Amazing debacle at Mönchengladbach

The match Germany - Italy in Mönchengladbach was awaited by the fans with great interest, because it was in it that the fate of the owner of a ticket to the Final Four from group 3 could largely be decided. It was the guests who approached him as a leader.

In the first round, they scored five points and, among other things, in the experimental composition of the house, they broke the world with the Bundestim.

This time, Roberto Mancini released all the strongest on the field, although at the base there was a place for young Davide Frattesi, Giacomo Raspadori and 18-year-old Wilfred Nyonto.

However, the match unexpectedly ended for Squadra Azzurra with a uniform failure, which is difficult to explain.

From the start, things didn't go according to plan.

First, the team's bus got stuck in a traffic jam on the way to the stadium.

The meeting, like the Champions League final, almost started later, but still met the deadline.

However, this added to the team's actions of nervousness.

Already in the tenth minute, Joshua Kimmich was allowed to calmly open the scoring with a close-range shot.

The current European champions dropped their hands.

They did not get almost anything, while the opponent created one dangerous moment after another.

If not for Gianluigi Donnarumma, the hosts could have scored several times before the break.

However, he also turned out to be powerless when Ilkay Gundogan converted a penalty kick in stoppage time by the referee.

Before the opponents had time to return from the locker rooms, the experienced Thomas Muller brought the matter to a rout and, having scored the 44th goal, went to a clean seventh place in the list of Germany's top scorers in history.

And then it was time for another striker, Timo Werner, who managed to complete a brace within two minutes.

And both times he was assisted by substitute Serge Gnabry.

The only thing that the Italians were honored with in the time remaining until the final whistle was to close the gap.

First, Nyonto scored his debut ball in the national team, and then Alessandro Bastoni put an end to it - 2:5.

So "Squadra Azzurra" missed five for the first time since 1957 and suffered the second major defeat in a month.

Two weeks ago, she lost to Argentina in the Finalissima - 0:3.

In turn, the Germans for the first time defeated an opponent in an official confrontation, they had previously done this twice in friendly games.

Shocking sensation in Wolverhampton

However, the defeat of England by Hungary within the same quartet became a much greater sensation.

The first meeting between the teams in Budapest ended with an unexpected defeat for the British and it seemed that in Wolverhampton they were obliged to take revenge, all the more they needed a victory, because in the first three matches the favorite scored only two points.

But the game ended for Gareth Southgate's team with another embarrassment.

It is worth noting that the coach himself did not guess with the composition.

He left Jordan Pickford, Harry Maguire, Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling on standby and replaced them with the internationally less experienced Aaron Ramsdale, Mark Gehy, Conor Gallagher and Jarrod Bowen.

Faced with the first difficulties, the young team frankly "floated".

Already in the 16th minute, the guests took the lead after drawing the standard.

The account was opened by Roland Shallai.

The hosts were unable to respond to this with anything other than senseless possession of the ball (66%).

And although they made a total of almost three times as many passes (621 versus 276), they rarely penetrated into someone else's penalty area.

But the plan of the wards of Marco Rossi fully worked.

They defended reliably, leaving no free zones in their own half, and at the first opportunity they sent fast forwards to counterattacks.

The less time left before the final whistle, the stronger the British opened up.

It all ended in destruction.

Shallai scored a brace in the 70th minute.

The well-timed replacements of victors, designed to create problems for tired defenders, also fully worked.

Daniel Gazdag scored, Martin Adam assisted partners twice, and Adam Nagy once.

In addition, the hosts in the end were left without John Stones, who received two yellow cards.

As a result, Hungary not only won a second consecutive victory over a venerable opponent and came out on top in the group, but also beat England away for the first time since 1953.

In turn, the Three Lions suffered their biggest home defeat in 94 years and, together with France, are at risk of being relegated to Division B.

Amazing ending in Rotterdam

A serious rotation in the match with Wales was started by the coach of the Netherlands national team, Louis van Gaal.

An experienced specialist provided rest for such football players as Memphis Depay, Stefan de Vrey, Denzel Dumfis, Steven Bergwijn, Daly Blind and others.

But with the captain's armband at the age of 22, partners were brought out by Matthijs de Ligt.

As a result, the "orange" almost paid for the experiments.

However, everything started out great for them.

By the middle of the first half, the hosts scored twice.

Moreover, another young performer Noah Lang opened the account.

Cody Gakpo scored next.

But the Welsh immediately revived the intrigue thanks to Brennan Johnson's accurate shot into the far corner.

And the denouement, as in the first meeting, came in time added by the referee.

In the end, Tyrell Malasia pushed an attacker into the penalty area, and the referee immediately pointed to the “point”.

Substitute Gareth Bale confidently converted the penalty.

But the favorite again managed to snatch victory literally in the last attack.

And if in Cardiff the decisive shot was delivered by Wout Wegorst, then in Rotterdam it was Depay.

At the same time, with 41 goals, he almost caught up with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (42) in the list of the most productive players in the history of the national team.

Robin van Persie is also ahead of him (50).

The main rivals of the "orange" in the group, the Belgians, without affecting the extra effort, scored three points in Warsaw.

The only goal already in the 16th minute was scored by Michy Batshuayi.

Subsequently, the guests could repeatedly increase the advantage, and the referee canceled the goal of Eden Hazard due to offside.  

The first misfire of Ukraine in Lodz

But the Ukrainian national team failed to extend a successful streak in the League of Nations.

After victories over Ireland and Armenia, they tied in Lodz with the same Irish - 1:1.

The wards of Alexander Petrakov were the first to miss.

The incredible beauty of the ball was scored by the defender of the guests Nathan Collins.

Having made an interception in the area of ​​the central circle, he went to an amazing solo passage, beating several people on the way, and accurately shot past Dmitry Riznyk, who was holding only the second meeting as part of the national team.

On top of all the troubles, the “zhovto-blakitnye” lost one of the main stars Ruslan Malinovsky due to an injury.

Midfielder "Atalanta" was forced to ask for a replacement a few minutes after the collision with Josh Cullen.

But in the very debut of the second half, the nominal hosts managed to recoup.

Moreover, the author of the fateful own goal in the final of the joints for the right to go to the 2022 World Cup with Wales, Andrei Yaromolenko, scored an assist.

The captain dragged the ball to the front and rolled a pass to empty Artyom Dovbik.

More rivals to hit each other's gate failed.

The draw allowed the Ukrainians to keep the lead in Group 1 of League B with a margin of just a point from Scotland.

Fast hat-trick in Bucharest

In another quartet of the second strongest division, two experienced forwards came to the fore.

Edin Dzeko shone in Zenica.

At the very beginning of the match with Finland, the leader of the Bosnians earned a penalty, which Miralem Pjanic converted.

But the striker's partners on defense did not act in the best way, and by the 19th minute they allowed Suomi to make effective counterattacks twice and turn the match on its head.

Jacko had to take up the case again.

After half an hour of the meeting, he competently opened on the offside line and equalized the score, and in the debut of the second half brought victory to the team with a neat dribble kick from outside the penalty area - 3:2.

At 36, Edin not only remains the main striker for the national team, but also scores regularly.

He already has 63 goals to his credit.

If the Bosnians managed to stop one of the main competitors, then Montenegro unexpectedly defeated Romania on the road and is still behind the leader by a point.

In Bucharest, Dzeko's result was blocked by Stefan Mugosha.

The Incheon United footballer scored his debut hat-trick in his career for the national team.

To distinguish himself three times, it took him only 22 minutes.

The striker scored twice with his head, and put an end to the opposition with a magnificent rally shot from the penal semicircle.