Ben Fisher was in rainy Cardiff this evening. Here’s his report. Thanks for following this Clockwatch. Nighty night.
Post-match postbag. “A lifetime of supporting Iceland has bred in me a deep sense of pessimism, not even really uprooted by the period of success. So I wasn’t expecting much tonight, but the team played well and deserved their victory. I’m not quite at the point of clapping my hands and shouting monosyllabically, but this has me feeling very mildly optimistic. Huh” – Kári Tulinius
“Luciano Spalletti has given Didier Deschamps a masterclass in counter-attacking football all’Italiano. His former pupil at Napoli, Raspadori, had a splendid second half, getting into all the right positions and scoring from a marvellous move. Dimarco was immense and scored a wondergoal, Tonali also very positive. Italy can hold their heads up high after a slump. France have been thoroughly outthought and outclassed” – Colum Fordham
“Plenty of reasons to be cheerful for the Azzurri tonight, Scott. Which is as good an excuse as any to shoehorn this song referencing everyone’s favourite Italian chanter Adriano Celentano into the MBM. Alright!” – Simon McMahon, who knows full well I can’t resist
Fine results for Belgium, Iceland and Romania. Wales and ten-man Turkey will be happy enough for different reasons. But the big news is Italy’s first win in France since 1954, 70 years and seven visits ago. That game had a similar rhythm: Roger Piantoni of Nancy gave the hosts an early lead, only for Italy to hit back hard, Roma’s Egisto Pandolfini equalising, his club team-mate Carlo Galli scoring two more to seal a 3-1 comeback win. This time round, Bradley Barcola’s 13-second jawdropper was wiped out by Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi and Giacomo Raspadori. Dimarco’s effort, a stunning end to a scintillating move, was worthy of winning the game by itself.
The full-times
A2
Belgium 3-1 Israel
France 1-3 Italy
B3
Kazakhstan 0-0 Norway
Slovenia 1-1 Austria
B4
Iceland 2-0 Montenegro
Wales 0-0 Turkey
C2
Kosovo 0-3 Romania
Lithuania 0-1 Cyprus
FULL TIME: Wales 0-0 Turkey
Not the result Craig Bellamy wanted, but a decent performance that augurs well.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. Wales hope to launch one last attack, but Neco Williams miskicks in midfield, then Kieffer Moore skittles Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and it’ll be Turkey who have the last opportunity … but Çalhanoğlu’s free kick towards a crowded box is no good. That’ll be that.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. A huge chance for Wales to nick it, as substitute Lewis Koumas jigs his way down the left and pulls back for Brennan Johnson, who spins on the spot only for his effort to get deflected wide. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. The visitors doing a good job of running down the clock. The home fans quiet, seemingly resigned to dropping a couple of points. Three extra minutes still to play, though.
FULL TIME: France 1-3 Italy
The Azzurri win in Paris for the first time in 70 years … after going a goal down in 13 seconds!
Wales 0-0 Turkey. There will be eight additional minutes in Cardiff. Plenty of time for the ten men to find a winner.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. The ten men nearly take the lead with four minutes remaining! A corner fizzed in from the left. Abdülkerim Bardakcı meets it with a powerful downward header but Danny Ward handles confidently on his goalline. Fine play all round.
GOAL! Kosovo 0-3 Romania. Răzvan Marin wraps it up with his second of the evening. And soon after, if it wasn’t already over, Kosovo’s Mërgim Vojvoda is sent off for a not-particularly-early bath, having picked up a second yellow.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. Kieffer Moore is fine to continue, but he’s all bandaged up having had his forehead cut open. Turns out Çağlar Söyüncü studded him in the face before collapsing on him. Sounds bad, and was, but it looked accidental and none of the players, least of all Moore, are acting as though it was anything else. Everyone plays on, Moore particularly bravely.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. A long break in play as Kieffer Moore gets some treatment, the full weight of Çağlar Söyüncü landing on his head as the pair fell to the ground.
Belgium 3-1 Israel. One for the completists: Israel’s first-half equaliser, a deflected Anan Khalaili header, has gone down as a Timothy Castagne own goal.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. Brennan Johnson makes good down the right and whistles an extremely tempting ball through the six-yard box. But there’s nobody there in red to bundle home. Johnson yelps in frustration, as well he might.
GOAL! France 1-3 Italy (Raspadori 74)
This is happening, people. The Azzurri haven’t won in Paris since 1954, but now the long wait looks like ending at last. Destiny Udogie slips a ball in from the left for Giacomo Raspadori, who gets clear to double Italy’s advantage. What a response this has been to that absurd 13-second concession.
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Belgium 3-1 Israel. To be fair to Openda, he’s won two penalties and set up Youri Tielemans for his goal, so despite the miss, he’s well in credit this evening.
Belgium 3-1 Israel. It should be four, and Kevin De Bruyne should have his first-ever hat-trick for Belgium. But he gives Loïs Openda, who wins another penalty, the chance to score one himself … and Openda’s effort is saved by Yoav Gerafi.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. Well that’s got the crowd up. Wales are pinging it around nicely. But they’ve been doing that for most of the evening against XI, to be fair. “An interesting dynamic is playing out here,” observes David Bowen. “One team is playing progressive and cultured football, one team is somewhat direct and physically robust. You would not think the former team has a coach who was somewhat combative as a player and the latter as smooth as silk. A reversal of expectations you’d think. Anyway, Bellamy seems to have this Wales team doing some good things.”
RED CARD: Barış Alper Yılmaz (Turkey). Yılmaz was slightly unfortunate to get booked in the first half after a 50-50 kerfuffle with Joe Rodon. But he knows he’s on a booking, and going in late on Neco Williams isn’t the wisest move. Studs on top of boot. An argument that it could be a red by itself, though it’s probably more like an orange. But a second yellow is enough to send him packing.
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Wales 0-0 Turkey. Aaron Ramsey misses his third good chance of the evening, heading Harry Wilson’s cross over the bar from 12 yards.
GOAL! Iceland 2-0 Montenegro (Thorsteinsson 58). Jón Dagur Thorsteinsson heads home Gylfi Sigurdsson’s cross. HÚH!
Wales 0-0 Turkey. Action at both ends as Danny Ward nearly gifts Turkey a chance with a loose pass, then Harry Wilson pearls a rising screamer that only just flies wide of the top-right corner.
GOAL! Kosovo 0-2 Romania (Marin 50 pen). Another penalty, another lead doubled. Răzvan Marin scoring from the spot after opening goalscorer Dennis Man goes down in the box.
GOAL! Belgium 3-1 Israel (De Bruyne 52 pen). Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco clearly gave his charges the what-for during the break. The hosts double the size of their cushion, Loïs Openda upended to allow Kevin De Bruyne to slot from the spot.
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GOAL! France 1-2 Italy (Frattesi 51)
Mateo Retegui tees up Davide Frattesi and suddenly Italy’s first victory in Paris since 1954 is on!
GOAL! Belgium 2-1 Israel (Tielemans 48). It’s not taken long for the Red Devils to re-establish their lead in Debrecen. Youri Tielemans the man.
Updated
Wales 0-0 Turkey. During the break in Cardiff, the big screen paid tribute to former Bluebirds defender Sol Bamba, who recently passed. Warm applause all around the ground.
Off we go again, then. In Paris, Italy have survived the first 13 seconds of the half this time.
Half-time postbag. “Italy going from strength to strength: after conceding the fastest-ever Euro finals goal (23 seconds v Albania), they’ve now conceded probably the fastest ever Nations League goal” – Andy (not that one) Flintoff
“Do the French team have a new and more adventurous trainer with the same name as Didier Deschamps and who looks exactly like him? This is fast, relentless stuff, not the usual plonking wait-for-Kylian-to-do-something quagmire. France are nippy and entertaining. May not last” – Charles Antaki (whose email arrived a couple of minutes before Italy’s equaliser)
“In reply to Andy Flintoff’s assertion that Erling Haaland should have chosen to play for England rather than Norway; maybe he would have if his dad’s football career didn’t end when it did. Maybe Haaland Jr would have gone to school here, developed greater affinity for the country of his birth and turned out for England. You can thank Roy Keane that none of this happened” – Cathal Chu
“I can heartily recommend the local beer, for those like Alun Pugh in Nikšić, specifically Nikšićko” – Laoi Ó Murchù
The half-times
A2
Belgium 1-1 Israel
France 1-1 Italy
B3
Kazakhstan 0-0 Norway (F)
Slovenia 1-1 Austria
B4
Iceland 1-0 Montenegro
Wales 0-0 Turkey
C2
Kosovo 0-1 Romania
Lithuania 0-1 Cyprus (F)
GOAL! Kosovo 0-1 Romania (Man 40). Dennis Man gives the visitors the lead in Pristina.
GOAL! Iceland 1-0 Montenegro (Óskarsson 39). Orri Óskarsson converts his captain Johann Gudmundsson’s corner, and the hosts take the lead in Reykjavik. HÚH!
GOAL! Slovenia 1-1 Austria (Laimer 28). A bit late with news of Konrad Laimer’s equaliser, but this dispatch is here at long last.
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GOAL! Belgium 1-1 Israel (Khalaili 36). Anan Khalaili with a header that takes a nick on the way in.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. Turkey’s stand-in captain Kaan Ayhan is the latest player to see yellow, after a cynical clip on Sorba Thomas. If this match ends up with 22 players on the field, we’ll be doing well.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. Wales have the ball in the net but it won’t count. A simple punt down the middle does for Turkey, who are all over the place. Sorba Thomas tears clear and lobs Mert Günok, who gets a hand on the ball but can’t stop it looping into the unguarded net. Sadly Thomas went too soon, something both linesman and VAR aggree on.
GOAL! France 1-1 Italy (Dimarco 30)
Italy haven’t won in Paris for 70 years. But in the wake of that nightmare start, the dream is back on. And this is an absolute pearler! Andrea Cambiaso drifts in from the right and sprays a pass towards Federico Dimarco on the other flank. Dimarco rolls infield for Sandro Tonali, who strokes a defence-splitting backheeled return down the inside-left channel. Dimarco meets the dropping ball and sends an elegant volley across Mike Maignan and into the top right! There may not be a better goal all season.
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Wales 0-0 Turkey. A spate of bookings in Cardiff. Kenan Yıldız is late on Connor Roberts. An in-flight Yıldız is then cynically pulled back by Harry Wilson. Then Yıldız is tugged back by Brennan Johnson; another yellow. And finally Barış Alper Yılmaz is booked, rather weirdly it has to be said, after being lightly brushed by Joe Rodon in the Wales penalty box, then taking exception to Rodon’s attempt at hauling him back to his feet. Rodon makes himself scarce, having got away with one there.
GOAL! Belgium 1-0 Israel (De Bruyne 21). Kevin De Bruyne does what his Manchester City team-mate Erling Haaland couldn’t manage earlier in Kazakhstan. A goal! Their fellow Citizen, Jérémy Doku, tees it up with a run down the left and cutback.
Updated
GOAL! Slovenia 1-0 Austria (Šeško 16 pen). Benjamin Šeško gives the hosts the lead from the spot in Ljubljana.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. Harry Wilson sends a free kick in from the left. Ben Davies tries to steer home an acrobatic shot at the far stick but his shot is deflected out for a corner. The set piece is half cleared, but Connor Roberts curls a sensational ball in from the right. It drops to Joe Rodon, six yards out and all alone. He’s been played onside, and has to score, but leans back and shanks his sidefooted effort yards over the bar. Oh dear. What fine play otherwise, though. What a ball in from Roberts.
Updated
Wales 0-0 Turkey. Wales are well on top here. Harry Wilson makes a nuisance of himself near the centre circle to spook Turkey into shipping possession. The ball breaks to Ethan Ampadu who strides forward and lashes a fierce shot well wide right of goal. The early signs suggest that Craig Bellamy’s new high-speed pass-and-move style could be fun.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. Another good chance for Aaron Ramsey, who meets Sorba Thomas’s right-wing corner but gets his feet in a tangle at the near post. The ball clanks wide. It might not have been easier to score, but it was probably just as easy to hit the target. Either way, chalk it up as another poor connection.
France 1-0 Italy. That was a nightmare start for Italy, and in particular Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who was snoozing and snoozing hard as Bradley Barcola waltzed off with his swag. What pressing by Barcola, though. If only Euro 2024 favourites France had been similarly proactive in Germany, huh.
Wales 0-0 Turkey. The hosts have started on the front foot in Cardiff. Connor Roberts storms down the right flank and crosses for Aaron Ramsey, who throws himself at the ball, eight yards out, and flashes a header over the bar. Actually on second glance, the ball hit his shoulder. A slightly scrappy end to an otherwise swashbuckling move.
Updated
GOAL! France 1-0 Italy (Barcola 13 sec)
Well, that didn’t take long. Italy kick off, faff around at the back, and watch in horror as Bradley Barcola steals the ball, romps down the inside-left channel, enters the box, and slams home.
Updated
Here we go, then. Let’s see if the 12 teams playing tonight can add to today’s running tally of one Nations League goal.
The teams are out all across Europe. Patriotic folk music blaring out all over the shop. The rain’s pelting down in Cardiff. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.\
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France and Italy were both disappointing at Euro 2024, in their own distinct but not particularly eye-catching ways. The journey onwards and upwards begins tonight at the Parc des Princes, and despite everything that went on back there in Germany, it’s still a showdown to whet the appetite. Here are how the teams line up.
Première titularisation pour 𝑀𝐼𝒞𝐻𝒜𝐸𝐿 𝒪𝐿𝐼𝒮𝐸 en Bleu ! 🔵
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) September 6, 2024
🇫🇷🇮🇹 | #FRAITA | #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/4JXJbP32FU
Your #Azzurri starting XI! 📋#FRAITA #NationsLeague #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/e6FAo7F5q0
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) September 6, 2024
The new Wales boss Craig Bellamy speaks to S4C. “Sorba Thomas has energy and aggressiveness with pressing but also runs in behind … he deserves his place … there’s been a lot of work this week … it was definitely needed … the exciting part is to see how it comes out today … the combinations and the links … the understanding between the players … see how far they’ve come in such a short place of time.”
Pre-match postbag. “We appear to have arrived early in Nikšic - the hastily arranged venue for Monday’s game against Montenegro. I’m making some progress with getting my head around the polycentric and digraphic nature of the language formerly known as Serbo-Croat but cannot understand why Karl Darlow has bagged the number one shirt but doesn’t start. Any clues? And it’s a bit of a long shot but does anyone know of a bar here showing the Wales-Turkey game?” – Alun Pugh
“Maybe Erling Haaland should have picked the country of his birth (England) rather than the country of his father? He’d have been just as mobile as Harry Kane at Euro 2024, and might have scored a few more too” – Andy (not that one) Flintoff
Craig Bellamy names Aaron Ramsey as captain of his first selection as Wales manager. There’s no Dan James, who is hamstrung, but Brennan Johnson and Harry Wilson offer some threat up front. Neco Williams, whose goal against the Turks last November allowed Wales to dream of automatic qualification for 36 minutes, starts at the back, while Nantes winger Sorba Thomas earns a recall.
Turkey – pound for pound, the most entertaining team at the Euros (see below) – start without captain and Ballon d’Or nominee Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who has injury concerns and is wrapped in cotton wool on the bench. Edge-of-seat-bothering 19-year-old superstar-in-waiting Arda Güler starts.
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FULL TIME: Lithuania 0-1 Cyprus. Ioannis Pittas the difference-maker in Kaunas on 34 minutes. Only five attempts on target between the teams, which isn’t great but four more than Kazakhstan and Norway mustered. Stay buckled in, kids.
The game in Cardiff is a rerun of last autumn’s Euro 2024 qualifier that ended Welsh hopes of automatic qualification. Masochists can relive the match by clicking below.
Team news: Wales v Turkey
Cymru: Ward, Ampadu, Rodon, B Davies, Roberts, J James, Ramsey, N Williams, Thomas, Wilson, Johnson.
Subs: Darlow, A Davies, Harris, Koumas, Moore, Cooper, Cabango, Beck, Colwill, Sheehan, Crew.
Türkiye: Günok, Çelik, Söyüncü, Bardakcı, Müldür, Ayhan, Yüksek, Kökçü, Güler, Yıldız, Yılmaz.
Subs: Bayındır, Çakır, Akaydin, Yokuşlu, Aktürkoğlu, Çalhanoğlu, Topçu, Özcan, Kahveci, Nayir, Uzun, Dinkçi.
Referee: Rohit Saggi (Norway).
🏴🇹🇷 CYMRU XI
— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) September 6, 2024
The Bellamy era begins...
📄 https://t.co/dJwI819kph#NationsLeague | #TogetherStronger pic.twitter.com/7z8Zs1ivil
FULL TIME: Kazakhstan 0-0 Norway. The Premier League: the best league in the world! The Premier League: not as good as the Kazakhstan national football team! It’d long been suspected, but now conclusive proof is in. Erling Haaland has scored seven goals in his first three matches this season for Manchester City, but tonight the big man played all 90 minutes for Norway in Almaty yet didn’t get a single shot on target. QED. Ipswich Town and West Ham United want to have a long think.
Preamble
Today’s Nations League card looks like this …
A2
Belgium v Israel
France v Italy
B3
Kazakhstan 0-0 Norway (FT)
Slovenia v Austria
B4
Iceland v Montenegro
Wales v Turkey
C2
Kosovo v Romania
Lithuania 0-1 Cyprus (L)
… with all games kicking off at 7.45pm BST, except for the pair that clearly didn’t. News of what happened in those, plus the teams from the Wales game, is coming right up.
