Trending 
Germany clinched a spot in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in Munich on Monday, while France won against Belgium, and Italy continued their resurgence with a win over Israel.
Stuttgart’s Jamie Leweling marked his debut with the decisive goal that guaranteed Germany a top-two finish in Group A3. Despite facing the Netherlands for the eighth time in six years, Leweling was an unfamiliar figure for the Dutch. The 23-year-old was called up due to Jamal Musiala’s injury and started the match after a warm-up injury to Deniz Undav.
Leweling initially found the net within two minutes, but his effort was ruled out for offside. However, he redeemed himself by blasting in the winner in 64 minutes. Germany captain Joshua Kimmich praised Leweling, stating, “Jamie had an outstanding debut—it’s not often the Allianz Arena gives you a reception like that.”
Germany now has 10 points from four games, securing their place in the quarterfinals set for next March. The Netherlands, missing suspended captain Virgil van Dijk, remain level on five points with Hungary. Hungary earned a 2-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai scoring a goal and a penalty.
Italy retained their lead in Group A2 after a convincing 4-1 win over Israel in Udine. Mateo Retegui scored from the penalty spot just before half-time, and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo added two more in the second half. Davide Frattesi also netted for Italy, while Mohammad Abu Fani scored Israel’s lone goal.
Meanwhile, France are now just one point behind Italy after a 2-1 victory against Belgium, led by a brace from Randal Kolo Muani. The forward opened the scoring with a penalty in the 35th minute at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. Lois Openda equalised for Belgium in first-half stoppage time, but Kolo Muani’s header after the hour mark sealed the win.
France held on to their lead despite going down to 10 men when stand-in captain Aurélien Tchouaméni was sent off late in the match. The win marked France’s second consecutive victory in this international break, even without captain Kylian Mbappe, who was rested due to a recent thigh injury.
However, controversy emerged as reports surfaced in Sweden alleging that Mbappe was under investigation for rape following a visit to Stockholm. Mbappe dismissed the allegations as “fake news” on social media, suggesting a link between the report and his ongoing dispute over unpaid wages with former club Paris Saint-Germain.
It is uncertain whether Mbappe will return for France’s final Nations League group matches next month. Meanwhile, Kolo Muani has strengthened his case for selection, with coach Didier Deschamps expressing satisfaction with his performance.
Elsewhere, Turkey secured a 4-2 victory over Iceland in Reykjavik, scoring all their goals in the last 30 minutes. Inter Milan’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Real Madrid’s Arda Güler, Irfan Can Kahveci, and Kerem Aktürkoğlu were all on the scoresheet. Turkey remains two points ahead of Wales, who beat Montenegro 1-0 in Cardiff through a Harry Wilson penalty.
The Czech Republic leads Group B1 after a 1-1 draw with Ukraine, while Albania edged out Georgia 1-0. In Group C1, Sweden claimed a 3-0 win against Estonia, and Slovakia defeated Azerbaijan 3-1 away.
