Nations League matchday 4, Monday: France's substitutes sink Belgium, Sweden and Northern Ireland stay top

Monday's eight Nations League matches brought seventeen goals, five of them in Paris: France were a goal down to Belgium with 13 minutes left and won 4–1, every French goal scored by a substitute. Italy beat Türkiye 3–1 to go second in League A, Group 1. In League B, Sweden won 1–0 in Romania and Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Poland 1–0 with a late penalty, while Northern Ireland were held 0–0 by Georgia and missed a penalty of their own. Four were home wins, two away wins and two goalless draws.

The early kick-off

Cyprus 2–1 Latvia in Nicosia turned in stoppage time. Eduards Daskevics put Latvia ahead on 57 from Vladislavs Gutkovskis' pass, with their only shot on target of the match. Giannis Kosti, on as a substitute a minute later, equalised on 70, and Marcus Edwards scored the winner on 90+4 from Nicholas Tsaroulla's pass, three minutes after Tsaroulla came on. Cyprus had 62 per cent of the ball and 19 shots, seven on target, and are second in League C, Group 2 on seven points.

The evening

France 4–1 Belgium at the Stade de France was Belgium's at half-time. Dodi Lukebakio scored on 35 from Romeo Lavia's pass, and the score held until France's bench took over. Désiré Doue, five minutes after coming on, scored on 77 from Lucas Da Cunha's pass; Rayan Cherki made it 2–1 on 81 from Michael Olise's pass, and Olise scored on 88 and 90+1, both from Doue. Olise, Cherki and Da Cunha had come on around the hour, Doue on 72. France had 66 per cent of the ball, 23 shots and eight on target to Belgium's five and two. France have won all seven meetings on record and lead Group 1 on ten points. AFP reports that Zinedine Zidane made ten changes, with only Ousmane Dembélé keeping his place, that Leny Yoro and Guillaume Restes made their France debuts, and that Belgium were without the suspended Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans. It was Zidane's first home win in charge, the agency notes; "what he's doing is simply exceptional," he said of Olise.

Italy 3–1 Türkiye in Bologna was opened by Gianluca Scamacca on 26. Aral Simsir equalised on 61 from Eren Elmalı's pass, but two Italian substitutes, both on since 56, answered: Riccardo Calafiori scored on 64 from Nicolò Barella's pass and Pio Esposito on 87 from Alessandro Romano's. Türkiye had 55 per cent of the ball and nine corners to three. Italy are unbeaten in five meetings on record, four of them wins, and Türkiye have lost all four in the group, conceding eleven. According to ANSA, the win already guarantees Italy at least third place and a seeded spot in the draw for Euro qualifying, and Esposito's goal was his seventh in 13 caps.

Ukraine 1–2 Hungary was Ukraine's home match, played in Trnava, Slovakia. Milan Tóth scored on 52 from Milan Vitális' pass; Roman Yaremchuk, a substitute on 60, equalised on 83 from Oleksandr Pikhalyonok's pass, and Mark Csinger restored Hungary's lead on 85 from Rajmund Tóth's pass. Nemzeti Sport notes that both Hungarian scorers were scoring for the first time for their country. Ukraine had 16 shots but two on target. The result reverses Ukraine's 1–0 win in Budapest on 25 September and takes Hungary to seven points, one behind Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland 0–0 Georgia at Windsor Park turned on a penalty that was not scored. After a VAR check on 82, Isaac Price took it on 84, and PA reports that Giorgi Mamardashvili saved it. Northern Ireland had 15 shots, five on target, against Georgia's 62 per cent of the ball, and Mamardashvili made five saves in all. Northern Ireland have now kept four clean sheets in four and lead League B, Group 2 on eight points; Georgia have two points and have not scored. PA notes that it is the first time since 2017 that Northern Ireland have kept four competitive clean sheets in a row; "we're disappointed not to win the game," Michael O'Neill said.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 1–0 Poland in Zenica was settled by Ivan Bašić's penalty on 84, after a VAR review on 83; the Polish federation's report says the referee went to the monitor before pointing to the spot. Poland had 56 per cent of the ball and 18 shots, four on target; Bosnia and Herzegovina had one shot on target, and scored with it. It is their first win over Poland in four meetings on record, and it lifts them to eight points, two behind Sweden.

Romania 0–1 Sweden in Bucharest was decided by Viktor Gyökeres on 13. Romania had 52 per cent of the ball and four shots on target to Sweden's two, without finding a way past Viktor Johansson. SVT reports that it was Sweden's first clean sheet under Graham Potter, and that Gyökeres has now scored in seven Nations League matches in a row, extending his own record in the competition. Sweden have won the last four meetings on record and lead League B, Group 4 on ten points; Romania have lost all four, conceding thirteen.

Montenegro 0–0 Armenia in Podgorica was goalless, and Montenegro finished with ten men: Stefan Loncar, on as a substitute on 62, was sent off on 86 after a VAR check. Montenegro had 66 per cent of the ball and five shots on target; Armenia had two. Montenegro drop their first points of the campaign but stay top of League C, Group 2 on ten, three clear of Cyprus.

The groups after Monday

• League A, Group 1: France 10 (+5); Italy 7 (+3); Belgium 6 (+1); Türkiye 0 (−9).
• League B, Group 2: Northern Ireland 8 (+4); Hungary 7 (+1); Ukraine 4 (−3); Georgia 2 (−2).
• League B, Group 4: Sweden 10 (+4); Bosnia and Herzegovina 8 (+3); Poland 4 (+3); Romania 0 (−10).
• League C, Group 2: Montenegro 10 (+3); Cyprus 7 (+2); Armenia 4 (−1); Latvia 1 (−4).

Numbers to know

• Seventeen goals in eight matches, nine of them after the 75th minute.
• Eight of the seventeen goals were scored by substitutes, four of them France's.
• Northern Ireland have conceded none in four; Georgia have scored none in four.
• Türkiye and Romania have lost all four, conceding eleven and thirteen.
• Two penalties: Bašić scored his on 84, Price missed his on 84.
• One red card, Loncar's on 86.

Next up

Tuesday 6 October closes matchday 4 with ten matches: Kazakhstan v Faroe Islands at 14:00 UTC, then nine at 18:45, among them Croatia v Spain, England v Czechia, Switzerland v North Macedonia and Scotland v Slovenia. Matchday 5 follows on 12–14 November. The full round is on the Nations League page.

Sources for the context: AFP, PA, PA, PZPN, ANSA, SVT, Nemzeti Sport.