Oct 11,2024
Italy were held to a 2-2 draw by Belgium after Lorenzo Pellegrini was sent off and they squandered a 2-0 lead but remained top of Nations League A Group 2.
Italy scored in the first minute when winger Federico Di Marco fired a low cross into the box and Belgium keeper Koen Casteels saved the first shot from Andrea Cambiaso who bundled in the rebound.
The hosts doubled the lead in the 24th minute when Di Marco volleyed the ball across the field to Cambiaso who was denied a second by Casteels before striker Mateo Retegui knocked in the loose ball.
Coach Luciano Spalletti's team were cruising until midfielder Pellegrini was sent off for hitting Belgium defender Arthur Theate at the end of the first half, following a VAR review.
The red card galvanised the Belgians and they immediately hit back through Maxim de Cuyper who halved the deficit with a curling shot from the edge of the box after a clever free kick routine.
Belgium started the second half strongly and equalised in the 61th minute when Leandro Trossard poked home from close range following a header by Wout Faes.
Christopher Nkunku celebrated his return to the France team with a goal in a 4-1 victory over Israel as Les Bleus edged closer to A2 Group leaders Italy.
Nkunku's maiden goal for France, almost 10 months after his last cap, helped France to six points from three games.
The Chelsea forward struck midway through the first half after Omri Gandelman had cancelled out Eduardo Camavinga's early opener before Matteo Guendouzi and Bradley Barcola sealed the win in the closing stages.
Norway striker Erling Haaland set another record after he netted twice in a 3-0 win over Slovenia to become his country's leading international scorer with 34 goals.
He drilled home the opener in the seventh minute after Jan Oblak could only parry Antonio Nusa's stinging shot into his path to go level with Joergen Juve, the last of whose 33 international goals came against an Austrian amateur international side in 1934.
Alexander Sorloth made it 2-0 to Norway after Slovenia defender Vanja Drkusic's attempted clearance rolled into his path, before Haaland added a third on the 62nd minute with a powerful left-foot shot.
Norway, who have not qualified for the finals of a major tournament since Euro 2000, top League B Group 3 with seven points, three ahead of Austria who strolled to a 4-0 victory over Kazakhstan.
