A clinical
performance saw world number one Belgium helped secure a 2-0 win over England on
Sunday, ending the Three Lions’ bid to reach the UEFA Nations League finals
next year.

The match-up
between the two number 9s on either side, Romelu Lukaku for Belgium and England’s
Harry Kane, was much anticipated and the two centre-forwards dominated the early
phases of the match.

Lukaku set
up midfielder Youri Tieleman’s 10th minute deflected opener before
clearing off the line a Kane header from a corner with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois
beaten.

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Declan Rice
was harshly adjudged to have fouled Kevin de Bryune and Dries Mertens doubled
Belgium’s advantage from the resultant free-kick with a sumptuous, curling
effort on the 24th minute mark.

“We were
always in control at 2-0, sometimes it can be dangerous, you feel comfortable
but we defended Thibaut Courtois’s goal very well,” AFP quoted Belgium coach
Roberto Martinez as saying.

The defeat,
England’s second in a row, leaves them in third place, five points adrift of
Belgium at the top of League A Group 2 and out of contention for the October
2021 finals.

“We don’t
like losing, but enormous credit to the team, all the way through they created
problems and defended resiliently,” England coach Gareth Southgate said.

Belgium still
need a point to secure top spot and qualify for the finals as two goals from
Inter Milan midfielder Christian Eriksen saw Denmark beat Iceland in the other
fixture of the group.

The win
lifted the Danes up to second place and keeps their hopes of qualifying for the
finals alive. They will need to beat Belgium to secure top spot in the group when
they meet on Wednesday.

Eriksen
gave the Danes the lead from the penalty spot after 12 minutes following a foul
by Ari Freyr Skulason on Daniel Wass.

Vidar Orn
Kjartansson levelled for Iceland in the 85th minute but another penalty by
Eriksen in the second minute of injury time after a handball by Hordur
Magnusson gave the Danes the three points.

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Italy
brushed off the absences of several players and coronavirus-hit coach Roberto
Mancini with an impressive 2-0 victory over Poland. The Azzurri took top spot
in Group A1 from the Netherlands, who beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 earlier
in the day.

Italy will
be sure of a place in next October’s finals with victory over the Bosnians in
Sarajevo on Wednesday. Chelsea midfielder Jorginho opened the scoring in the
27th minute with a penalty awarded after Grzegorz Krychowiak had brought down
Andrea Belotti.

In the 77th
minute, Poland had Jacek Goralski sent off before the Italians added a second
goal from Domenico Berardi.

“It’s
our culture, Italians give their best during difficult moments and become more
united,” said assistant coach Alberico Evani whose 41-man squad had been
whittled down to 28, due to injuries, as well as positive and inconclusive COVID-19
tests.

Frank de
Boer won his first match as Netherlands coach after Georginio Wijnaldum scored
twice in the win over Bosnia. The Liverpool midfielder struck his goals early
in the first half to help new coach De Boer break his duck at the fifth attempt
following three draws and a defeat, with Memphis Depay scoring the other for
the dominant Dutch.

“It
had been five games since we’d won, so it was a good feeling to win
again,” said Wijnaldum.

“If
I’m playing more in a sitting role, I don’t get in the box that often, but
tonight I was playing as a No10 so I’m expected to. I basically just did my
job.”

The Dutch
go to Poland in their final group game but even a win won’t be good enough
should Italy prevail in Bosnia.

In
promotion ties, Scotland failed to follow up their heroics of reaching a first
major tournament for 22 years as Steve Clarke’s men were beaten 1-0 by
Slovakia, their first defeat in 10 games.

Jan Gregus’s
deflected strike on 32 minutes decided the meeting of two teams who qualified
for Euro 2020 this week.

Wales
winger David Brooks sealed a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland. After a
seventh successive clean sheet in all competitions, Wales, unbeaten in their
last 10 games, need a point on Wednesday against Finland to earn promotion to
League A.