Key events<\/p>\n
France might look like the best international XI on paper but they are still a work in progress, and how Zidane tinkers with the team and squad will be very interesting over this international break and beyond. Should Kylian Mbapp\u00e9\u2019s injury be serious \u2013 and we don\u2019t know any details at present but the Real Madrid man was clutching his knee as he left the field \u2013 then that will have heavy ramifications for both club and country. France play Belgium away on Monday, so things don\u2019t get any easier for Zizou and co.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a great stat, courtesy of Opta: before tonight\u2019s victory in Georgia, Northern Ireland were the only one of 55 nations to play in the Nations League<\/a> and have never won an away match.<\/p>\n Consider that one ticked off then: Georgia 0-1 Northern Ireland<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Full-time: Hungary 0-1 Ukraine<\/p>\n Ukraine cling on for an excellent victory in Budapest. They join Northern Ireland as joint early leaders of League B Group 2.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFor all the quality in attack and defence, France seems to lack options in midfield,\u201d emails K\u00e1ri Tulinius. \u201cDeschamps tried to fix that problem by overloading up front, but that didn\u2019t work against Spain. It\u2019ll be interesting to see how Zidane solves that problem.\u201d<\/p>\n France\u2019s away fans, bouncing away in delight high in the stands, look happy enough, it should be noted. Lacroix played well for France, which tells you all you need to know about how dominant France were (or weren\u2019t).<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Full-time: Turkey 0-1 France<\/p>\n Zizou starts with a victory, but only just. Turkey away is never an easy place to go, but this was far from convincing. And there will be concern for Mbapp\u00e9, who looked in real pain after scoring for France. He was forced off shortly afterwards. Not what Real Madrid need after Barcelona\u2019s rapid start to the season.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+6 min: Turkey 0-1 France<\/p>\n Turkey are pushing for the equaliser, despite being down to 10 men. Zidane looks nervous \u2013 not a sentence I have ever typed before \u2013 but France look like they are going to hold on. Demiral desperately hurls himself to the floor as he tries in vain to win a penalty for Turkey, but the referee waves play on. Upamecano didn\u2019t touch him.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Full-time: Montenegro 2-1 Cyprus<\/p>\n Montenegro came from behind to win and spoil the international debut for Burnley\u2019s Marcus Edwards, who opened the scoring for Cyprus.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Full-time: Sweden 2-1 Romania<\/p>\n Romania ran Sweden close, but the quality of Isak and Gy\u00f6keres proved just too much. A good win for Graham Potter.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Full-time: Poland 0-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/p>\n Goalless in Warsaw. Not a classic.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Full-time: Italy 0-2 Belgium<\/p>\n It\u2019s all over in Rome, as Belgium close out a very impressive first win for Van Bommel. There are a few afters at the final whistle, with Donnarumma clashing with Lukaku. The Italy fans in the Stadio Olympico are not happy, and are letting Roberto Mancini know.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Montenegro 2-1 Cyprus (Osmajic 86)<\/p>\n Heartbreak for Cyprus! The former (and fiery) Preston striker Osmajic latches onto a knockdown and stoops to head Montenegro into a late lead!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Red card for Turkey’s goalkeeper!<\/p>\n 86 min: Barcola is sent clean through and touches the ball around the onrushing Ugurcan Cakir, who advances out of his area and blocks the ball from going past! Was that with his arm?! It was close to his shoulder, but I think it looks like a handball, the ball \u2018saved\u2019 with his upper arm but outside the Turkey box. Initially, the referee waves play but after going to the monitor to check, dismisses Ugurcan Cakir. Turkey protest, as is their wont, but it\u2019s the correct decision.<\/p>\n Altay Bayindir, the Manchester United keeper on loan at Celta Vigo, comes on for 10-man Turkey.<\/p>\n Turkey’s Ugurcan Cakir is off! Photograph: Murad Sezer\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.46 EDT<\/p>\n 83 min: Italy 0-2 Belgium<\/p>\n Italy are desperately trying to get back into this, to no avail. A Tonali corner rolls all the way across the Belgian six-yard box, with no player in Azzurri blue there to turn it home. Scalvini has another great opportunity from a set piece but can\u2019t convert!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 80 min: Turkey 0-1 France<\/p>\n Zidane brings on Barcola (for Olise) and Camavinga (for Cherki) as he looks to wrestle back some sort of control in the match. France have looked really poor in the last 15 minutes. Turkey could easily be level.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 78 min: Hungary 0-1 Ukraine<\/p>\n Hungary are very much in this, pushing for an equaliser. Szoboszlai, operating in the No 10 position for his country, is very much the orchestrater for the hosts.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 74 min: Turkey 0-1 France<\/p>\n Turkey seem buoyed by that injury to Mbapp\u00e9 and are pouring forward to score the equaliser. Arda G\u00fcler picks the pocket of Kound\u00e9 and tries a shot from the acute angle when he really should have squared it. Still, Turkey have a corner, from which Maignan drops the ball! Turkey scramble to shoot but France throw bodies on the line and survive. This is by no means a dominant French performance. I can see the L\u2019Equipe ratings now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 70 min: Turkey 0-1 France<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s something weird,\u201d emails Boring Ink. \u201cOn regular TV (DAZN), France is playing right to left. But on French TV (TF1), they are playing left to right. It seems like the French have set up cameras on the opposite side, just to show French advertising hoardings. With the big dug-outs, it looks less \u2018professional\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Montenegro 1-1 Cyprus (Krstovic pen 66)<\/p>\n Cyprus\u2019 lead evaporates after Krstovic converts from 12 yards, following a blatant foul in the box.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Italy 0-2 Belgium (Luk\u00e9bakio 66)<\/p>\n Belgium double their lead! It looked like Van Bommel\u2019s decision to replace De Bruyne with Luk\u00e9bakio was a strange one, but the Benfica forward has an instant impact, cutting inside off the right flank and darting a brilliant shot into the side netting, past Donnarumma. Strike! Italy had been building into the game, but that looks like a terminal blow by Belgium.<\/p>\n Dodi Luk\u00e9bakio makes it 2-0 to Belgium. Photograph: Andrew Medichini\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.28 EDT<\/p>\n 60 min: Montenegro 0-1 Cyprus<\/p>\n The last time Cyprus won a competitive international match that wasn\u2019t against San Marino or Lithuania was four years ago, when they beat Israel in 2022.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Montenegro 0-1 Cyprus (Marcus Edwards 56)<\/p>\n Marcus Edwards, on his international debut for Cyprus, has given the island nation a famous lead in Montenegro! The Burnley winger, born to an English-French father and a Greek Cypriot mother, arrows a brilliant shot into the corner and the Cyprus bench empties! Wow!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Mbapp\u00e9 injured!<\/p>\n 56 min: Turkey 0-1 France<\/p>\n Is Mbapp\u00e9 injured?! It looks that way, with the Real Madrid superstar wincing as he wheeled away in celebration of that goal. Mbapp\u00e9 is going to leave the field for treatment, which leaves France with 10 men, temporarily.<\/p>\n Mbapp\u00e9 comes back on, but almost immediately collapses to the turf. He\u2019s not going to be able to continue. A terrible blow for France, and Real Madrid, of course!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Turkey 0-1 France (Mbapp\u00e9 54)<\/p>\n Who else?! Mbapp\u00e9 scores his 67th international goal and makes Turkey pay for missing those chances just a moment ago! It\u2019s a lovely finish to end a scrappy move, the ball pinging around the midfield before Olise took charge and slipped in Mbapp\u00e9, who converted his trademark finish: opening up his body as though he is going to curl it into the far corner Henry-style (an R2 finish, for the Pro Evo heads out there), before whipping a disguised shot inside the near post! Great goal.<\/p>\n Kylian Mbappe scores the opener for France\u2026 Photograph: Ozan K\u00f6se\/AFP\/Getty Images\u2026but goes down holding his knee and looks in some discomfort. Photograph: Franck Fife\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.07 EDT<\/p>\n 51 min: Turkey 0-0 France<\/p>\n Aydin has a golden opportunity to give Turkey the lead, but the winger can only nod his header down into the turf, which allows Maignan to spring across and tip the ball over the bar. Where was the marking?! Dembele was asleep as Aydin ghosted past him at the back post!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 48 min: Turkey 0-0 France<\/p>\n G\u00fcler wriggles out of one tackle before an outrageous drag and flick sees the Madrid man pivot around Cherki, who brings him down. A very promising free-kick for Turkey, right on the edge of France\u2019s area. G\u00fcler over it \u2026 but the ball deflects off the wall and squirts juuuuuust wide. Maignan was stranded, if the shot\/deflection was on target. Credit to Lacroix in the wall, he got a crucial head on it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 47 min: Italy 0-1 Belgium<\/p>\n Lammens makes a point-blank save to deny Kean! Oooooh, the goalkeeping tonight has been special, and this might be the best save of us: Kean absolutely leathered a first-time shot from a cross low toward the bottom corner but the Manchester United stopper stuck out a right boot and \u2013 despite going the other way \u2013 somehow connected with the ball to divert it wide!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Peeeeeeeeeep!<\/p>\n We are underway again (in most of the games). There seems to be a slight delay with Turkey and France.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Half-time reading (international edition):<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n France have been the better team but have certainly not been faultless. Turkey are in the game and look dangerous on the counter-attack. France\u2019s substitutes could be crucial here, to inject new life into Zidane\u2019s attack. He has Barcola and Dou\u00e9 lurking on the bench.<\/p>\n Italy grew into that half, the better side for the final 10 minutes. But Belgium were the dominant side and should really be two or three up. But for Donnarumma, they would be. A very exciting half, if you are Belgian. Van Bommel has got them ticking.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Half-time scores!<\/p>\n Turkey 0-0 France A goal for Ukraine, there, just before the break. Danylo Sikan completely unmarked in the Hungary box to nod his country into the lead. Easy for the Anderlecht forward.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Sweden 2-1 Romania (Gy\u00f6keres 43)<\/p>\n Sweden re-take the lead through their other elite striker, Viktor Gy\u00f6keres. Right place, right time for the Arsenal man, who pounces on a rebound and rifles a bouncing finish into the net, before flouting his trademark mask celebration.<\/p>\n Viktor Gy\u00f6keres is quickest to react in the box to put Sweden back in front. Photograph: Jesper Zerman\/BILDBYR\u00c5N\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.42 EDT<\/p>\n 43 min: Turkey 0-0 France<\/p>\n Turkey are hanging on! They have to get to half-time without conceding. Olise cuts in off the right wing and bends his trademark Robben-esque curler towards the top corner \u2013 you know what he\u2019s going to do etc \u2013 but Cakir just gets a fingertip to it. Two minutes later, Cherki pulls a ball back for Rabiot, but the Milan midfielder blazes a first-time effort over the bar from 20 yards out!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 40 min: Turkey 0-0 France<\/p>\n France are having all of the ball and probing but yet to get the breakthrough. France swap around some of their attackers: Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 goes out to the right, Mbapp\u00e9 comes off the left to move centrally. The switches almost instantly result in a France goal, as Cherki pounces on a loose ball in the Turkey area, only for Demiral to make a sensational last-ditch block! The City man can\u2019t believe he was thwarted.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 38 min: Poland 0-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a poor game in Warsaw but bad news for Benfica: Jakub Kami\u0144ski has gone off injured. He is replaced by Atalanta\u2019s Zalewski.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35 min: Italy 0-1 Belgium<\/p>\n Italy finally rouse themselves! Kean feeds Romano, who rolls around his marker but De Cuyper makes a brilliant last-ditch block to deny the debutant! Two minutes later, Cambiaghi gets to the byline and crosses low but Kean can\u2019t turn the ball home at the back stick! Much better from Mancini\u2019s side!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 32 min: Turkey 0-0 France<\/p>\n Penalty shout for Turkey! In the French box, Baris Yilmaz turns inside Lacroix and goes to ground but the referee waves play on! The Chelsea defender did make contact with the Turkey forward but there was nothing really in it. If anything, it was a dive.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30 min: Italy 0-1 Belgium<\/p>\n Italy are all at sea, and Donnarumma is the only one keeping them in the game. Castagne crosses for Godts, completely unmarked at the back post. Godts heads back across goal but Donnarumma makes a WORLD CLASS SAVE to deny Belgium. Woof! Double woof! Crazy save.<\/p>\n Belgium have now had 12 attempts to Italy\u2019s one. Roberto Mancini, impossibly tanned these days, looks miserable in the Italy dugout. His side are being battered.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Sweden 1-1 Romania (Dennis Man 29)<\/p>\n Romania hit back and sting Sweden on the counter attack! An early cross falls to the feet of Dennis Man. His first touch is heavy, ballooning the ball in the air. But that only confuses the nearby Lindel\u00f6f, who doesn\u2019t realise the ball has shot straight up, so Man has time and space to volley the ball goalwards \u2026 it bounces off the post and in to send the away Romania fans wild!<\/p>\n Who da Man? Dennis, that\u2019s who. Photograph: Peter Sonander\/SPP\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.22 EDT<\/p>\n 25 min: Italy 0-1 Belgium<\/p>\n Donnarumma makes a massive double save to keep Belgium\u2019s lead to one! De Ketelaere tries his luck from the edge of Italy\u2019s box but Donnarumma extends another of those go-go gadget arms to repel the shot. The rebound falls to Raskin, but the Manchester City keeper is up on his feet in a flash and smothers the ball. Belgium are all over Italy here \u2013 they have had seven attempts to the hosts\u2019 one.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 22 min: Turkey 0-0 France<\/p>\n Olise is becoming more of a presence now, cutting in off that right wing with intent. He finds Mbapp\u00e9 with a square pass around Turkey\u2019s box, but the Real Madrid man skews his finish wide.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Italy 0-1 Belgium (Godts 20)<\/p>\n Godts scores his first goal for Belgium in his third cap and the Van Bommel era is underway! De Bruyne releases the PSG winger down the left. Godts cuts in on his right foot, feints to floor Mancini and finishes easily past Donnarumma. Godts is such a silky winger, plays like he is wearing silk slipppers. That dummy was delicious and left two Italian defenders in the dust!<\/p>\n Mika Godts scores the opening goal for Belgium. Photograph: Ciro De Luca\/Reuters Photograph: Filippo Monteforte\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.15 EDT<\/p>\n GOAL! Sweden 1-0 Romania (Isak 20)<\/p>\n Brighton\u2019s Ayari plays a beautiful slide-rule through ball down the right channel and Isak is onto it in a flash, finishing first time into the far corner. Radu got a hand on it in the Romania goal but couldn\u2019t keep it out. Probably should have done better.<\/p>\n Alexander Isak fires Sweden in in front in Solna. Photograph: Claudio Bresciani\/TT\/Shutterstock Photograph: Jonathan Nackstrand\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.12 EDT<\/p>\n 15 min: Italy 0-0 Belgium<\/p>\n Belgium looking much the stronger. De Bruyne whips in one of his trademark crosses from the right wing. He loves to drift from the centre and occupy that pocket of space, and his delivery is deadly. On this occasion, De Ketelaere can\u2019t quite reach it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 12 min: Sweden 0-0 Romania<\/p>\n Sweden have had all the early running against Romania. Very interested to see how Isak and Gyokeres get on tonight, the latter could really do with a goal. Particularly if he is going to get more minutes at Arsenal in the light of Havertz\u2019s injury.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 9 min: Italy 0-0 Belgium<\/p>\n Now Esposito hits the post! Barella finds a pocket of space and lifts it over the top for Esposito, who breaks the offside trap and shoots in one fluid movement, nearly catching Lammens cold at his near post. The ball bounces off the foot of the post and away!<\/p>\n Pio Esposito\u2019s effort comes back off the post as Belgium live dangerously at the back. Photograph: Andrew Medichini\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.07 EDT<\/p>\n 7 min: Italy 0-0 Belgium<\/p>\n Huge save from Donnarumma to deny De Ketelaere. De Bruyne finds the Atalanta striker with a pinpoint pass and De Ketelaere goes across goal with his shot, only to watch in astonishment as Donnarumma extends his left paw and claw the ball away.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 4 min: Turkey 0-0 France<\/p>\n France clear a ball off the line! Baris Yilmaz races through on goal and after forcing a save from Maignan, Kound\u00e9 hacks the rebound off the line! Replays show that Baris Yilmaz was offside, so it wouldn\u2019t have counted, but this has been a shaky first few minutes for Zidane and France.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2 min: \u201cI\u2019d be rooting for tiny Cyprus to hold off mighty Montenegro today,\u201d writes AnhTuan Nguyen Huynh.<\/p>\n Cyprus have never beaten Montenegro, although they did earn a couple of score draws back in the 2000s.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Peeeeeeeeep!<\/p>\n We are underway in our six Nations League<\/a> matches.<\/p>\n Turkey v France I am multi-screening so be kind to me. Even if I am scanning like prime Xavi, my fingers only type so fast.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Before kick-off in Italy, there is a minute\u2019s applause for Sandro Mazzola, the legendary Inter midfielder who won two European Cups and a World Cup runners-up medal. You can read our obituary, by Richard Williams, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The teams are out! It\u2019s quite the atmosphere in Izmit as the Turkish fans give the France side a warm welcome. Real Madrid teammates Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and Arda G\u00fcler embrace, both talismen for their countries. Zidane looks typically stoic in the French dugout, dressed head to toe in navy suit, shirt, tie.<\/p>\n Photograph: Franck Fife\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.55 EDT<\/p>\n Two new managers here but both Italy and Belgium have put out established sides with few shocks. Given his form for Brentford, it is a surprise that Michael Kayode is not given his debut at right back, veteran Di Lorenzo is preferred by Mancini. One eye-catching selection is Alessandro Romano, who makes his debut in the middle alongside Barella and Tonali, while Cambiaghi returns to the side after a year in the cold. Arsenal fans will be hoping for an injury-free night for Calafiori, especially with Kai Havertz limping off last night for Germany.<\/p>\n Belgium under Van Bommel are pretty much as expected. Doku is injured but that means the hugely exciting Godts (of PSG) gets a chance on the left, with the in-form Milan winger Moreira on the opposite flank. De Bruyne is still there in the No 10 position, while De Ketelaere keeps Lukaku on the bench.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Italy v Belgium team news<\/p>\n Italy 4-3-3: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Coppola, Calafiori; Barella, Romano, Tonali; Cambiaghi, Esposito, Kean. Belgium 4-2-3-1: Lammens; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Raskin; Moreira, De Bruyne, Godts; De Ketelaere. Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhat a great result and a terrific goal from Shea Charles,\u201d emails a delirious Tony Mason. \u201cThe penalty decision was bizarre but even more bizarre was the ref, in injury time, telling Ballard to get off the pitch with a clear hamstring injury but afterwards allowing a Georgian defender time on the pitch to recover from cramp. Because of all that it was delightful to see the 40 or so NI fans celebrating that last gasp goal.\u201d<\/p>\n Shea Charles (centre, facing the camera) embraces his younger brother, the goalkeeper Pierce Charles, after Northern Ireland\u2019s dramatic win in Georgia. Photograph: Tamuna Kulumbegashvili\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Only six minutes of additional time were awarded in Tbilisi, but after more than eight additional minutes, Northern Ireland hurled a long throw into the Georgia box, and after an initial clearance, Charles pounced on a loose ball to poke the ball into the roof of the net. There was a VAR check for offside but the goal stood!<\/p>\n It should be said that Shea Charles\u2019 younger brother, Pierce, played a blinder in net for Northern Ireland. Pierce Charles has been in fine form for QPR this season and saved a penalty against Georgia to keep the game at 0-0.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what Shea Charles had to say after the game:<\/p>\n \u201cTo come away with the winner is incredible. Pierce made a few massive saves to keep us in the game and then the penalty as well which I thought was justice really. He was incredible, as were the whole back five. I thought everyone on the pitch deserved the win.<\/p>\n \u201cThe win sets us up really well for Belfast which I am really excited for as it feels like I have not been there in ages.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Full-time: Georgia 0-1 Northern Ireland<\/p>\n Shea Charles has scored a 99th-minute winner to give Michael O\u2019Neill\u2019s side a dramatic win in Tbilisi and get their Nations League<\/a> campaign off to winning start!<\/p>\n Northern Ireland’s Trai Hume celebrates after Shea Charles scored their late winner in Georgia. Photograph: Irakli Gedenidze\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.20 EDT<\/p>\n Let\u2019s unpack those teams a little. Turkey are missing one of their star players, Kenan Yildiz, who is sidelined with a long-term injury. Yildiz normally operates on the left wing for Juventus, but with him out of action, Montella has leaned into this wing-back system, which seems to lean heavily on Kadioglu on the left. The 24-year-old won Brighton\u2019s player of season last year and has quietly turned into one of the best left backs in the Premier League. Much rests of Arda G\u00fcler, in the No 10 position. Expect Turkey to have five at the back against France, when they are out of possession.<\/p>\n Zinedine Zidane\u2019s first France XI throws no huge surprises, although notable additions include Bournemouth\u2019s Adrien Truffert, who earns his second cap, four years after making his international debut. Interesting that Zidane also favours Lacroix as the replacement for the injured Saliba at centre-back. Jacquet and Yoro have to make do on the bench. Cherki gets the nod in midfield, alongside Rabiot and Manu Kon\u00e9, who has been in sublime form for Roma at the start of this season. There is no room for Tchouameni or Kant\u00e9 in this new-look squad, even if the XI is mostly unchanged. Jean-Phillipe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan) also miss out.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Turkey v France team news<\/p>\n Turkey 3-4-2-1: Cakir; Celik, Demiral, Bardakci; Aydin, Salih Ozcan, Yuksek, Kadioglu; G\u00fcler, Uzun; Baris Yilmaz France 4-3-3: Maignan; Kound\u00e9, Upamecano, Lacroix, Truffert; Kon\u00e9, Rabiot; Cherki; Olise, Mbapp\u00e9, Demb\u00e9l\u00e9. Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.55 EDT<\/p>\n Preamble<\/p>\n Of all the new international appointments, the most eye-catching is probably J\u00fcrgen Klopp with Germany, which feels both a radical and a natural fit for the four-time World Cup winners, who are in desperate need of a hard reset. Klopp was denied a win in his first game in charge against the Netherlands \u2013 now managed by Xavi \u2013 with Cody Gakpo striking in injury-time to earn a 1-1 draw for the Dutch<\/a>.<\/p>\n The next most exciting appointment is surely France and Zinedine Zidane, who has not stepped into a dugout since leaving Real Madrid (for a second time) five years ago. After winning three consecutive Champions Leagues and a couple of La Liga titles in the Age of Messi, nobody is really sure Zizou is a managerial great, or simply an elite vibesman, who uses his personal aura to instill deference and respect into a talented squad, rather than being a master tactician. Maybe a vibesman is just what France need after the rigidity of Didier Deschamps \u2013 Les Bleus are surely the best team on the planet on paper, but have looked clunkier and less cohesive than they should, despite their tournament success in recent years. This opening test for Zidane, away to Turkey, should be enlightening and this is an excellent piece by Jonathan Wilson that expands on those ideas about Zidane. Get stuck in.<\/p>\n Turkey do not have a new manager, which is something of a surprise given they finished bottom of a relatively kind World Cup group that also included USA, Australia and Paraguay. Vincenzo Montella has clung on, with the Turkish federation taking a long-term view of his reign. \u201cI could have been sacked, but the federation looked beyond: to the future,\u201d Montella explained. \u201cWhen I arrived, we couldn\u2019t qualify for the Euros, and we won the group. They didn\u2019t judge me on those two matches, but on all my work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Italy 0-1 Belgium
Hungary 0-1 Ukraine
Sweden 2-1 Romania
Poland 0-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Montenegro 0-0 Cyprus<\/p>\n
Italy v Belgium
Hungary v Ukraine
Sweden v Romania
Poland v Bosnia and Herzegovina
Montenegro v Cyprus<\/p>\n
Subs: Ahanor, Carnesecchi, Doumbia, Frattesi, Kayode, Maldini, Mandragora, Raspadori, Scalvini, Scamacca, Vicario, Zoma.<\/p>\n
Subs: De Busser, Debast, Fernandez-Pardo, Keita, Lavia, Lukaku, Luk\u00e9bakio, Openda, Seys, Theate, Vanaken, Vandevoordt.<\/p>\n
Subs: Akgun, Akt\u00fcrkoglu, Bayindir, Elmali, G\u00fcl, Kabak, Kabasakal, Kahveci, Kocuk, Topcu, Simsir.<\/p>\n
Subs: Butz, Barcola, Akliouche, Camavinga, Diouf, Dou\u00e9, Jacquet, Kalulu, Lepaul, Restes, Yoro, Da Cunha.<\/p>\n