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Austria had a good campaign at the Euro, winning two of their first three groups against Poland 1-3 and the Netherlands 2-3. However, the adventure ended at the round of 16 stage with a defeat against the splendid Turkish team 1-2. Back in the Nations League with the aim of doing well, the Austrians disappointed against Slovenia 1-1 and in the defeat against Erling Haaland's Norway 2-1. Opposite, we find a selection from Kazakhstan which will try to maintain its rank in League B especially since it “obviously” did not participate in the Euro this summer , the level is still too high for the latter.

On the other hand, the Kazakhs participated in friendlies but the results were not very productive with three defeats against Luxembourg 2-1, by the same score against Armenia and in a disputed match against Azerbaijan in last place 3-2, or three counterparts not qualified for Euro 2024. For his debut in this Nations League B, Kazakhstan, he was held in check by Norway 0-0 and beaten severely in Slovenia 3- 0.

Long uncertain following his future with Lens or a possible departure to Bergamo, Danso has recovered physically in order to find a place in Ralf Rangnick's group. On the other hand, still convalescing in Madrid, Alaba (Real, 105 caps) will not participate in this gathering in the same way as Union Saint-Gilloise goalkeeper Lindner (37 caps) by choice of the former Man United coach. In the same case we find Trauner (Feyenoord), midfielder Kainz (Cologne), and attackers Gregoritsh (Fribourg), Weimann (West Bromwich Albion) and Entrup (only 3 caps). A large number of selected players play in Germany, particularly in midfield with the presence of Seiwald (Leipzig), Sabitzer (Dortmund), Grillitsch (Hoffenheim), club partners Grüll and Schmid (Werder Bremen), Baumgartner (Leipzig ), Konrad Laimer (Bayern), and Wimmer (Wolfsburg).

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This may seem shocking but you will have to get used to it, leading nations like England play in League B following their relegation from League A during the last edition. It is clear that the finalist of the last two European Championships risks starting favorites in each meeting in this group B and already has two successes in two matches with the particularity of not having conceded a goal against Ireland on the road 0 -2 and against Finland at Wembley 2-0. Opposite, we find Greece which is at its level in Nations League B and which narrowly missed qualifying for the last Euro by losing on penalties to Georgia.

No major competition in June but two friendly matches against Germany in the 2-1 defeat and in the victory against the very weak Maltese opposition 2-0. Like the English, the Greeks won their first two matches in the competition against Finland at home uncontested 3-0 and in Ireland by the same score as England 0-2.

Absent from the last meeting, Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) will make his return to the selection during this break while ultimately, there are no major absences to report from the Three Lions squad since Harry Kane (68 goals in 100 caps) is very present like Saka (Arsenal), Grealish (Man City), Watkins (Aston Villa), the new kids Madueke (Chelsea) and Solanke (Tottenham) in good shape with his club without forgetting to mention the midfielders Rice (Arsenal), Foden (City), Callagher (Atlético Madrid), the young talent Mainoo (United) and even Lille's Angel Gomes (2 caps). Cityzens Walker (90 caps) and Stones (81 caps) responded favorably to the call as did right-back Trent-Alexander Arnold (Liverpool). Maguire (scorer against Porto in C3), Livramento (Newcastle), Trippier (retirement), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Dunk (Brighton), Tomori (no longer called up since the end of 2023), Maddison (Tottenham), Bowen (West Ham) and Eze (Crystal Palace) are the main absentees from the list with Sancho and Rashford who seem more likely to join the selection. Operational in September, Bouchalakis (Hertha Berlin, 47 sel), Galanopoulos (AEK Athens), and Alexandropoulos (Standard of Liège) were not summoned for this internship.

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After having shown some progress in recent years to the point of no longer finishing last in their various qualifying groups for international competitions, the Faroe Islands have been returning to the ranks for some time. Logically absent from the last euro, this team has only won one success over the last 2 years, against the very weak Liechtenstein last March 0-4. In September, the "National Team" was able to take a point against North Macedonia 1-1 but then lost in Latvia 1-0. Armenia, for its part, never had the leisure to be able to participate in the slightest international competition either.

She was only able to take 4th place in her group during the last qualifications for the Euro behind Turkey, Croatia, Wales and only ahead of Latvia. Victorious over Kazakhstan in a friendly last June 2-1, the 97th nation in the Fifa ranking then got off to a good start in this Nations League group by winning over Latvia 4-1. But then they were dominated by North Macedonia 2-0.

The vast majority of the Faroese group is made up of players who compete in the weak local championship or in the lower Scandinavian divisions. Among the rare players who came to try their luck further south, we find defender Andrias Edmundsson (Wisla Plock) and his big brother, striker Jóan Símun Edmundsson (Shkupi, North Macedonia) who planted 8 times in 90 caps . That said, the top scorer of this nation remains the striker Klaemint Olsen who has 10 goals in 68 caps. On the Armenian side, the situation is quite similar because a large majority of the players present are members of local teams totally unknown to the general public.

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Present in the England group, Finland got off to a very bad start to this Nations League campaign, conceding two defeats in as many matches against Greece on the road 3-0 and at Wembley against the English 2-0. If we count the friendlies played in June following their non-call to the Euro, the Finns remain in four matches without a victory following their setback against Portugal 4-2 and a parity score against the Scots 2-2 .On the other side of the median, we find an Irish selection which has not started its campaign much better with two defeats also against England at home 0-2 and still at home against Greece 0-2 .

What is more worrying for the Irish is their two losses at home and without succeeding in finding the fault offensively speaking. The Green Army also lost to Portugal in a friendly in June 3-0, and have won only one of their last eight matches in all competitions (5 defeats, 2 draws, 1 victory).

The Finnish coach ignored the defenders Ollila (Paris FC, 3 sel), Väisänen (27 sel), the midfielder Kairinen (injured), without forgetting to mention the attackers Haarala (present in September), Hakans ( 4 goals in 8 games, Lech Poznan, injured), and Marcus Forss (Middlesbrough, absent from the field since March). On the other hand, the Finnish legend Pukki (42 goals in 123 caps), the interesting Pohjanpalo (Venezia, 15 pawns in 73 caps) or the Augsburg striker, Jensen (8 goals in 32 caps) will be there. In the midfield, Rennais Kamara (61 caps) was called up like Schüller (77 caps) and the young Hamburg player Suhonen (8 caps). In the cages, the well-known Hradecky (Leverkusen, 94 caps) will be present. Like the English selection, Ireland is made up of a good number of players playing in the United Kingdom, whether in Scotland, in the country, or even in Wales and England.

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Logically, the Gibraltar selection is one of the worst European nations and it is no surprise that we find it in League D of this Nations League, with other small, entirely comparable selections. This small British territory is only in 198th position in the Fifa rankings and it does not seem able to shake up the hierarchy in the coming years. That said, it has now been 3 games since this selection has lost. After being able to hold Wales to a 0-0 draw last June, Team 54 was able to win in a friendly against Andorra before sharing the points with Liechtenstein in their first match in the competition 2-2.Saint -Marin, for his part, produced a performance that will go down in history by winning his first victory in an official competition last month, beating Liechtenstein 1-0.

This success, once in a while, allows this small Republic landlocked in Italy to lead this group with 3 units on the clock. In fact, we had to go back more than 20 years to find any trace of a victory for this team. This joy was, however, short-lived for the Serenissima who then lost to Moldova in a friendly match a few days later 1-0.

In this Gibraltar squad we find a vast majority of players who play year-round in the very small local championship, many of them at the Lincoln Red Imps. However, a few have been able to export to England like defender Annesley, midfielder Ronan and young attackers Bartolo and Jessop who play in the lower English divisions. The promising Scanlon wears the colors of the Manchester United youth teams. Among the players to watch is captain Liam Walker who has scored 6 goals in 81 caps. The captain Joseph Chipolina will be suspended after being expelled during the last meeting.

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Italy had a fairly difficult last Euro . Reigning European champion, the Nazionale was stopped by Switzerland 2-0 in the 1/8 finals of this competition where it had already come close to elimination in the first round before equalizing at the very end of the match against Croatia in their last group match 1-1. This hasty elimination confirms the chronic difficulties of this selection which has already missed the last 2 World Cups . On the other hand, the Transalpines created a surprise in September by winning in France 1-3 before winning more logically against Israel 1-2 a few days later. Also, with 6 points, they are logically at the top of the ranking of this group.

The time when Belgium was at the top of the Fifa rankings and terrorized world football seems well and truly over. After the departures of many executives from the golden generation, the Red Devils no longer impress many people and this was further confirmed during the Euro when they were eliminated in the 1/8th finals of the competition by a team of France 1-0 yet far from its best level. In September, Domenico Tedesco's players started this Nations League with a 3-1 victory but they were then dominated quite logically by the best French enemy 2-0 .

Injured against France during the last rally, defender Calafiori (Arsenal) returns to this Italian list. Unsurprisingly, we should find the goalkeeper Donnaruma (PSG), the defenders Dimarco (Inter), Bastoni (Inter) and Di Lorenzo (Naples), the midfielders Tonali (Newcastle), Pellegrini (Roma, 36 caps, 6 goals), Frattesi (Inter, 21 selections, 7 goals) and the attackers Retegui (Atalanta, 14 selections, 4 goals) and Raspadori (Naples, 32 selections, 7 goals). On the other hand, Kean (Fiorentina, 17 selections, 5 goals) is injured and the excellent midfielder Barella remains out. Dismissed last September, the former executives Jorginho, Locatelli and Chiesa applied are still not there. Belgium will approach this international gathering without several of its captains, starting with the top scorer Lukaku (Naples, 85 goals in 119 goals) and the playing master de Bruyne (Manchester City, 107 goals, 30 goals). The first, already absent in September, is in the recovery phase and wishes to stay in his club like Mbappé, when the second is injured.

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Latvia were promoted to League C of the Nations League in September 2023 after securing first place in their group in the lower league. She will now want to stay there or even give herself the right to dream and gain a new promotion. During the first 2 days, the 137th selection in the FIFA rankings was first corrected in Armenia 4-1 on September 7 . However, she was able to bounce back three days later by defeating the Faroe Islands 1-0 on home soil. Latvian players have not had a winning streak for over a year. It was during the last edition of the Nations League.

  Opposite is another selection that did not play the last Euro , namely North Macedonia. The Lions are playing League C matches of the Nations League for the third successive edition. They started this new campaign better than their opponent by taking a point from the Faroe Islands 1-1 and dominating Armenia 2-0 at home. A success despite Blagoja Milevski's players playing an entire half outnumbered. This did not prevent them from scoring two achievements synonymous with victory. 

Compared to last month's rally, Latvia presents itself with several changes in its group. Not present are the goalkeeper Ozols (19 selections), the defender Isavjevs (7 selections) and the offensive Regza (no goals in 10 selections). The absence of the first mentioned is not a problem since the usual holder of the position, Matrevics (8 sel), is present. Varslavans (10 sel) scored his first goal for the selection in the last match, won against the Faroe Islands. He plays in the Latvian championship like many of his teammates. Latvia North Macedonia  Unlike Latvia, North Macedonia can rely on a few elements playing in the major European championships.

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Moldova got their campaign off to a good start last month, dominating Malta 2-0 . This success allows the Tricolores to take first place in their group made up of three selections: their last opponent and that of this Thursday. Moldova does not weigh very heavily in Europe and even less on an international scale. 149th in the FIFA rankings, it has never played in a major Euro or World Cup competition since its independence in the 1990s. In September, Moldova also beat San Marino 1-0 in a friendly. Opposite us is an even less posh selection: Andorra.

This team has been in League D of the Nations League since the creation of the competition in 2018. In six years in this table, the selection currently led by Koldo Alvarez has only won 2 matches out of 18. This was during the last campaign, in 2022. Andorra was defeated by Malta 0-1 at home at the opening of this campaign in September and remains in 19 matches without a win in all competitions, 4 draws, 15 defeats. She has not scored in her last 5 meetings. 

No player on the Moldovan squad is known to the general public but this squad can rely on several elements which are essential to it. Among them, left-back Reabciuk (50 caps) playing for Spartak Moscow (Russia), midfielder Ionita (73 caps, Lecco in Italian Serie C) but especially Nicolaescu (47 caps, 16 goals). The latter plays in the Netherlands, in Heerenveen, and contributed to the victory in September against Malta by scoring an achievement, his 16th in 47 appearances for the national team.  Moldova Andorra The Andorra squad is full of players playing in the weak national championship or in Spain, in the lower divisions. The only ones to stand out are goalkeeper Alvarez (Villarreal B, 25 caps) now the holder and striker Ricard Fernandez (2 goals in 44 appearances, Krka in Russia).

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Led by Erling Haaland, Norway obviously hopes to become part of the elite of European football fairly quickly, while the Cyborg evolves at the highest level of world football. The Scandinavian selection even hopes to qualify for a major competition like the Euro or the World Cup at the heart of this cycle. For the moment, we are mainly thinking of promotion to League A and this poster between co-leaders will be crucial for the future. As a reminder, the Norwegians have four points following their 0-0 draw in Kazakhstan and their subsequent victory against Austria, 1/8th finalist of the Euro all the same 2-1.

 Slovenia also has four points in this group, and like Norway, drew during J1 against Austria 0-0 before resounding for the reception of Kazakhstan 3-0. We will also recall that the Slovenes achieved a nice success at the Euro by reaching the 1/8 finals but beaten by Portugal following the penalty shootout 0-0 at the end of 120 minutes. Casually, in a 90-minute match, Slovenia has not lost since November 2023, almost a year now, it was a qualifying evening for the Euro precisely, in Denmark 2-1.

There is potential in Norway but note that captain Odegaard (Arsenal) is still recovering from an injury suffered during the previous gathering in June (OUT). Let us also note the withdrawal of the excellent Lille player Sahraoui (1 selection), who was nevertheless very good with the Mastiffs, particularly against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Also deprived of a gathering following the coach's choice, Elyounoussi (10 goals in 55 caps) will watch the match on TV like Oscar Bobb (City, injured), the former Rennais Meling (Copenhagen, injured) and Bodo/Glimt defenders present in September Bjorkan (14 caps) and Gundersen (2 caps). To talk about operational players, how can we not mention the man who has 32 goals in 35 caps, Erling Braut Haaland (Man City) without forgetting his comrades in front who are Sörloth (Atlético Madrid) and the nugget Larsen (Wolverhampton). The Toulouse Donnum (8 sel) is selected as are Vetlesen (Club Bruges), Berge (Fulham), Thorsby (Genoa, 20 sel), Nusa (Leipzig), and the defenders Ostigard (Rennes), Ajer (Brentford), Ryerson ( Borussia Dortmund), and Pedersen (Torino).

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In a group made up of Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia, three countries present at the last World Cup, each point is worth a lot. Bahrain knows this better than anyone but let's remember that it allowed itself to take the 3 points against Australia during the 1st day 0-1 following an own goal from Souttar while the Australians were outnumbered since the 77th minute of play. In the process, thinking that the feat was possible, the locals came back down to earth by conceding a slap in the face from Japan, losing 0-5 at home. In the 2nd round, Bahrain finished in 2nd place behind the UAE.

 Same speech for Indonesia which does not a priori have the shoulders broad enough to qualify for a competition like the World Cup but has the merit of believing in its chances following its two very good results against Saudi Arabia 1-1 and Australia in September 0-0. Two parity scores that just need to be confirmed during this internship. In the 2nd round, the Indonesians were unable to do anything against Iraq who won their six matches and therefore only second place in the group ahead of Vietnam and the Philippines.

It's a scoop for no one, but almost the entire group that makes up the Bahrain squad plays in the country like the most prolific Mahdi Abduljabbar (9 goals in 32 seasons), Hashim Sayed Isa (6 goals in 17 caps), or even captain Kamil Al-Aswad (13 goals in 106 caps). Let's still note the presence of a young star from Villarreal's U17s, Sayed Alwadaei. Note that no player present in September is absent from the new list. Opposite, present in September but injured, Wolverhampton defender Hubner (13 sel) will be missing as will Sayuri (1 sel), Baggott (Blackpool) , Setyo, and midfielder Klok (4 goals in 21 caps) all on the flank as well.

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Bolivia starts this rally with 9 points in 8 matches, tied with the play-off, Paraguay but a lower goal average. The program is still very tough for the Bolivians who will face the 2nd in the ranking, Colombia and especially the first at the moment, Argentina. Hard to imagine this selection taking the slightest point but the players have a duty to believe in it. At the Copa America this summer, Bolivia did not last long, losing its three group matches against the United States 2-0, a manita against Uruguay 5-0 and finally, against Panama 1 -3. These three losses were added to the three previous ones contracted in a friendly against Colombia precisely 3-0, Ecuador 3-1 and Mexico 1-0.

The dynamic was ultra-negative until the September break with the return of the qualifying matches, with two victories against Venezuela 4-0 and Chile on the road 1-2 on the program. Runner-up of Argentina at the start of this new qualifying day, Colombia had a wonderful run in the Copa America, reaching the final but ultimately beaten by Argentina 1-0 after extra time. It should still be noted that during this epic, Luis Diaz's partners did not lose to Brazil in the group stage 1-1 and they took out Uruguay in the semi-final 0-1. In September, the Colombians participated like everyone else in two qualifying days for a result of a draw in Peru 1-1 and a victory three days later against their Copa America tormentor , Argentina 2 -1.

As is often the case, the majority of players coming to defend the flag of the selection almost all play in the local championship or even in Brazil in 2nd or even 3rd zone clubs. We still note the absence of goalkeeper Lampe (present in September, 57 caps), defenders present at the Copa America: Jusino (36 caps) and Sagredo (11 sel), without forgetting to mention Quinteros (injured) and Duran (0 sel, injury). In the midfield we note the absences of Montano (present in September), Vaca (injured), Villaroel (injured), Tomianovic (injured) without forgetting two boys called up to play in the Copa America this summer, Justiniano (54 caps ) and Saucedo (26 capes), by choice of the coach. Author of 7 goals for the selection, striker Ramallo (41 caps) was also not called up.

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Ecuador was very close to knocking out the Albiceleste in the quarter-finals of the last Copa America but it was without counting on an excellent Emiliano Martinez during the penalty shootout. The Ecuadorians therefore had to quickly move on to something else, in September for example with a new round of qualifying matches for the next World Cup but the rally got off to a bad start with a defeat against the pitiful Brazilian selection 1-0 and a victory to pride against Peru 1-0. In the standings, Tri is in fourth place in these qualifiers with 11 points in 8 games, better than Brazil for comparison, 5th with 10 points.

 Paraguay also participated in the Copa America this summer and the result was more or less expected with an elimination from the group stage with three defeats in as many matches against Colombia 2-1, a volley conceded against Brazil 1-4 and lastly against Costa Rica 2-1. Back in business in these qualifiers for the next World Cup in September, the Paraguayans achieved the unthinkable by taking 1 point against Uruguay away 0-0 and winning a shock against Brazil on the most small score 1-0, or 4 points against the big names of the continent.

For this gathering, the Parisian Pacho and the Lensois Chavez are present like the important defender of Bayer Leverkusen, Hincapié. Pervis Estupinan (Brighton), Preciado (Sparta Prague), Porozo (Leganes), Yeboah (Venezia), Jeremy Sarmiento (Burnley), and obviously Caicedo (Chelsea) are all playing at a high level in their respective teams. In the offensive sector, we note the presence of three major players from the Jupiler League Kévin Rodriguez (Union Saint-Gilloise), Angulo (Anderlecht), and Valencia (0 selection). Note, however, that goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez (78 caps) was not called up by choice while defender Cristian Ramirez (Ferencvaros) remains injured like midfielder Miranda (Club Bruges). Jordy Caicedo (3 goals in 17 caps) was not called up. A lot of players present for the Copa America were not recalled by the coach between the September and October break.

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Iraq is uncompromising in these qualifiers having won its six matches in the 2nd round and starting again in this last qualifying round with a victory on the first day at the expense of Oman 1-0 and going seek the point of the draw ten against eleven for 83 minutes on the Kuwait side 0-0. The last defeat for the locals in the evening dates back to the end of January, in the 1/8th final of the Asian Cup against Jordan in a 2-3 lunar match. Clearly, in the first eight qualifying matches, the Iraqis defended a tough record of seven victories for a draw, which is not negligible. On the other hand, Palestine did not have the luxury of starting off with a bang in being first held in check by South Korea 0-0, which remains an excellent result against a top team on the continent, and subsequently beaten by Jordan 1-3.

If we take into account the last two days of the 2nd round, the Palestinians are riding a difficult dynamic of four games without a victory following their heavy correction in Australia 5-0 and their parity score for the reception of Lebanon 0-0 . Very clearly, to at least hope for the roadblocks, Palestine must win this evening in hostile territory.

The Lions of Mesopotamia will not be able to count on the important Prutos (19 sel), Rashid (38 capes), Iqbal (Utrecht, 13 sel), Al-Saed (Heerenveen, 5 sel), Qasim (24 capes), and the Ipswich striker Ali Al-Hamadi (3 goals in 14 caps) all injured. On the other hand, with 28 and 20 goals in the international jersey, Aymen Hussein (4 goals in the 2nd round) and Mohanad Ali (2 pawns in the 3rd round) will be present to try to make the difference in this meeting like Jasim (Calcio Como) without forgetting the executives Attwan (4 goals in 78 caps), Yasin (6 pawns in 66 caps), or even Ibrahim Bayesh (6 goals in 56 caps). For this score, central defender Sulaka will serve his expulsion received against Kuwait in just seven minutes on the field.

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Oman has still not unlocked its points counter in this last qualifying round following its two defeats in Iraq 1-0 and for the reception of a big name from the continent, South Korea 1-3. These two setbacks somewhat break the good momentum of the locals who finished first in the 2nd round with a total of 13 points in 6 days and above all a sensational goal average of 11 goals scored for only 2 conceded. Note that this selection participated in the last edition of the Asian Cup but was eliminated in the group stage. Kuwait has still not won in this 3rd round but has the merit of not having lost either with two points shared in September against Iraq 0-0 and Jordan away 1-1.

The match against Iraq, on the other hand, is a little more annoying since the Iraqis played ten against eleven from the 7th minute of play, so we could think of losing two points on the Kuwait side. During the 2nd qualifying round, we had to wait until the 6th day to qualify following a victory against Afghanistan at home 1-0 in order to take 2nd place, far behind Qatar. 

Excluded against Iraq, starting midfielder Arshad Al Alawi (7 goals in 46 caps) therefore served his suspension during J2 and will be back in the ranks this evening. Author of 3 goals in the 2nd round, Al Mushaifri (4 goals in 16 caps) will be present like Al-Sabhi (11 goals in 45 caps), Al-Ghassani (12 pawns in 57 caps) or still midfielders Al-Saadi (91 selections), Al-Yahmadi (4 goals in 71 caps), without forgetting Al-Yahyaei (9 goals in 59 caps). It is no surprise that all the players called for this course play within the national championship in different formations.

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Double reigning Asian champion after having won the Asian Cup again last January, Qatar would like to return to the World Cup in 2026 . Eliminated in the first round of its World Cup in 2022, this team on the other hand perfectly negotiated the 2nd phase of qualifications by finishing at the top of their group ahead of Kuwait, India and Afghanistan. On the other hand, last month, the Garnets missed their debut in this group. Beaten from the start by the United Arab Emirates 1-3, they then had to settle for a draw against North Korea 2-2. For its part, Kyrgyzstan is undoubtedly the surprise guest of this 3rd qualifying phase for the next World Cup.

This team, ranked 106th in the FIFA rankings, was eliminated in the first round of the Asian Cup last January, finishing last in its group behind Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Oman, but then snatched the title. 2nd place in its group during the previous qualifying phase, behind Oman but just ahead of Malaysia and Taiwan. The White Falcons, on the other hand, showed their limits last month by losing against Iran 1-0 and Uzbekistan 2-3 .

The entire group that makes up this Qatar team plays in the relatively weak domestic championship and is therefore very little known to the general public. Only the young Al-Hassan is an exception since he plays in the 4th Spanish division. As for the players to follow, we can still mention captain Akram Afif who scored 38 goals in 114 caps. This is still worse than the top scorer Almoez Ali who also scored 55 goals in 144 caps.

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Saudi Arabia is emerging following the arrival of many stars in its local championship "Saudi Pro League" and is campaigning to obtain the rights to the 2030 World Cup. At present, we cannot yet talk of a top world level selection although it participated in the previous edition of the World Cup in Qatar , notably defeating Argentina in the opening, crowned at the end of the tournament. Engaged in the Asian Cup at the start of the year, the Saudis were finally eliminated quite early in the competition by the South Koreans, at the round of 16 stage, after the penalty shootout. Qualified to play this 3rd round, we can also recall that Saudi Arabia did not manage to finish first in its group during the 2nd round behind Jordan with 13 points each but a goal average lower than the Jordanians. In this 3rd round, the former selection led by Hervé Renard was padlocked by a weak Indonesian opposition at home 1-1 but resplendent against China on the road in the process victory 1-2 at ten against eleven for more than a hour of play.

Unlike Saudi Arabia, Japan set up a project a few years ago now and respects it to the letter and the results are starting to pay off, notably during the 2022 World Cup where the Japanese selection accessed the round of 16, which is clearly not nothing on a CV with an elimination against Croatia after a fateful 1-1 penalty shootout after extra time. From now on, the Japanese hope to qualify again for the next world championship in 2026 and they quite simply achieved a perfect in the 2nd round by gleaning 18 points out of 18 possible, i.e. six victories in six matches and left on the same bases in this 3rd tour with two successes in two matches against China 7-0 , and manita sauce against Bahrain 0-5. 

As we said above, the Saudi League is booming following the massive arrivals of stars playing in the best European championships . The first of them to have made the move to Arabia is obviously called Cristiano Ronaldo. For example, of the 28 players called up for this October training course, only three play outside the local championship, these are the defender of AS Roma, Abdulhamid (38 sel), and midfielders of Beerschot (Belgium) Faisal Al-Ghamdi (9 caps) and Al-Sahafi (1 small cap to his credit, 20 years old). Author of 4 goals in the 2nd qualifying round, Al Shehri (Al-Ittihad, 15 goals in selection and partner of Benzema) responded favorably to the coach's call as did Feras Al Brikan (9 goals in 43 caps) and the executives Nasser Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal, 23 goals in 88 games), Al-Malki (34 caps), and Al-Nassr midfielders and teammates of Portuguese legend Ronaldo , Ghareeb (3 goals in 30 games) and Al -Khaibari (23 capes). On the other hand, present in September for the first salvo, the goalkeeper Al-Owais (58 sel) was not called up, the same for Al-Amri (injured), for Al-Muwallad (17 goals in 80 caps), Ali ( 13 sel), and the attacker Al-Hamdan (Al-Hilal, 5 pawns in selection).

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8th finalist in the last Asian Cup, the United Arab Emirates are aiming for a spot in the World Cup play-offs at least, if not better, to qualify directly for the most beautiful international competition. Faced with Qatar during the first day, UAE escaped the Qatari trap by winning on the road 1-3 but failed to confirm at home for the reception of Iran 0-1 defeat. During the 2nd round of qualifying, the evening locals took 1st place, far ahead of Bahrain with a total of 16 points, i.e. 5 victories and 1 draw.

 North Korea had much less success in the first two matches in September with a narrow defeat against Uzbekistan on the road 1-0 and a parity score against Asian Cup winners Qatar 2- 2 also returning to the mark in this meeting. In August, this North Korean selection participated in two friendly matches against Jordan for a record that was also fraudulent with a 2-1 defeat in the wake of a 0-0 draw two days earlier. In the 2nd round of qualifying, with 9 points, North Korea finished well behind the Japanese who won their six matches.

It's no secret to announce that the majority of players called to defend the selection play in the country in the different teams (Al-Wasl, Al Wahda, Al Jazira, etc.). Note, however, the summons of the goalkeeper belonging to Wolverhampton, Adli Mohamed (no selection to his credit). It is captain Eisa (79 caps) who should occupy the bars this evening. With 45 and 29 caps to their credit, Al-Hammadi and Al-Attas are the most capped defenders on the list while in the middle we find boys like Ali Salmeen (3 goals in 62 caps), and Al-Zaabi ( 32 capes). Fabio Lima (12 goals in 31 caps), Caio Canedo (9 goals in 45 caps), Ali Saleh (6 goals in 40 caps) and even Abdalla and Al Ghassani (5 goals each in caps) are well operational for this course. However, this is not the case for midfielder Abbas (7 caps, choice), for attacker Badr (3 caps, choice), and for defender Al-Hashemi (16 caps, choice).

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Present among the elite during the last Nations League, the Czechia performed poorly in its group and finished in last place, ahead of Spain, Portugal and Switzerland. Demoted to League B, Tomas Soucek's teammates obviously hope to move up this year. Severely beaten in Georgia during the first day 4-1, they reacted three days later by taking over Ukraine. This allows them to occupy 3rd place in group 1 with the same number of points as the 2nd, who will be invited to an accession jump-off. Present at Euro 2024, the Czechs did not perform well. With 1 point taken in 3 matches, they finished last in their group and therefore did not reach the round of 16.

During the previous edition of the Nations League, Albania took advantage of Russia's withdrawal to remain in League B. However, the results were insufficient against Israel and Iceland: 2 draws and 2 defeats. Eager to do better this year, the men from the Balkans got off to a good start last September with a victory against Ukraine who do not play at home 1-2. On the other hand, they lost at home to Georgia on the 2nd day 0-1. Present at Euro 2024, Albania did not create any feat and finished last in a very competitive group made up of Spain, Italy and Croatia with 1 draw and 2 defeats.

For the Czech Republic, we must mention the absences, forced or by choice, of defender Hranac (Hoffenheim, 7 sel), midfielder Matej Jurasek (Slavia Prague) and striker Schick (Leverkusen, 20 goals in 42 sel). Furthermore, as since Euro 2024, boys like David Jurasek (Hoffenheim, 11 sel), Barak (Kasimpasa, 11 goals in 44 sel), Sadilek (Twente, 24 sel) and Chytil (Slavia Prague, 6 goals in 17 sel) are not summoned. The Hammers Coufal (West Ham, 47 sel) and Soucek (West Ham, 14 goals in 74 sel) are, however, well present. Author of a double against Ukraine in September, winger Sulc (Plzen, 2 goals in 6 seasons) could be renewed. On the Albanian side, senior defender Djimsiti (Atalanta, 61 sel), midfielders Medon Berisha (Lecce, 3 sel) and Bare (Zaragoza, 29 sel) and attackers Manaj (Sivasspor, 8 goals in 39 sel) and Broja (Everton , 5 goals in 23 sel) are forced to forfeit.

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The Estonian selection is obviously not considered a top team in Europe but hopes at least to remain in Nations League C. However, this adventure got off to a very bad start following two defeats in September against Slovakia 0-1 and Sweden immediately moved 3-0. Failing to have participated in the Euro, the Estonians allowed themselves to win the Baltic Cup against the Faroes 4-1 and Lithuania in the TAB final. If we exclude these two successes, Estonia remains on a series of eight defeats in all competitions and above all on 16 matches without a victory.

Finally, we have the same speech for the Azerbaijanis who will try to save their place in League C but still at Like Estonia, they lost their first two matches in the competition against Sweden at home 1-3 and Slovakia away 2-0. It doesn't seem like much, but this Azerbaijani selection showed a pretty face during the qualifiers by scoring a total of 7 points in 8 matches and notably 7 goals scored, almost an average of one goal per match in a group still made up of the Belgium, Sweden and Austria. Estonia was also there.

The number 10 and usual holder, Kevor Palumets will be suspended for this meeting which remains a given and above all a significant loss for Estonia. Injured with Flora Tallinn, scorer Sappinen (12 goals in 55 caps) will be absent for the entire gathering. His club partner Lepik (10 caps) is also injured while as a reminder, the centenarians Klavan (130 caps) and Vassiljev (26 goals in 158 caps) retired internationally in 2024. Only two players on the list have succeeded to bring their talents to major championships like the Real Valladolid goalkeeper, Hein (32 caps) and the Mets captain (St. Pauli, 96 caps) who therefore plays in the Bundesliga throughout the year.

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A nice surprise from the previous edition of the Nations League A, Hungary defied all predictions to take 2nd place in their group, behind Italy but ahead of Germany and England. However, the task promises to be more complicated this year. Indeed, the Magyars showed serious limitations during the first two days played last September. Severely beaten in Germany to start 5-0, they then conceded, at home, sharing points against the most affordable opponent in the group, Bosnia-Herzegovina 0-0. Arriving with confidence to play Euro 2024 this summer, Hungary ultimately quickly became disillusioned. Dominik Szoboszlai's teammates first suffered the law of Switzerland 1-3 and Germany 0-2. The 1-0 victory against Scotland on the last day gave them 3rd place in the group but it was not enough to qualify for the round of 16.

Unhappy finalists in the 2019 Nations League and semi-finalists in the previous edition, the Netherlands have become accustomed to doing well in this competition. This year, the Oranje once again intend to advance to the knockout stages. They also got off to a good start in Group 3 after clearly dominating Bosnia-Herzegovina 5-2 and holding off Germany at home three days later 2-2. During Euro 2024, the Netherlands did not impress many people during the group stage 3rd behind Austria and France. On the other hand, Ronald Koeman's men showed a better appearance afterwards. They dismissed Romania in the 8th 3-0 and Turkey in the quarter 2-1 before falling to England in the semi following a goal conceded at the very end of the game 1-2.

Not called up since the Euro, the experienced defenders Lang (Omonia Nicosia, 70 sel) and Fiola (Ujpest, 59 sel) are still absent, as is midfielder Styles (West Bromwich). In addition, the important defender Szalai (Hoffenheim, 46 sel) and midfielder Kleinheisler (Panathinaikos, 53 sel) have not sufficiently recovered from their physical problems. Finally, striker Gazdag (Philadelphia, 4 goals in 26 seasons) was present during the last meeting but not this time. Hungary relies heavily on its captain Szoboszlai (Liverpool, 12 goals in 47 seasons). He could still form the attacking trio with Sallai (Galatasaray, 13 goals in 54 games) and Varga (Ferencvaros, 7 goals in 16 games). In defense, Orban (Leipzig, 50 sel) acts as captain in front of the experienced goalkeeper Gulacsi (Leipzig, 58 sel).

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2nd in its Nations League B group during the previous edition, Iceland hopes to fight for promotion but will also have to remain vigilant because relegation is possible. Last September, the Northerners started this new campaign well by taking over Montenegro 2-0 but then lost in Türkiye 3-1. They thus occupy 3rd place in group 4, synonymous with the relegation play-off, with 1 point behind 2nd place, qualifying for an accession play-off. Absent from the last two major international competitions, Johann Berg Gudmundsson's teammates have been struggling for some time. During qualifying for Euro 2024, they showed their difficulties by only finishing 4th in Group J with 10 points taken in as many matches. Subsequently, Iceland won against Israel 1-4 before losing the final play-off against Ukraine 1-2. During the last Nations League, Wales failed to reach the level of League A and finished bottom of its group made up of the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland.

Back in League B this year, the British intend to play the climb. They also got off to a good start in September with a point preserved against Turkey 0-0 and a success in Montenegro 1-2. Beaten in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, Wales then narrowly missed qualifying for Euro 2024. The partners of former Rennais Joe Rodon had to settle for 3rd place in the group. D in the qualifiers, behind Turkey and Croatia but ahead of Armenia and Latvia. Qualified for the play-offs, they easily dominated Finland 4-1 before falling to Poland 0-0, elimination following penalties.

For Iceland, we must mention the absence of the interesting striker Gudmundsson (Fiorentina, 10 goals in 37 seasons) who has not appeared in the national team since last March. Added to this is the withdrawal of the promising Haraldsson (Lille, 3 goals in 19 sels) and the non-calls of Bjarnason (HamKam, 17 sels), Arnor Sigurdsson (Blackburn, 34 sels) and Julius Magnusson (Fredikstad, 5 sels). ), all of whom were present at the last gathering. Scorer against Montenegro during the first day of the Nations League, striker Oskarsson (Real Sociedad, 3 goals in 10 sels) is in competition with Gudjohnsen (La Gantoise, 6 goals in 26 sels) to start up front. Holders in September, the experienced Gudmundsson (Al-Orobah, 8 goals in 95 seasons) and Gylfi Sigurdsson (Valur, 27 goals in 82 seasons) are available.

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Eighth finalist of the last edition of the Euro, exited by England 2-1 after extra time with a scissor from Bellingham in the 90th minute to put the two teams on a tie, Slovakia remained in the continuity of its beautiful European competition by winning its first two Nations League matches against Estonia on the road 0-1 and without forcing at home to receive Azerbaijan 2-0. Very clearly, with the Swedes, the Slovaks are the favorites of this group and 1st place or even promotion could already be decided this evening. The misstep at home could prove fatal. It is therefore not worth repeating but Sweden, although not qualified for the Euro this summer, remains the favorite with its evening opponent to reach League B during the next edition.

Like Slovakia, the Swedes, led by the incredible Viktor Gyökeres, settled their first two equations by defeating Azerbaijan on the road 1-3 and Estonia at home with absolute ease 3-0. Before these two matches, the quarter-finalist of the 2018 World Cup in Russia suffered two defeats in June in friendly matches against Serbia 0-3 and Denmark 2-1.

Scorer in September, the important Duda (Hellas Verona) obviously responded to the coach's call like the replacement now at PSG, Milan Skriniar (74 sel), midfielder Lobotka (Naples) without forgetting the scorer Strelec (Slovan Bratislava, 4 goals in 9 league games this season) or Hancko (Feyenoord), the central Obert (Cagliari), and the wingers Suslov (Hellas Verona) and Haraslin (Sparta Prague, 3 goals, 2 pancakes in the league ). On the other hand, note the absence due to injury of the important midfielder Kucka (Slovan Bratislava). Author of 3 goals and 2 assists in the competition in just two matches, Gyökeres (11 goals in 8 league matches with Sporting this season) will be traveling on the Swedish side like Strasbourg crack Nanasi (4 sel), Lille's Gudmundsson (8 caps), captain Lindelöf (Man United), Krafth (Newcastle), without forgetting to mention the young talent 18-year-old Bergvall (Tottenham) and his club partner, Kulusevski (3 goals in 41 caps).

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Winner of its Nations League C group during the previous edition, Turkey is present in League B this year. Hakan Calhanoglu's teammates made an excellent start last September, which allows them to consider a rise to the elite. They are now group leaders with a good point taken in Wales 0-0 and an important victory against Iceland 3-1. Present in Germany this summer to compete in Euro 2024, Turkey has confirmed its current good arrangements. 2nd in Group F, behind Portugal but ahead of Georgia and the Czech Republic, Vincenzo Montella's men then made their way to the quarter-final. They first dominated Austria 2-1 before closing their journey against the Netherlands 1-2.

During the last Nations League, Montenegro had to work hard but retained its place in League B by finishing 3rd in its group with the same number of points as the red lantern, Romania. Maintaining remains the objective of the men of the Balkans this year. Unfortunately, last September, they showed real shortcomings by losing their 2 matches played in Iceland 2-0 and against Wales 1-2. Never qualified for the slightest international competition in its history, Montenegro on the other hand did not do poorly during the qualifiers for Euro 2024. Stefan Jovetic's partners finished in 3rd place in group G with 3 units of expenditure on the 2nd, which would have allowed them to stamp their ticket to Germany.

For Turkey, several elements were forced to withdraw. This is the case of defenders Soyuncu (Fenerbahce, 56 sel), Kabak (Hoffenheim, 26 sel) and Ozkacar (Valladolid, 9 sel) as well as the young goalkeeper Alemdar (Rennes, 2 sel). Furthermore, midfielder Ozcan (Wolfsburg, 22 sel) and winger Cengiz Under (Fenerbahce, 16 goals in 51 sel) were not called up, nor was young Can Uzun (18 years old, Frankfurt, 1 sel) . Sent off during the first day of the Nations League, striker Yilmaz (Galatasaray, 2 goals in 21 seasons) is available again this Friday. Prodigies Arda Guler (Real Madrid, 2 goals in 14 seasons) and Kenan Yildiz (Juventus, 1 goal in 14 seasons) are also applying, as is winger Akturkoglu (Benfica, 9 goals in 36 seasons), who scored a hat-trick against Iceland. Also note the presence of executives Demiral (Al-Ahli, 49 sel) and Calhanoglu (Inter, 19 goals in 92 sel).

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Close to promotion to the elite during the last Nations League, Ukraine finally finished just behind the leader, Scotland. This year, Sergey Rebrov's men got off to a very bad start last September. Last in the standings, they lost their two matches against Albania 1-2 and Czechia 3-2. A reaction is expected during this rally 3 points behind 2nd place. Due to the crisis in his country, the selection is not playing at home at the moment. Present at Euro 2024, Ukraine did well in a group which included Romania, Belgium and Slovakia and where everyone finished with 4 points. Unfortunately, a poorer goal difference gave him last place and therefore prevented him from seeing the 8th finals.

Carried by one of the most beautiful generations in its history, Georgia is riding a very good dynamic at the moment. During the previous edition of the Nations League, Willy Sagnol's men easily won the promotion to League B. Last September, they took the lead in this group 1 with successes against the Czech Republic 4-1 and Albania three days later. These results confirm the attractive face displayed during Euro 2024. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's teammates made history by leaving the groups thanks to their 3rd place acquired behind Portugal and Turkey but ahead of the Czech Republic. They were then stopped by the future winner, Spain, in the round of 16 1-4.

For Ukraine, missing goalkeeper Lunin (Real Madrid, 13 sel), full-backs Zinchenko (Arsenal, 9 goals in 68 sel) and Mykolenko (Everton, 44 sel), midfielders Pikhalyonok (Dynamo kyiv, 10 sel) and Brazhko (Dynamo Kiev, 8 sel) as well as wingers Tsygankov (Girona, 13 goals in 57 sel) and Yarmolenko (Dynamo kyiv, 46 goals in 124 sel). In the cages, takes place the goalkeeper Trubin (Benfica, 15 sel). The central hinge could still be made up of the solid Zabarnyi (Bournemouth, 41 sel) and Matviienko (Shakhtar Donetsk, 70 sel). To start up front, Dovbyk (Roma, 10 goals in 31 sel) and Yaremchuk (Olympiakos, 16 goals in 55 sel) are in the balance. Winger Mudryk (Chelsea, 2 goals in 24 seasons) is also available. Present at Georgia's last rally, defenders Azarovi (Shakhtar Donetsk, 18 years) and Tabidze (Makhachkala, 15 years) are missing this season.

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Having struggled during the last edition of the Nations League during which it finished in last place in its League C group without the slightest victory in 6 matches, Belarus has already done better after the first two days . Indeed, the 97th nation in the Fifa ranking has already collected 4 points in this group thanks to its draw against Bulgaria and, above all, thanks to its 0-1 victory in Luxembourg last month. His first success since last November in all competitions. Following these good starts, Belarus took control of this group 3 of League C. Northern Ireland, for its part, has never really been able to confirm the great promises displayed during the last decade, when she was able to participate in Euro 2016 in France in particular.

It's more complicated now for the British who are no longer really able to do well during the various qualifying campaigns for major international tournaments. In this group, Northern Ireland started with a victory against a disappointing Luxembourg team 2-0 but then lost to Bulgaria 1-0, thus finding themselves in 3rd place in the group. this hen.

Very logically, the group of this Belarusian team is practically unknown to the general public since a large part of the players called up play in the country or in formations of the various Eastern European championships, in Russia or in Kazkhstan in particular. Among the players to remember, we can find the experienced defender Martynovich (77 sels), the midfielders Ebong (40 sels, 5 goals) and Yablonsky (38 sels, 3 goals) and the striker Antilevsky (Hapoel Haifa) who scored 2 times in 15 capes. Conversely, captains such as Lisakovitch (Rubin Kazan, 21 sels, 5 goals), who is undoubtedly the best player on this team, or Morozov (Arouca, 13 sels, 2 goals) are not there this week. Among the visitors, a large number of Northern Irish players wear the colors of English clubs, most often in the Championship.

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Bulgaria has not scared anyone on the European scene for several years. It also delivered an absolutely catastrophic qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 during which it took last place in its group behind Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro and especially Lithuania without achieving the slightest success in 8 matches. That said, the Lions seem to have found some bite at the start of the Nations League. If they started with a draw in Belarus 0-0, they were able to overcome Northern Ireland, a few days later, to be in the fight for 1st place in this group. Conversely, Luxembourg seemed to show quite a bit of progress in recent years.

The players from the Duchy had indeed had a very good qualifying campaign for Euro 2024, taking 3rd place in their group behind Portugal and Slovakia but ahead of Iceland, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Liechtenstein. Since then, however, it has been a little more complicated for the Red Lions who have suffered 4 defeats in a row in all competitions. Beaten by France 3-0 and Belgium 3-0 last June, they were also dominated by Northern Ireland 2-0 and Belarus 0-1 in their first 2 matches in this group last month.

Bulgaria has in its ranks some elements who play in fairly large European championships. We can indeed cite defenders Antov (Cremonese) and Nürnberger (Darmstadt) and midfielders Chochev (Ludogorets), Krastev (PEC Zwolle) and Kostadinov (APOEL). The local coach can also rely on the services of his captain and top scorer Despodov (PAOK Salonika) who has already scored 15 goals in 51 caps. On the other hand, defenders Nedyalkob (Ludogorets, 29 sel) and Hristov (Spezia), midfielders Gruev (Leeds) and Nedelev (Ludogorets, 44 sel) and striker Delev (Ludogorets, 47 sel, 5 goals) are all injured and so they had to give up for this gathering. Luxembourg, for its part, cannot count on the very experienced defender Gerson (98 sel), who must forfeit just like the important midfielder Olivier Thill (43 sel).

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While it is one of the teams accustomed to going far in various international competitions, Croatia completely missed the point last June during the Euro. The Vatreni in fact took the door in the first round with 2 small points taken in 3 matches following their defeat against Spain 3-0 and the draws conceded against Albania 2-2 and Italy 1-1 . Shaken by this failure, the Croatians were unable to react for their debut in this League of Nations by logically losing to Portugal 2-1. But they were finally able to get their minds back in place by winning against Poland 1-0 to open their account in this competition. Like Croatia, Scotland did not show themselves in their best light during the European Championship at the end of last season.

Heavily beaten from the start by Germany 5-1, the British were then able to take their only point of the competition by holding off Switzerland 1-1 before losing at the very end of the match against Hungary 0-1. The Tartan Army has so far been unable to raise its head since this poor performance since in September, it experienced 2 new affronts for its debut in this League of Nations. Beaten at home by Poland 2-3, Scotland was then unable to recover on the ground of Portugal 2-1.

Some important elements of this Croatian team are not there for this gathering. The experienced Vida (105 sel) and Brozovic (99 sel) hung up after the Euro while the precious Stanisic (Bayern Munich), Juranovic (Union Berlin) and Majer (Wolfsburg) are injured. On the other hand, the emblematic Modric (Real Madrid, 180 caps, 27 goals) is still there. This is also the case of the indispensable Kovacic (Manchester City, 106 sel), Gvardiol (Manchester Cityà and Pasalic (Atalanta, 68 sel) and the attackers Perisic (PSV Eindhoven, 136 sel, 33 goals), Kramaric (Hoffenheim, 98 sel , 29 goals) and Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb, 41 sel, 11 goals) Also note the presence of Lyon defender Caleta-Car. Scotland also deplores several absences since the very important McKenna (Las Palmas, 39 sel) and McGinn.

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Cyprus is far from being among the best football nations of the Old Continent, as its record in major international competitions attests. Indeed, this team has never been able to qualify for a tournament like the World Cup or the Euro in its entire history and it does not really seem able to achieve it in the short or medium term. Dominating Lithuania for their entry into this group, the Cypriots on the other hand completely sank a few days later against Kosovo 0-4. Romania, for its part, is much more imposing on the international scene.

She has proven it again in recent months by participating in Euro 2024 where she was able to reach the 1/8 finals where she had on the other hand eaten a soapbox against very good Netherlands 0-3 . Despite this rather brutal elimination, the Tricolores did not get discouraged and they got off to a very good start in a group that seems largely up to their standards. Mercilessly defeating Kosovo 0-3, the Romanians were then able to follow up a few days later by beating Lithuania 3-1 and moving to the top of the standings with 6 points on the clock.

In Cyprus, the vast majority of players summoned for this gathering wear the colors of local teams such as Omonia Nicosia or Apollon Limassol in particular. That said, we find a few elements who went to try their luck abroad. This is particularly the case of goalkeeper Moll (Servette FC), the very good defender Ioannou (Sampdoria), midfielder Kastanos (Hellas Verona) and striker Gavriel (Zulte Waregem). The attackers Pittas (AIK), decisive during the first day against Lithuania, and especially Sotiriou (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), author of 12 goals in 60 caps, are also available. On the Romanian side, many players called for this gathering are members of local teams.

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Like its Baltic neighbors like Estonia and Latvia, Lithuania is far from being a football benchmark on a European scale. It has also never been able to participate in any international competition since its independence from the USSR in the early 1990s. Already finishing last in their League C group during the last Nations League in 2022, the Tricolores are already in difficulty in this group. They were indeed beaten by Cyprus 0-1 and by Romania 3-1 in their first matches played last month.

For their part, Kosovo is trying to make a name for itself on the European and world football scene. This small Balkan nation quickly established itself as a team capable of playing against the big teams even if it has never yet been able to qualify for a major international competition. In this group, the Dardanëts started with a big defeat suffered at home against Romania but they were largely able to react by winning on the field of Cyprus 0-4.

This Lithuanian team is mainly made up of players completely unknown to the general public, most of whom play in the country, or in second-rate Eastern European championships. The real hope of this team remains the young midfielder Gineitis who wears the colors of Torino and who has 14 caps at only 20 years old. The top scorer of this team is the fairly experienced midfielder Cernych who has scored 15 goals in 93 caps. The Kosovo squad is much more competitive.

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As in 2021, Poland failed to shine during the last Euro by finishing in last position in its group and taking the door in the first round. His only feat of arms to note is his draw against the Blues on the last day 1-1. Unfortunately for them, the Eagles were already eliminated even before the start of this game after losing to the Netherlands 1-2 then to Austria 1-3. Last month, Robert Lewandowski's partners, on the other hand, ideally launched their journey in this Nations League by winning in Scotland 2-3. On the other hand, Poland then had to surrender on the field of Croatia 1-0.

On the other hand, Portugal experienced a new disappointment last June. Yet considered one of the best teams in the competition on paper, this selection was eliminated on penalties in the quarter-final of the Euro by the French team after a very close match. Before that, the Lusitanians had finished at the top of a group which included Turkey, Georgia and the Czech Republic and they had eliminated Slovenia, on penalties, in the 1/8 final. Still under the orders of Roberto Martinez, the Seleçao, however, ensured in its first two Nations League matches by dominating Croatia 2-1 and Scotland 2-1.

A few elements are missing for this Polish team. Starting with the goalkeeper Szczesny (Barcelona, ​​84 sel) and the former Rennais Grosicki (94 sel, 17 goals) who left the selection after the Euro. Striker Milik (Juventus, 73 selections, 17 goals) is still injured along with full-back Cash (Aston Villa). However, the White Eagles are still led by their captain and star scorer Lewandowski (Barcelona, ​​154 caps, 84 goals) who is having an excellent start to the club season. Among the executives, we also find defenders Bednarek (Southampton, 62 sel) and Kiwior (Arsenal, 27 sel), midfielders Zielinski (Inter, 95 sel, 12 goals), Frankowski (Lens, 46 sel), Moder (Brighton) and Urbanski (Bologna) and striker Piatek (Istanbul Basaksehir, 12 goals in 31 sels). Portugal approaches this gathering without its goalkeeper Rui Patricio (Atalanta, 108 sels), the full-back Cancelo (Al Hilal, 58 sels, 10 goals) , midfielders Danilo (Al-Ittihad) and Nunus (City) and striker Francisco Conceiçao (Juventus), all dismissed by Roberto Martinez.

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Dominant in its Nations League B group during the previous edition, Serbia punched its ticket to League A. The men from the Balkans logically expect to suffer this year and today occupy 3rd place in the ranking with 3 disbursement units in 2nd place. Last September, they began their campaign by holding off Spain 0-0 at home before losing to Denmark three days later 2-0. Present at Euro 2024 this summer, Serbia did not shine on German soil. Stefan Mitrovic's teammates finished last in Group C, behind England, Denmark and Slovenia, 2 points taken in 3 games. Already present among the elite during the last Nations League, Switzerland had to settle for 3rd place in its group behind Spain and Portugal.

It should still be noted that the Nati did not finish so far from qualifying for the last four, 2 points behind the leader. Last September, Murat Yakin's men, on the other hand, got off to a bad start in this new campaign. They are now last following losses conceded to Denmark 2-0 and against Spain 1-4. During Euro 2024, Switzerland showed a very attractive face. Beaten by Germany in Group A, the Nati then dismissed Italy in the 8th 2-0 before falling, in cruel fashion, against England in the quarter-final 1-1, elimination following penalties .

Present during the last rally, goalkeeper Petrovic (Strasbourg, 3rd team) was not called up this time. This is also the case for midfielders Belic (AZ Alkmaar, 2 sel) and Mitrovic (Louvain, 4 sel) or, more surprisingly, striker Vlahovic (Juventus, 13 goals in 30 sel). We must also not forget the withdrawals of defenders Terzic (Salzburg, 6 sel) and Veljkovic (Werder Bremen, 33 sel) and midfielder Milinkovic-Savic (Al Hilal, 9 goals in 54 sel) as well as the international retirement of the leader Tadic (Fenerbahce, 23 goals in 111 games). All starters during the first two days of this Nations League, goalkeeper Rajkovic (Al-Ittihad, 37 sel), defenders Milenkovic (Nottingham Forest, 58 sel) and Pavlovic (AC Milan, 40 sel), midfielders Ilic (Torino , 21 sel) and Lukic (Fulham, 51 sel) and the attackers Samardzic (Atalanta, 13 sel) and Jovic (AC Milan, 11 goals in 40 sel) are there. Only coming into play during the last rally, the goleador Mitrovic (Al Hilal, 58 goals in 94 sel) is still in the group. Expelled during the 1st day of the League of Nations, the defender Elvedi (Monchengladbach, 54 sel) and the captain Xhaka (Leverkusen, 131 sel) are suspended and have therefore not been summoned. Furthermore, winger Ndoye (Bologna, 1 goal in 16 sel) is absent while former executives Sommer (Inter, 94 sel), Schär (Newcastle, 86 sel) and Shaqiri (Basel, 32 goals in 125 sel) have retired internationally after Euro 2024.

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On cloud nine since the arrival on the bench of Luis de la Fuente at the end of the 2022 World Cup, Spain has won titles. In its still characteristic style, La Roja has added a lot of verticality to its game. This notably allowed it to win the last Nations League in June 2023. Last summer, Lamine Yamal's teammates even triumphed at the Euro 2024. Leaders of their group, they then dominated Georgia in the 8th 4-1, Germany in the quarter 2-1 after extra time, France in the semi 2-1 and England in the final 2-1. Crowned with its title of European champion, Spain began this new edition of the Nations League last September with the intention of retaining its crown. Held in check in Serbia to start 0-0, La Roja then won in style in Switzerland three days later 1-4.

2nd in its Nations League group during the previous edition, Denmark narrowly missed qualification for the last square 1 point behind Croatia. This year, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's teammates got off to an excellent start during the last meeting. Indeed, they occupy the head of group 4 following victories obtained, at home each time, against Switzerland 2-0 and Serbia 2-0. Present at Euro 2024 this summer, Denmark, despite fairly lackluster performances, held on to 2nd place in its group which included England, Slovenia and Serbia, 3 draws. The journey ended in the round of 16 against the host country, Germany 2-0.

On the Spanish side, several elements are forced to withdraw from this gathering. This is the case of goalkeeper Unai Simon (Bilbao, 46 ​​sel), defenders Carvajal (Real Madrid, 51 sel) and Le Normand (Atlético Madrid, 19 sel) as well as midfielders Rodri (Manchester City, 57 sel) and Dani Olmo (Barcelona, ​​11 goals in 40 sels), who all played a major role during Euro 2024. We also note the absences of Barcelona's Fermin Lopez (2 sels), Gavi (27 sels) and Ferran Torres (21 goals in 48 sel). On the other hand, the essential wingers Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, ​​3 goals in 16 sel) and Nico Williams (Bilbao, 4 goals in 22 sel) are there as is captain Morata (AC Milan, 36 goals in 80 sel). The other executives Laporte (Al-Nassr, 37 sel), Fabian Ruiz (PSG, 31 sel) and Pedri (Barcelona, ​​26 sel) are there. For Switzerland, we can point out the absences of defenders Christensen (Barcelona, ​​74 sel) and Maehle (Wolfsburg, 11 goals in 49 sel) as well as midfielders Jensen (Brentford, 30 sel), Frendrup (Genoa, 1 sel) and O 'Riley (Brighton, 2nd).

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At best 4th in the 2020-2021 edition of the Nations League, Belgium approached the current international break with a 3-1 victory against Israel and a 2-0 defeat in France in this group phase of the competition. The Red Devils met in Italy on Thursday with the ambition of getting back into the green and making a good move in the rankings. This Monday they meet a French team which eliminated them in the round of 16 of the last Euro with a score of 1-0. Less flamboyant than in the last decade, the Belgian internationals hope to play in the Final Four of this Nations League but will above all do what is necessary to avoid finishing last in this group and therefore being relegated. There will remain two matches to play in November to close this group phase. The French team remained on a success against its opponent of the day 2-0 in September when preparing for this international window in October.

The Blues were keen to continue their momentum on Thursday against Israel, the group's most affordable opponent on paper, to now claim three victories against their Belgian neighbors. Didier Deschamps' squad also completed Euro 2024 played in Germany with an elimination in the semi-final against Spain, ultimately crowned 2-1. The game plan was, however, strongly criticized by French observers. It will take more from this Nations League campaign to approach the Final Four that France played and won in the 2020-2021 campaign. 

Belgium's golden generation has come to an end since E. Hazard, Lukaku and many others have finished with their football or national careers. Playing in Naples, Lukaku (85 goals in 119 seasons) was no longer called up by Domenico Tesdesco after Euro 2024. It should also be noted among the notable absentees the full-back Meunier (Lille, 67 years), the defender central Vertonghen (Anderlecht, 157 sel) who retired internationally after the Euro and playmaker De Bruyne (Manchester City, 30 goals in 107 sel) whose injury prevents him from participating in this gathering. Midfielder Onana (Aston Villa, 19th squad) was summoned but must forfeit. Among those present are central defenders Faes (Leicester, 21 caps) and Theate (Frankfurt, 20 caps) who passed through Ligue 1, executive midfielder Tielemans (Aston Villa, 72 caps), striker Trossard (Arsenal, 9 goals in 37 sel) or the neophyte Malick Fofana playing at Olympique Lyonnais. France must regenerate without its executives Griezmann (Atlético de Madrid, 44 goals in 137 caps) and Mbappé (Real Madrid, 48 goals in 86 caps). The first retired internationally before this gathering when Mbappé, who returned from injury, was not retained by Didier Deschamps.

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Estonia is not considered a top nation and even in League C and we can even say that it fell badly with Sweden and Slovakia. Furthermore, in September, the Estonians beat Sweden 3-0 and lost by the smallest of scores against Slovakia at home 0-1. Last Thursday, against Azerbaijan, Estonia was somewhat playing the game of remaining in this group to follow. A bit like Slovakia, Sweden will ride in this group and will probably play first place in the two clashes with the Slovaks.

Moreover, last Thursday took place the first duel between the two candidates to follow. In September, led by Viktor Gyökeres, Sweden made the coffee by winning twice against Estonia 3-0 and Azerbaijan 1-3. Two successes which were good for the start of the school year since, as a reminder, the Swedes lost twice against Serbia 0-3 and Denmark 2-1 in friendlies.

Injured, striker Sappinen (12 goals in 55 caps) and his club partner Lepik (10 caps) are injured and OUT while centenarians Klavan (130 caps) and Vassiljev (26 goals in 158 caps) have hung up their crampons for the selection . To talk about presences, let's talk about the Real Valladolid goalkeeper in La Liga, Hein (32 caps) and the Mets captain (St. Pauli, 96 caps) who therefore plays in the Bundesliga throughout the year. Author of 8 goals for the selection Käit (Rapid Bucharest) is very present like a centenarian named Zenjov (113 sels, 17 pawns) and Anier (23 goals in 96 caps).

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In September, Germany started this new Nations League campaign in a very good way by inflicting a real correction on Hungary 5-0 before taking a good point in the Netherlands three days later 2-2. Back at a very good level since the arrival on the bench of Julian Nagelsmann in September 2023, Germany showed great promise during Euro 2024 played on its soil. Jamal Musiala's teammates displayed one of the most attractive games of the competition. Leaders of their group, they then dismissed Denmark in the round of 16 2-0 before narrowly falling against the future winner, Spain, in the quarter 1-2 after extra time. During the last meeting, the Netherlands perfectly launched this new edition of the Nations League with a convincing success against Bosnia-Herzegovina 5-2 before sharing the points, at home, against Germany 2-2.

Present at Euro 2024 this summer, the Oranje blew hot and cold. Little to their advantage during the group stage, they had to settle for 3rd place, behind Austria and France. The Netherlands then rose to dominate Romania in the 8th 3-0 and Turkey in the quarter 2-1 before narrowly losing to England in the semi-final 1-2.

After Euro 2024, Germany opened a new chapter by taking note of the international retirements of Neuer (Bayern Munich), Kroos (retired), Gündogan (Manchester City) and Müller (Bayern Munich). Furthermore, for this gathering, it is necessary to mention the packages of the goalkeeper ter Stegen (Barcelona, ​​42 sel), the essential Musiala (Bayern Munich, 6 goals in 36 sel) as well as the attackers Havertz (Arsenal, 19 goals in 53 sel) and Füllkrug (West Ham, 14 goals in 22 sel). We also note the absences of full-back Raum (Leipzig, 26 sel), midfielder Can (Dortmund, 48 sel) and winger Sané (Bayern Munich, 13 goals in 65 sel). In the offensive sector, Wirtz (Leverkusen, 4 goals in 25 seasons) and Gnabry (Bayern Munich, 22 goals in 45 seasons) are expected to play a major role in this rally. Behind, we find captains such as captain Kimmich (Bayern Munich, 93 sel) and Rüdiger (Real Madrid, 74 sel). Many elements are missing for the Netherlands during this gathering.

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During the last edition of the Nations League, Ukraine was not far from validating its ticket for League A before failing behind the leader, Scotland. However, it is much more complicated now for Sergey Rebrov's men who lost their first two matches in this group against Albania 1-2 and the Czech Republic 3-2 last month. This team will try to react on Friday against a fairly formidable Georgia team which is aiming for promotion to the next level. Already feeling uncomfortable at the Euro, Zbirna finished last in a group where all the teams finished on 3 points, due to their poorer goal difference against Romania, Belgium and Belgium. Slovakia.

Relegated from League A during the last Nations League, the Czechia had no say in finishing last in its group behind Spain, Portugal and Switzerland. She was also unable to bounce back on the lower level, bowing heavily at the start in Georgia during the 1st day 4-1 but she was then able to raise her head a few days later against Ukraine 3-2. Last June, at the Euro, Narodny Tim ranked among the disappointments of the competition by only taking last place in its group behind Portugal, Turkey and Georgia with only one small point won in 3 matches .

Many executives of this Ukrainian team are not there for this gathering. Indeed, the goalkeeper Lunin (Real Madrid, 13 sel), the full-backs Zinchenko (Arsenal, 9 goals in 68 sel) and Mykolenko (Everton, 44 sel), the midfielders Pikhalyonok (Dynamo kyiv, 10 sel) and Brazhko (Dynamo kyiv , 8 sel) as well as wingers Tsygankov (Girona, 13 goals in 57 sel) and Yarmolenko (Dynamo kyiv, 46 goals in 124 sel) are all missing. On the other hand, the goalkeeper Trubin (Benfica, 15 sel) in the cages and the solid Zabarnyi (Bournemouth, 41 sel) and Matviienko (Shakhtar Donetsk, 70 sel) in the central hinge will be the guarantors of the solidity of this team. Up front, the formidable Dovbyk (Roma, 10 goals in 31 sel) and Yaremchuk (Olympiakos, 16 goals in 55 sel) are competing to start while the hopeful Mudryk (Chelsea, 2 goals in 24 sel) should take place on its left wing. The Czech Republic also deplores some absences for this gathering.

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A tone below the competition in League A during the last edition of this Nations League, Wales finished bottom of a group which included the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland. Fortunately for them, the British manage to raise their heads in this League B. They started by obtaining a very good point against Turkey 0-0 before winning their first success against Montenegro 1-2 days later. On Friday evening, the Welsh will try to take the lead in the standings by facing Iceland. It should be noted, however, that the Dragons did not manage to secure their ticket for Euro 2024, which was therefore played without them.

Montenegro, for its part, had already had a hard time during the last edition to maintain its place in League B by finishing 3rd in its group with the same number of points as the red lantern, Romania. It's obviously not better this year for this team which started this competition with 2 consecutive defeats suffered last month against Iceland 2-0 and against Wales 1-2. Opposed to Turkey on Friday evening, the Brave Falcons will have a lot to do to hope to keep their place in this League B. It must still be emphasized that Montenegro has never been able to qualify for a major international tournament.

Often injured, midfielder Ramsey (Cardiff, 21 goals in 86 seasons) is not present at the moment. In addition to this, the frame Ampadu (Leeds, 54 sel), the less installed Colwill (Cardiff, 9 sel) and Crew (Leeds, 1 sel) and the attackers James (Leeds, 7 goals in 53 sel) and Matondo (Rangers , 0 goals in 12 sel) are not on the list either, injured or sidelined for this gathering. On the other hand, the attackers Moore (Sheffield United, 13 goals in 45 games) and Wilson (Fulham, 9 goals in 56 games) are well operational, as is the excellent winger Johnson (Tottenham, 3 goals in 30 games), who made a very good start to the club season. The executives Davies (Tottenham, 88 sel) and Rodon (Leeds, 46 sel) as well as the interesting piston Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest, 40 sel) should form the Welsh rear guard. Opposite, Montenegro cannot not count on the services of defenders Savic (Trabzonspor, 9 goals in 73 sel) and Vesovic (Qarabag, 54 sel) nor on the promising midfielder Adzic (18 years old, Juventus, 0 sel), who are in the infirmary in their respective clubs.

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