Internationals – Perisic into UEFA Nations League finals

Ivan Perisic helped Croatia secure their place in next summer’s UEFA Nations League finals with a 3-1 victory in Austria on Sunday.

Croatia knew that three points in Vienna would rubber stamp their spot at the four-team mini-tournament to crown the Nations League’s overall winners in June, and they duly booked their place with Ivan completing the full 90 minutes and providing the assist for his side’s second goal, converted by Marko Livaja.

It means Croatia finish top of Group A1, narrowly ahead of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s Denmark, who ran them close by securing a 2-0 home victory over France on Sunday. Pierre played the full game in midfield but, as previously reported, Hugo Lloris isn’t in the France squad for this international window due to injury.

Elsewhere, on-loan defender Joe Rodon put in a full shift for Wales but couldn’t prevent them from suffering a 1-0 home defeat by Poland, which relegated them from Group A4, while young midfielder Matthew Craig earned his first Under-21 cap for Scotland as they drew 1-1 with Northern Ireland Under-21s in a friendly in Paisley. Matthew started and was withdrawn in the 79th minute.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, Davinson Sanchez was an unused substitute for Colombia as they beat Guatemala 4-1 in a friendly in New Jersey, USA.

There were a number of players in action on Saturday too, starting with a 72-minute stint for on-loan Giovani Lo Celso in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Honduras in Miami in the early hours of the morning. Cristian Romero wasn’t involved for Argentina.

Later in the day, Matt Doherty and on-loan Troy Parrott both started for Republic of Ireland against Scotland in Glasgow, but were left disappointed after their side suffered a 2-1 defeat in Group B1 of the UEFA Nations League. Troy had the ball in the net early on after a slaloming run but was denied by an offside flag, with both Matt and Troy later going close to hitting the target. It was 1-1 when they were both substituted with a little under a quarter of an hour remaining, but Scotland won it eight minutes from time through Ryan Christie’s penalty. Dejan Kulusevski was also in Nations League action, providing the assist for Sweden’s opening goal in their eventual 4-1 loss in Serbia in Group B4, the attacker substituted six minutes from the end.

Meanwhile, Pape Matar Sarr completed a 90-minute shift for Senegal as they beat Bolivia 2-0 in a friendly in France, Kallum Cesay played the second half of Sierra Leone’s 4-0 defeat in South Africa, on-loan Dane Scarlett played 81 minutes of England Under-20s’ 2-1 victory over Morocco in Spain while goalkeeper Aaron Maguire was an unused substitute in Republic of Ireland Under-19s’ 2-0 win over Wales in their Euro qualifier in Bangor.

Monday 26 September

Eric Dier and Harry Kane – England home UEFA Nations League match against Germany – kick-off 7.45pm
Yves Bissouma – Mali home friendly against Zambia – kick-off 8pm
Destiny Udogie – Italy Under-21s home friendly against Japan – kick-off 2.30pm
Jamie Donley, Alfie Dorrington and Luca Gunter – England Under-18s tournament match against Belgium in Spain – kick-off 10.30am