Nations League matchday 3, Friday: Italy hold Zidane's France, Lewandowski hits three in a 6–0, and Northern Ireland win in Trnava

Friday brought ten matches and 27 goals. France were held 1–1 by Italy at the Stade de France in Zinedine Zidane's first home game in charge, and finished with ten men; they still lead League A, Group 1 by a point from Belgium, who beat Türkiye 3–0 with two goals from Kevin De Bruyne. Poland beat ten-man Romania 6–0, Robert Lewandowski scoring three, and Northern Ireland won 3–0 against Ukraine in Trnava to go three points clear in League B, Group 2. Three of the ten matches were won by the away side.

The afternoon

Kazakhstan 1–2 Moldova in Astana went to the side with a third of the ball. Nicky Clescenco scored on 45+1 and Petru Popescu on 50 from Sergiu Perciun's pass; Nuraly Alip pulled one back on 64 from Bauyrzhan Islamkhan's. Kazakhstan had 66 per cent of the ball, eighteen shots and eleven corners, but three shots on target to Moldova's eight. It is Moldova's first win of the campaign.

Cyprus 2–0 Armenia in Nicosia was decided in the first half. Leonidas Konomis scored on 19 and Andronikos Kakoullis on 31 from Ioannis Pittas's pass. Kostas Pileas was sent off on 52 after a VAR review, and Cyprus held out with ten men; Armenia had 67 per cent of the ball, sixteen shots and eleven corners, but five shots on target.

Latvia 1–2 Montenegro at Skonto in Riga belonged to Vasilije Adžić, who scored on 3 from Risto Radunović's pass and again on 56. Markuss Strods, a substitute, pulled one back on 82 from Kristers Cudars's pass, two substitutes who had come on together on 78. Montenegro put six of fourteen shots on target to Latvia's two, and have nine points from three.

The evening

France 1–1 Italy was goalless at the break. Michael Olise curled in a free kick on 55, played short to him by Rayan Cherki, and Alessandro Bastoni equalised on 68 after taking the ball off Lucas Da Cunha, as UEFA describes it. Dayot Upamecano, booked on 73, was sent off on 85. France had 65 per cent of the ball and put eight of eighteen shots on target; Italy put two of fourteen on target, and Gianluigi Donnarumma made seven saves. "We deserved better," Zidane said afterwards, according to AP, and he called the crowd's reception "touching". France have seven points; Italy have four.

Belgium 3–0 Türkiye in Liège was De Bruyne's night. He scored on 10 from Dodi Lukebakio's pass and on 59 from Youri Tielemans's, a curling shot from long range in UEFA's description, and Romelu Lukaku, on as a substitute on 61, made it 3–0 on 76 from Charles De Ketelaere's pass. Türkiye had 23 shots, eight on target, to Belgium's ten on target from seventeen. "I feel I can still contribute," De Bruyne, 35, said, according to AP. Belgium have six points; Türkiye have lost all three.

Hungary 1–0 Georgia at the Puskás Aréna turned on Milos Kerkez's goal on 35 from Dániel Lukács's pass. Hungary had 42 per cent of the ball but 26 shots, eight on target; Georgia had eight shots, three on target.

Ukraine 0–3 Northern Ireland was played in Trnava, in Slovakia. Ciaron Brown scored on 9 and Isaac Price on 22 from Kieran Morrison's pass, and Brown added a third on 61 from Pierce Charles's free kick: the Irish Times reports that he flicked it on and the ball went through goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk's legs. They were Brown's first international goals, according to the Irish Times. Ukraine had 72 per cent of the ball and two shots on target from eleven. Northern Ireland have seven points from three and have not conceded.

Poland 6–0 Romania in Warsaw turned on 22, when Radu Drăgușin was sent off; Lewandowski converted the penalty on 24. He scored again on 47 from Nicola Zalewski's pass, Virgil Ghiță put through his own net on 49, Piotr Zieliński scored on 62 and Jan Bednarek on 66 from Sebastian Szymański's pass, and Lewandowski, 38, completed his hat-trick on 86 from Oskar Pietuszewski's. Poland had 24 shots, nine on target. It is their first win of the campaign.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 1–1 Sweden in Zenica was Edin Džeko's last international, his 152nd appearance; AP reports that he retires with 73 goals, both national records. He went off on 63. Viktor Gyökeres had a goal ruled out by VAR on 18, then scored on 61 from Alexander Bernhardsson's pass, and Kerim Alajbegović equalised on 80. It was a match of few chances: Sweden had four shots on target, Bosnia and Herzegovina two.

Faroe Islands 1–1 Slovakia in Tórshavn was 1–0 to Slovakia at half-time through Gunnar Vatnhamar's own goal on 38. Adrian Justinussen, on as a substitute on 55, equalised on 66. The Faroe Islands had 35 per cent of the ball but six shots on target to Slovakia's four, and have drawn all three.

The groups after Friday

• League A, Group 1: France 7 (+2); Belgium 6 (+4); Italy 4 (+1); Türkiye 0 (−7).
• League B, Group 2: Northern Ireland 7 (+4); Ukraine 4 (−2); Hungary 4 (0); Georgia 1 (−2).
• League B, Group 4: Sweden 7 (+3); Bosnia and Herzegovina 5 (+2); Poland 4 (+4); Romania 0 (−9).
• League C, Group 2: Montenegro 9 (+3); Cyprus 4 (+1); Armenia 3 (−1); Latvia 1 (−3).
• League C, Group 3: Slovakia 7 (+3); Moldova 4 (−1); Faroe Islands 3 (0); Kazakhstan 1 (−2).

Numbers to know

• Twenty-seven goals in ten matches: four home wins, three away wins and three draws.
• Poland's 6–0 is the second-biggest win of the campaign, after Finland's 7–0 in San Marino.
• Three red cards: Drăgușin's on 22, Pileas's on 52 and Upamecano's on 85.
• Montenegro and Portugal are the only sides with three wins from three.
• Northern Ireland have kept three clean sheets in three: 1–0, 0–0 and 3–0.

Next up

Matchday 3 ends on Saturday 3 October with Finland v Albania at 13:00 UTC; Croatia v England, Belarus v San Marino, Iceland v Bulgaria and Estonia v Luxembourg at 16:00; and Spain v Czechia, Switzerland v Slovenia and North Macedonia v Scotland at 18:45. Matchday 4 starts on Sunday. The full round is on the Nations League page.

Sources for the context: UEFA, AP, AP, Irish Times.