Watched by the presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan and a partisan crowd, Robert Page’s players refused to be cowedVisitors to Baku invariably depart Azerbaijan with unnerving memories of crossing roads in the face of kamikaze local motorists.Pedestrians hoping for longevity require the sort delicately calibrated balance of caution and aggression showcased so superbly on the pitch by Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale and the rest of Robert Page’s impressively streetwise side on Wednesday night. Related: Ramsey and Roberts sink Turkey to put Wales on verge of Euro 2020 progress Related: Robert Page hails Gareth Bale after captain drives Wales to victory Continue reading...
Italy, the first country in Europe to be hit by Covid, host Turkey in the tournament’s opening match, with both hoping to go farThe first thing you notice about Rome on the eve of Europe’s biggest carnival is that it does not exactly feel like a place on the verge of a carnival. Instead, like every other major city in these straitened, saddened times, it’s simply trying to survive: to get by, to salvage what’s left of what we used to call normality. The piazzas and cobbled alleys that would normally be thronged with tourists at the height of summer are populated mostly by smoking teenagers and waiters touting for business that isn’t there. If the start of Euro 2020...
Aaron Ramsey return to Wales after a year out, Naby Keïta must step up for Guinea and Iceland will face a frosty reception The build-up to Wales’s remaining qualifiers has been dominated by the dismay that Gareth Bale’s call-up has caused at Real Madrid, where the forward has been on the sidelines for a month nursing a calf injury. Bale’s late winner against Azerbaijan in September proved how influential the forward can be in swinging matches Wales’ way but the returning Aaron Ramsey may be just as important for Ryan Giggs. The Juventus midfielder has been absent for Wales for a year so his return now, with two must-win games ahead, could not be better timed. Having just returned to...
Germany v Netherlands should be another belter, Chad make their return and will Brighton’s Mac Allister play for Argentina?Before October 2018, the Netherlands had not kicked a ball in anger against Germany for six years. When the teams walk out for the Group C qualifier in Hamburg, it will be the fourth time the fierce rivals have faced each other in 11 months. Not that neutrals should be complaining. There have been 12 goals in the two Nations League matches and one Euro 2020 qualifier that have been played since – and some scintillating football. Nico Schulz’s 90th-minute strike for Germany sealed a 3-2 victory in a pulsating qualifier at the Johan Cruyff Arena in March that left the Dutch...
Scepticism and confusion over the Nations League have been overtaken by teams at all levels taking it seriouslyA pile-on by the corner flag in Stockholm said it best. Turkey had just come from two goals down to defeat a seemingly comfortable Sweden and, in those chaotic moments after Emre Akbaba’s header drifted past a slow-footed Robin Olsen, a full 20 seconds passed before their outfield players disentangled themselves from the jubilant scrum beyond the quadrant.It was some way for Turkey, so reliably inconsistent, to ignite their Uefa Nations League campaign and it was just as significant for the nascent tournament itself. Akbaba had entered as a substitute in the 62nd minute: in a friendly he would have been one of...