Mbappe strikes in France’s 2-1 win over Croatia

Zagreb: Star striker Kylian Mbappe scored late as France frustrated Croatia again, winning a closely-contested UEFA Nations League match 2-1 to stay level on points with group leader Portugal.

Croatia have never beaten France, losing the last Nations League encounter and the 2018 World Cup final by the same score of 4-2. They were also beaten 2-1 in the 1998 World Cup semifinals.

After forward Antoine Griezmann put France ahead early, midfielder Nikola Vlasic equalised midway through the second half. Croatia were starting to get on top when France substitute Paul Pogba floated over a superb pass from the halfway line to Lucas Digne sprinting down the left. The Everton left back’s volleyed pass fell to Mbappe, who met the ball on the bounce from close range for his 16th international goal.

In the other Group 3 game, Liverpool forward Diogo Jota scored twice as Portugal beat Sweden 3-0 without Cristiano Ronaldo, who tested positive for the coronavirus. “We are not better without Ronaldo, but the team had shown before that it is capable of succeeding without him,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said. “We were well-organised offensively.”

The victory left defending Nations League champion Portugal at the top of Group 3 with 10 points.

In Bergamo (Italy), Italy slipped to second after they were held to a 1-1 draw by the Netherlands in a game that paid tribute to Bergamo’s many victims of the coronavirus pandemic.
Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek cancelled out Lorenzo Pellegrini’s opener in the first half on Wednesday.

Poland moved top of Group 1 in League A after beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0. It has a point more than Italy and two more than the Netherlands.

Italy host Poland on Nov. 15 and play Bosnia in their final group match three days later.
“No problem, we’ll win both the matches and we’ll qualify for the final phase,” Italy coach Roberto Mancini said.

It was the first time in 14 years that Italy played a match in Bergamo, one of cities hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. Before the game, a delegation from the federations of the two teams laid two wreaths at a cemetery in the city in tribute to the victims.

Christian Eriksen marked his 100th Denmark appearance by scoring the penalty that clinched a 1-0 victory over England in London.

England had already been reduced to 10 men on Wednesday — after Harry Maguire was sent off — by the time a disputed penalty was awarded for Kyle Walker’s challenge on Thomas Delaney in a rare top-level game not using VAR.

Eriksen converted the penalty for his 34th international goal in the 35th minute at Wembley, where the Inter Milan playmaker became accustomed to scoring in his Premier League career when it was Tottenham’s temporary home. Unlike then, the stadium was empty as fans are still prevented from attending games in England due to a resurgence in coronavirus cases.
Reece James’ first England start ended with him being sent off after the final whistle for dissent toward the referee.

The result leaves Group 2 wide open heading into the final two rounds of matches in November. England dropped from first into third place behind Denmark and Belgium, which took the lead with a 2-1 victory over Iceland.

Three days after beating Belgium — the world’s top-ranked team — England’s good work was undone.