UEFA Nations League: Italy, France advance to quarter-finals

A UEFA Nations League Group A2 match between France and Israel ended in a goalless draw on Thursday, played under tight security at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

Neither team managed to find the back of the net during the 90 minutes, resulting in a scoreless stalemate, News.Az reports.

The match, which was expected to attract a larger crowd, saw a notably low turnout, with only 20,000 tickets sold for the 80,000-seat stadium, creating a subdued atmosphere. The security presence was heightened, with 4,000 police officers deployed at the venue following violent clashes last week in Amsterdam involving Maccabi Tel Aviv fans before and after their match against Ajax.

In the other Group A2 match, Italy secured a slim 1-0 victory over Belgium at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. A first-half goal from Sandro Tonali in the 11th minute was enough to see Italy through, maintaining their lead in the group with 13 points. France sits second with 10 points, while Belgium (4 points) and Israel (1 point) are fighting to avoid relegation to League B.

With Italy and France advancing to the quarterfinals, the final group match between Belgium and Israel will determine which team avoids relegation.

Thursday’s Results:

Kazakhstan 0-2 Austria

Armenia 0-1 Faroe Islands

North Macedonia 1-0 Latvia

France 0-0 Israel

Belgium 0-1 Italy

Slovenia 1-4 Norway

Ireland 1-0 Finland

Greece 0-3 England

News.Az