France and Spain qualify for UEFA Women’s Nations League finals | OneFootball

France’s midfielder #09 Eugenie Le Sommer (C) celebrates scoring her team’s second goal. (Photo by DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)

France reached February’s UEFA Women’s Nations League finals with victory over Austria, Spain did likewise despite a home defeat to Italy.

Group A1: England 3-2 Netherlands, Belgium 1-1 Scotland

A competition-record 71,632 crowd at Wembley witnessed an England fight back, overturning a two-goal half-time deficit to move level on points with the Netherlands. Belgium missed the chance to go top when held by Scotland, who finish up at home to the Lionesses on Tuesday 5 December.

Group A2: Norway 4-0 Portugal, France 3-0 Austria

France moved six points clear of second-placed Austria whom they beat 3-0, Amandine Henry heading in a Selma Bacha free-kick, Eugénie Le Sommer doubling the lead and Marie-Antoinette Katoto heading the third. Norway put four past Portugal to movbe off the bottom at the expense of their visitors. Ada Hegerberg hit a hat-trick in including a penalty, Sophie Roman Haug with the other goal.

Group A3: Germany 3-0 Denmark, Wales 1-2 Iceland

Germany knocked Denmark off the top of the table, Alex Popp and Marina Hegering putting them two up, before the third from Klara Bühl gave them the advantage in the head-to-head record. Wales lost the crucial clash with Iceland and are now relegated to League B.

Group A4: Spain 2-3 Italy, Switzerland 1-0 Sweden

Spain’s midfielder #10 Jennifer Hermoso walks past Italy players celebrating their win. (Photo by MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP via Getty Images)

Spain maintained their five-point lead even with a defeat, as Sweden failed to capitalise on the result in their trip to Switzerland. Athenea del Castillo struck first for Spain but Italy came roaring back with three goals in 19 minutes from Valentina Giacinti, Michela Cambiaghi and Elena Linari. Esther González pulled one back but Spain suffered their first home competitive defeat since 2008. Italy still trail Sweden on head-to-head record, the Swedes losing out to an early Ana-Maria Crnogorčević goal in Switzerland, who are nonetheless relegated.

Group B1: Republic of Ireland 1-0 Hungary, Albania 0-4 Northern Ireland

A Simone Magill brace set Northern Ireland on the road to a 4-0 win in Albania, lifting them above Hungary into second position. Republic of Ireland needed an own-goal to make it five wins from five in the group.

Group B2: Croatia 2-0 Slovakia, Finland 6-0 Romania

Finland are promoted after hitting Romania for six following the dismissal of the visitors’ Antonia Bratu on 27 minutes.

Group B3: Ukraine 0-1 Poland, Greece 0-2 Serbia

Poland are going up to League A after scoring the only goal of the game against Ukraine, Adriana Achcinska netting in the 10th minute. Serbia scored at the end of either 45 for victory in Greece, securing a play-off with a third-placed League A side.

Group B4: Belarus P-P Czechia, Slovenia 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Slovenia kept their promotion hopes alive with a 2-1 win against Group leaders Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zala Kustrin turning the game round with a late brace.

Group C1: Moldova 0-0 Malta, Latvia 4-0 Andorra

Olga Sevcova hit a five-minute treble for Latvia straddling the interval, Moldova had Felicia Gutu sent off ten minutes from time in a goalless draw with leaders Malta.

Group C2: Lithuania 0-4 Türkiye, Georgia 4-2 Luxembourg

Georgia trailed 2-0 to Luxembourg before scoring four times in the last quarter of the match, while Türkiye made it five wins from five.

Group C3: Cyprus 0-1 Azerbaijan, Montenegro 9-0 Faroe Islands

Azerbaijan’s Nigar Mirzaliyeva after the promotion-securing victory in Cyprus. (Sean Chandler / SPP)

Azerbaijan’s 1-0 win in Cyprus came despite a late red card and sealed first place in the group,

Group C4: Kazakhstan 0-1 Estonia, Armenia 0-4 Israel

Sharon Beck hit a hat-trick in the last quarter of Israel’s game in Armenia, Kristina Bannikova’s seventh-minute goal gave Estonia their own away win.

Group C5: Kosovo 5-1 Bulgaria

Kosovo came from behind to beat Bulgaria, opening up an unassailable six-point lead.

Republic of Ireland Women win again, Northern Ireland go second