currently leading Turkey 2-0. The only other goal other than Swiderski’s here is that putting Luxembourg 1-0 up on Lithuania.
64 min: Poland change: off goes Karol Świderski, the goalscorer, and on comes Krzysztof Piątek of Salernitana.
62 min: Wales staring down the barrel of relegation, and paying for not being able to take their chances and suffering for having Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey on the bench.
60 min: Szczesny makes a great save, as Brennan Johnson comes in from the left, and the ball was arrowing in, only for the Juventus goalkeeper to make the save with his fingertips. Good football all round.
59 min: And as that goal went in, courtesy of a piece of Bergkamp-esque skill from Lewandowski, on comes Moore, and off goes Norrington Davies.
Goal! Wales 0-1 Poland (Swiderski, 58)
That man Lewandowski at the heart of it. Krychowiak’s pass goes to Lewandowski whose flick takes out two Wales defenders and Swiderski smashes home.
Updated
57 min: James seems to be the furthest man forward, and is having real problems holding it up. Bale surely to go off?
55 min: Yes, Moore is coming on, after a discussion with Rob Page, who has clearly seen enough.
53 min: Kieffer Moore is imminent for Wales, and they could really do with a focal point up front. Arwel Jones gets in touch: “Bale looks like an old man lost in the park.” Yes, a little bit.
51 min: More groans for the officiating as Glik smashes into James, and somehow that’s not given as a foul. It looked a forearm smash.
48 min: Neco Williams is booked as Bartosz Bereszyński took a smashing, and comes back on the field to roll around. The referee rather awarded that one blind.
47 min: A slow start to this half, and will we see more of Bale who has a free role as ever.
46 min: Back underway in Cardiff. with Poland getting it launched to the back stick from the kick-off.
Half-time scores in the Nations League
Austria 1-1 Croatia
Denmark 2-0 France
Faroe Islands 0-0 Turkey
Netherlands 0-0 Belgium
Luxembourg 0-0 Lithuania
Half-time: Wales 0-0 Poland
As it stands, Wales will get relegated from the Nations League top tier. They finish the half with Szczesny making brave save from Gareth Bale, and the two share a handshake as the whistle goes. Dan James had the best chance of the game, and perhaps stopped Brennan Johnson having a better one. Still, an inexperienced Wales team is holding its own.
45+1 min: Bednarek is not booked when James looked to have escaped at the halfway line. Lucky boy. That’s a yellow in the Barclays. Three minutes added on here.
45 min: Wales have been a bit better as this half has gone on, without ever throwing much in the way of passing together. Brennan Johnson, who is so lively, is caught offside.
43 min: Norrington-Davies is booked, having smashed into Lewandowski, who does take his time coming back up. He’s still wiping his brow as he gets up.
42 min: So close for Wales. Brennan Johnson speeds forward, unleashes a shot and it might well have been going in, only for the ball to come off Dan James and go wide.
40 min: Scoreflash: Denmark 2-0 France; Andreas Olsen has got it.
39 min: Almost a horror moment, for Wayne Hennessey, who almost did a Peter Enckelman, a Scott Carson, a David de Gea, from a back-pass from Norrington-Davies, I think – Rodon maybe. Hennessey makes amends by making a save soon after.
Updated
38 min: Szczesny has to come out and stop Gareth Bale, who had just escaped after a throw-in. The LA king has been quiet, it has to be said.
Updated
36 min: West Brom and PSG legend Grzegorz Krychowiak is booked for a foul on Morrell, wrapping his arm around the Portsmouth man, and shunting him to the ground.
34 min: Scoreflash: Denmark 1-0 France, Kasper Dolberg got it and, like England, the French could be headed for Nations League relegation.;
Updated
33 min: Dan James does a Dan James thing, sent away by Cabango’s clearance, and it’s one on one. He’s up against Szczesny, who saves not once, but twice. Perhaps it was the weaker foot for James but we’ve all seen James fail to make the most of those chances.
31 min: Connor Roberts goes close…no, he had fouled Zalewski in trying to win the header. The Polish defender holds his head, though actually took a blow to the back. Then there’s some afters, dealt out by Lewandowski. Roberts’ turn to make something of a foul. No love lost in the Nations League.
29 min: Joe Rodon, the senior Welsh defender tonight, has to clear a ball from the flank. It’s not been an easy first 30 minutes for Wales. Their attacking fliers have seen very little of the ball.
27 min: Poland chance! Hennessey hangs on gratefully as Zielinski’s cross is headed downwards. Poland beginning to pile up the pressure now, dominating possession.
25 min: Lewandowski falls to the floor, grabbing his face, some theatrics on show from the Poles here? No, Cabango had walloped him across the chops, the Swansea defender is one of those who isn’t quite sure of a place in Qatar.
Updated
23 min: Poland are not especially zippy in attack, though that’s been a problem since Lewandowski started playing for them.
21 min: Scoreflash: Actually, there’s been no Nations League goals anywhere other than that match between Austria and Croatia, where it’s still 1-1.
18 min: Neco Williams to the rescue, a last-ditch job, to cut off a pass from the so far excellent Zielinski. Wales look shaky at the back to say the least.
16 min: Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey look on from the sidelines. Allen, back at Swansea, has a hamstring problem, Ramsey has something similar, picked up while playing for Nice.
14 min: Wales have their first corner, Brennan Johnson forcing it, using his pace down the right-hand side. It’s cleared after a push in the box.
13 min: Jeers as Lewandowski’s loose touch allows the ball to go out. The great man will need more than that to put him off.
11 min: Matt Dony corrects me, correctly. I knew the difference, having covered the Welsh team at Cardiff’s stadium.
“I’m assuming it was a simple mis-type, but they’re not at the Principality. It’s Cardiff City Stadium. Which is one of many, many things that that the Welsh FA are currently getting right. They could no doubt sell more tickets if they used the Principality, but the players and the fans want to be in Cardiff City’s home instead. And even though it generates less revenue (especially considering the surprisingly cheap, family-friendly ticket pricing structure), the powers that be listen. The performances and atmospheres have vindicated that, and led to WC qualification, meaning a massive injection of revenue in the longer term. A clear strategy that has paid off. See also, fading out the music for the anthem and allowing the crowd to sing unaccompanied. It’s enormously popular among fans, and although it’s a relatively small thing, it makes a massive difference to fans. Are you listening, RFU? No, of course you’re not…”
9 min: Zielinski is down, after a clash with Cabango, and the referee blows up, much to the consternation of the home fans. The Napoli player is holding his ankle but he’s going to be OK.
It’s now Austria 1-1 Croatia, Christoph Baumgartner getting the equaliser.
8 min: Scoreflash: Croatia 1-0 Austria, Luka Modric getting the goal.
6 min: Ben Cabango gets his first chance to prove himself against Lewandowski. Then there’s a flutter of hearts as Rodon is again loose, and there’s panic before Hennessey slides out to deny the Polish through ball.
5 min: Some early touches for Bale, and then Lewandowski gets his first touch. Wales getting plenty of space down the flanks.
Updated
3 min: Early warning sign for Wales as Rodon steps out and Zielinksi goes through. He was offside but Wayne Hennessey made a save in any case. It’s started with plenty of energy.
1 min: And away we go in Cardiff. An early attack from Daniel James and he was looking for Gareth Bale as he scampered away. The Polish fans are making themselves heard, too. Their defence gets the ball clear.
A frankly unbelievable version of the Land of My Fathers, the Welsh national anthem from the fans in Cardiff. Incredible sound. You can keep your Marseillaise and the Il Canto degli Italiani, when the Welsh get proper hold of their song they are untouchable.
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This is a farewell to the fans ahead of the World Cup, the first since 1958 where, despite the problems of accommodation and cost, it’s said there may be almost as many Welsh fans travelling to Qatar as the English. Once in a lifetime, even allowing for the glory of Euro 2016 and being at Euro 2020. The Principality Stadium is rocking with some classic EDM and the lights are flashing on and off. Cardiff is a city that does these events well, very well.
Alan Pugh gets in touch: “Bonsoir from Paris. Impossible to find a bar showing the game in Cardiff. On the plus side the Munch exhibition here was well worth a visit at the Musée d’Orsay. And it’ll certainly be a scream if we and the Scots are both in the A band for the next Nations’ League while our neighbours take on Kazakhstan.”
Rob Page speaks to S4C – in English.
It is is what it is and we’ve got one game to win. We’ve had four senior players out of both games. We couldn’t have played Gareth on Thursday, it would have been crazy. Kieffer [Moore] had a bit of illness and took a knock that’s nothing to do with team selection. It’s another full house, [the fans] play their massive part.
Ben Fisher is our man in Cardiff tonight, and he’ll be filing the full-time report later.
He’s been in the Wales camp, and listening to what the likes of Rob Page and Gareth Bale have to say.
Page: “We’ve got a job in hand that we’re fully focused on. As soon as the final whistle has gone we’ll be preparing for the World Cup.”
Bale: “I am closer than I have been in the last few years, for sure,” Bale says. “It’s about playing minutes and games and I’m starting to do that a lot more often now. The more I play, the fitter I’ll get. Hopefully, I can start to peak and get stronger and stronger as quickly as possible.”
For the record, Big Vinny Janssen has scored six in five for Royal Antwerp.
Some Premier League legends in here, not least Spurs icon Vincent Janssen, and that Belgium team features Jan Verthongen and Toby Alderweireld.
𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗢𝗬𝗦 vs Belgium! 💥🇧🇪#NationsLeague #NEDBEL pic.twitter.com/RdFcNg2Zd6
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) September 25, 2022
The 1️⃣1️⃣ Devils for the Derby der Lage Landen! ⚔️ #SelectedbyPwC #NEDBEL #DEVILTIME pic.twitter.com/do0z28FA7E
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) September 25, 2022
Denmark v France features some rather exciting players, Arsenal fans can either enthuse or look through their hands as William Saliba starts. Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni of Real Madrid in partnership.
🇩🇰 433 it is - Denmark's starting lineup vs. France:#ForDanmark #NationsLeague https://t.co/aML2P35Kjw pic.twitter.com/DMfbCKzvkX
— Danish Football (@DanishFooty365) September 25, 2022
Le 1️⃣1️⃣ qui débutera face au Danemark ! @AntoGriezmann capitaine ce soir 🔥
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) September 25, 2022
Coup d'envoi à 20h45 sur @TF1 📺#DANFRA | #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/Y7zvTVV4Pk
Four Welsh changes from the team that lost to Belgium. Mepham, Ampadu, Smith and Moore out. Cabango, Morrell, Levitt and Bale in.
Three Polish changes but the same back three from the loss to the Netherlands.
It’s Bale v Lewandowski in the battle of the captain’s armbands.
Per PA Media:
Skipper Gareth Bale was back in the Wales starting line-up for their Nations League relegation decider with Poland in Cardiff
Bale, who was a second-half substitute in Belgium on Thursday after arriving late due to his playing commitments in the United States, was one of four changes alongside Ben Cabango, Dylan Levitt and Joe Morrell.
Suspended pair Chris Mepham and Ethan Ampadu, as well as Matt Smith and Kieffer Moore, dropped out with Wales knowing only victory was enough to keep them in League A.
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski captained a Poland side who needed to draw or win to stay in the top tier of European football.
Updated
The teams - Bale starts
Wales: Hennessey; Cabango, Rodon, Norrington-Davies; C Roberts, Morrell, Levitt, N Williams; Johnson, Bale (C), James. Subs: Gunter, Colwill, Smith, Roberts, Ward, Moore, Burns, Williams, M Harris, King, Thomas, James
Poland: Szczesny; Bednarek, Glik, Kiwior; Bereszynski, Krychowiak, Zurowski, Zalewski; Zielinski, Lewandowski (C), Swiderski. Subs: Skorupski, Dragowski, Gumny, Kedziora, Wieteska, Milik, Piotrowski, Grosicki, Skoras, Kaminski, Szymanski, Piatek.
Preamble
Thursday’s defeat to Belgium, their habitual opponents, showed the size of the task that may await Rob Page in Qatar. The second-half display, which raised the hackles of Roberto Martinez so much he got himself sent off, at least suggested that all is by no means lost. These Nations League matches, competitive as they technically are, are warmups for what comes in November, but like the English the Welsh are set to be relegated from the top tier unless they beat the Poles tonight. Page’s men have not won their last four matches, not ideal preparation for the World Cup but Gareth Bale is likely to be involved from the start.
As for the Poles, they are readying themselves for a World Cup group involving Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Argentina, and coming off a 2-0 loss to the Netherlands on Thursday.
There’s some other big matches played this evening to keep you updated on, with Denmark taking on France, and the Netherlands taking on the Belgians. The Nations League: it’s relentless.
