UEFA Nations League – League D
Georgia, Belarus, Kosovo and Macedonia stamped their authority in their respective groups in League D with convincing performances in Matchday 3 of the UEFA Nations League.
The Georgians dominated Andorra and are now well poised to be promoted to League C as they lead Group D1 by a huge margin. The same goes for Macedonia who made easy work of Liechtenstein in their D4 meeting.
Belarus, on the other hand, toppled Luxembourg from the top with a clinical victory, while Kosovo made sure they retain their seat on the summit after Azerbaijan briefly climbed up.
GROUP 1
A win and a draw appear to be the norm in Group D1. However, if there’s one thing constant, it’s Georgia getting all three points.
The first two gameweeks saw Vladimir Weiss’ men reign victorious and the other match ending in a draw, and that pattern continued this time as they beat Andorra by three goals to nothing and the Latvia-Kazakhstan match finishing in a 1-1 draw.
Georgia were never really threatened in their game and came out with an easy victory behind goals from Valeri Qazaishvili and Jaba Kankava. Meanwhile, Latvia battled back from an early deficit as Arturs Karasausks hit one before the break to share the spoils with the Kazakhs.
Highlight of the Group: The Georgians controlled the proceedings against Andorra, but it’s interesting to note that their last two goals came in the closing stages. Qazaishvili completed his brace in the 84th minute before Kankava added the team’s third in injury time.
Key statistics: Weiss’ charges had 80 percent possession and limited Andorra to just one shot on target. With the defeat, Koldo Alvarez’ side drops to the bottom of the group with two draws and one loss.
GROUP 2
Belarus won the top-of-the-table battle in Group D2 this week, allowing them to leapfrog Luxembourg at the top with seven points. Anton Saroka, who scored once in their 5-0 opening day victory against San Marino, grabbed the UEFA Nations League 2018 highlights once again as he bagged the lone goal of the match.
Moldova, meanwhile, got their first win of the tournament at the expense of struggling San Marino. They lost their opener against Luxembourg and drew with Belarus in the following match, but Radu Ginsari ensured Moldova got all the points this time.
Highlight of the Group: Saroka took advantage of Luxembourg’s sloppy defending to break the deadlock right before halftime. Pavel Nekhajchik saw a header blocked from the centre box, but Saroka was there to rebound and complete the job.
Key statistics: With another clean sheet, Belarus remain as one of only two teams that haven’t conceded a goal yet in League D. On the other end, Ginsari’s two goals for Moldova are the team’s first of the tournament.
GROUP 3
The pre-tournament UEFA Nations League 2018 odds at SBOBET had Azerbaijan as clear favourites to top Group D3, but Kosovo have now replaced them in the pecking order.
Azerbaijan remain in striking distance from Kosovo after destroying Faroe Island with three unanswered goals. However, Kosovo showed they wouldn’t relinquish their lead at the top easily, beating Malta 3-1 behind two second-half goals.
Highlight of the Group: With the game seemingly headed to a 1-1 draw, Kosovo scored twice in a span of 13 second-half minutes to pull away from Malta. Vedat Muriqi and Benjamin Kololli—who opened the account for the home team—both struck to lead the team to victory.
Key statistics: Kosovo and Azerbaijan are still undefeated in the competition, alongside Georgia, Belarus and Macedonia. Interestingly, Group D3 is the only group that has two unbeaten teams.
GROUP 4
Macedonia are one win away from promotion, thanks to their dominant 4-1 win over Liechtenstein. Aleksandar Trajkovski (twice), Goran Pandev and Egzijan Alioski all found the back of the net for the Macedonians, making Seyhan Yildiz’ strike for the visitors a mere consolation.
On the other game, Gibraltar made history after winning their first-ever away win in an official international competition, including friendlies. Joseph Chipolina converted from the spot for Gibraltar in the 50th minute and goalkeeper Kyle Goldwin ensured the victory with a string of impressive saves against Armenia.
Highlight of the Group: While Macedonia were never made to work hard, it was Liechtenstein who had one of the best moments. Yildiz got one back for the visitors a minute after Pandev made it 3-0, making him the first player to score against the Macedonians in the Nations League.
Key statistics: Gibraltar’s 1-0 win over the Armenians broke a run of 22 competitive internationals without a win. Chipolina’s penalty is also their first goal in the event after going scoreless in their first two fixtures.
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