PIX: France held goalless by Israel; England cruise

Images from the Nations League matches played on Thursday.

France into Nations League last eight with Israel draw

France qualified for the quarter-finals of the Nations League despite a lacklustre goalless draw against Israel on Thursday in front of a record low crowd at the Stade de France due to security fears around the game.

Back in the northern Paris arena for the first time since June 2023, Les Bleus were unimpressive but still secured at least second place in Group A2.

They are second on 10 points from five games, three behind Italy, who beat Belgium 1-0 away.

France face the Azzurri in Milan on Sunday with the top spot at stake.

Thursday's game was played in front of scant crowds and heavy security a week after violence in Amsterdam involving visiting Israeli fans and local gangs.

Scuffles briefly erupted in the stands in the first half and the Israeli anthem was booed, while two Palestinian flags were displayed towards the end of the match as frictions from the Gaza war spilled into a sporting arena.

With 4,000 security personnel patrolling in and around the ground to prevent trouble, attendance was at a record low, with only 16,611 spectators watching in the lowest turnout ever for Les Bleus at the Stade de France.

"I didn’t see the scuffles. We had to play this game in a context that we would like not to have. It’s obviously weird to play in front of such a (small) crowd," France manager Didier Deschamps said after the match.

With captain Kylian Mbappe omitted from the squad and Ousmane Dembele ruled out with a thigh injury, France were missing their usual firepower and it showed.

They lacked creativity and inspiration throughout, with Randal Kolo Muani, who started as a lone forward with Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise on his flanks, struggling to threaten.

He had his first chance in the 19th minute, but his header was safely parried away by Daniel Peretz.

France dominated and thought they had the opener in the 77th minute, only for Peretz to keep his side afloat with a nice save to deny Warren Zaire Emery.

Second-half substitute Marcus Thuram headed straight into Peretz's arms and Christopher Nkunku also came close in added time but it was too little, too late for the home side.

England cruise past hosts Greece to go top

England eased past hosts Greece 3-0 in their Nations League match on Thursday to go top of their Group B2 and head into their last matchday against Ireland playing for promotion.

Goals from Ollie Watkins, an own goal by the Greeks and a late flick from Curtis Jones on his debut gave England a comfortable victory and put them on 12 points from five matches.

They are ahead of Greece, who beat them 2-1 in London last month, on goal difference.

The visitors flew into Greece without nine players - including Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold - who pulled out of interim boss Lee Carsley's squad due to injuries.

Captain Harry Kane had sharply criticised the withdrawals, saying country must always come before club.

Kane was surprisingly left on the bench until the second half but there was nothing lax about their start with England comfortably controlling possession and getting an early goal from Watkins.

"It represents that we are moving in the right direction. We won't get too carried away, we have a big game on Sunday at Wembley," said England's interim boss Lee Carsley.

"We have a lot of outstanding talent. The players that weren't here, we concentrated on the ones who were. They took their opportunity today.

"People were speaking last night about the inexperience in the squad but these players are playing for their clubs at a really high level."

Watkins tapped in for the lead in the seventh minute after a cutback from Noni Madueke, making his first England start.

Greece, who had their first effort towards goal after 25 minutes, gradually got into the game and had a golden chance to level on the half hour mark but Kostas Tsimikas' shot from inside the box was punched wide by England keeper Jordan Pickford.

The visitors came close in the 53rd but keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos stopped a shot by Rico Lewis before Jude Bellingham saw his header bounce off the post seconds later.

With Greece pushing for an equaliser that would secure promotion for them, Pickford had to come to the rescue again in the 63rd minute, palming Fotis Ioannidis' curled shot wide before England struck twice late on to finish off the tie and gain the advantage for the last matchday.

Bellingham's shot in the 78th bounced off the post then the back of Vlachodimos for an own goal.

Jones then added a third four minutes later with a cheeky flick.

"In the first 25-30 minutes we allowed them to circulate the ball too much," Greece defender Konstantinos Mavropanos said. "In the second half we took risks that did not pay off.

"The early goal affected us but in those 25 minutes we just gave England too much space and possession."

The Greeks are second after their first loss in the campaign and travel to Finland for their last match. The top team wins promotion while the second-placed finisher goes into a playoff.

Tonali strike gives Italy away win over Belgium

Sandro Tonali tapped in an early goal to hand Italy a 1-0 away win over Belgium in the Nations League on Thursday that consolidated their top place in Group A2.

Tonali scored his first goal for Italy and could have had another in an impressive performance at the King Baudouin Stadium although Belgium gave as good as they got in a fast-paced game.

Tonali took full advantage of Giovanni di Lorenzo’s pass after a slip by Belgian defender Maxim De Cuyper in the 11th minute to give Italy an early lead they never relinquished despite a strong finish by the hosts.

The result moved Italy up to 13 points in the standings, three above France who were held to a home draw by Israel in Paris at the same time.

Belgium’s slim hopes of a berth in next March’s quarter-finals were ended by their failure to win.

The injury-hit home side did keep Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma busy after weathering Italy’s first half dominance.

Tonali might have had the visitors 2-0 up on the stroke of half-time but had a half chance blocked after being set up by Andrea Cambiaso.

Belgium looked much sharper from the start of the second half although Italy had more chances to extend their lead.

Mateo Retegui was free on the counter attack nine minutes after the break but denied by a one-handed stop from Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels.

Straight after, there was a scramble in the Belgian box that eventually saw defender Wout Faes clear.

“The lads did well, because the pitch got really heavy in the second half, we lost a bit of sharpness when in possession and made a few too many misplaced passes,” Italy coach Luciano Spalletti told RAI Sport.

“As we said before the game, in places like this, you have to keep the ball, that is essential to take the pressure off and control the game. When Belgium pinned us back into our own half it was tough, but they fought like lions.”

The home side should have been level in the 78th minute but captain Romelu Lukaku headed Timothy Castagne’s inviting header wide.

Lukaku, who is Belgium’s record scorer, was playing his first game for his country since the European Championship in mid-year and captained the team in the absence of Kevin de Bruyne.

Five minutes later, Faes headed against the post, feathering a touch to another pinpoint delivery from Castagne, but that was as close as Belgium came to avoiding a second successive home loss after France beat them 2-1 in Brussels last month.

"We tried to put more pressure in the second half and it almost worked but it was a pity that the ball just wouldn't go in," said Leandro Trossard, who was one of Belgium's better performers.

Defeat for Belgium will add to the pressure on coach Domenico Tedesco, whose side have now won one of their past seven outings.

Italy finish their group campaign at home to France in Milan on Sunday while Belgium and Israel battle it out to avoid bottom place in Budapest at the same time.