IFFHS CONTINENTAL NEWS - UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE
Statistics on Nations League games of 20 March
Croatia vs France 2-0
*France have lost their first leg in a head-to-head tie by 2+ goals for the first time since 15 November 2013 (0-2 against Ukraine in a World Cup play-off). Les Bleus then won 3-0 in the return leg.
*France lost their first match of a calendar year for the second time in a row. This is their worst run of this kind since 2006 to 2010 (5 times).
*Ivan Perisic is the first player to score a goal and give an assist in the same match against France since Wayne Rooney (England) in November 2015.
*Of France’s last 4 conceded goals 3 were headed, as many as of their previous 53.
*Kylian Mbappé has not scored in his last 6 matches for France: his worst run since June-September 2021 (also 6).
He has scored only 2 goals in his last 13 appearances for Les Bleus.
Netherlands vs Spain 2-2
*Spain last avoided defeat thanks to an injury-time goal on 3 September 2020 (Gayá in the 90'+5' minute against Germany).
*Tijjani Reijnders is the first player in history to put “Oranje” in front with each of his first-ever 4 goals.
*Cody Gakpo (picture) was directly involved in 21 goals in his 37 games for “ Oranje”, the joint 2nd highest tally for any player in his first 37 matches for the Netherlands this century (Klaas Jan Huntelaar has 23 and Arjen Robben also 21).
*Pedri provided an assist for Spain for the first time in 4 years (he set up Ferran Torres against Kosovo on 31 March 2021).
*Alvaro Morata is the first player to represent 6 different clubs in the 105-year history of the Spanish national team (36 caps as a Juventus player, 30 Atlético, 7 Chelsea, 7 Real Madrid, 4 Milan, 1 Galatasaray).
Julio Salinas and David Villa, who played for Spain and belonged to 5 clubs, are left behind.
Morata is also the only one to have represented 4 foreign clubs, surpassing Pablo Sarabia (3).
*Dean Huijsen is the first player born in the Netherlands to earn a full international cap for Spain (due to Cubarsí's injury).
*Huijsen is the 3rd player who debuted with Spain in his home country, after Ramón Zabalo (British-born) and Thiago Alcântara (born in Italy).
Four others also played for Spain in their country of birth (but not at debut): Alfredo Di Stéfano, Rubén Cano (both born in Argentina), Diego Costa (born in Brazil) and Joselu (in Germany).
*At 19 years 340 days old, Huijsen is the fourth-youngest debutant in the history of the Spanish national team, among those born outside our Spain’s borders.
*Huijsen became the tallest ever (1.97m) Spain’s outfield player and the joint-tallest player overall, along with Robert Sánchez (goalkeeper).
In this regard, Huijsen surpassed the 1.95m tall Fernando Llorente (forward).
*Rotterdam is the city where Spain has played the most matches (5) without winning any (2 draws, 3 losses).
Also, De Kuip is the stadium where the Spanish national team has played the joint-most matches without winning any, 5 (along with Nacional do Jamor in Lisbon, 3 draws, 2 defeats).
Monumental in Buenos Aires is the next (4 games – 1 draw, 3 losses).
Italy vs Germany 1-2
*Germany last defeated Italy on Italian soil 39 years ago (1-2 in a friendly in Avellino on 5 February 1986).
*Italy have lost an home match after a leading situation for the first time since 14 November 2012 (a friendly against France).
*Sandro Tonali is just the 2nd Italy player to have scored against Germany in the first 15 minutes of a competitive match, after Roberto Boninsegna (8th minute, the 1970 World Cup semifinal).
*Since Joshua Kimmich's debut for the national team in May 2016, Germany has scored 27 headed goals – 13 of which Kimmich provided the assists.
*For the first time, two Mainz players (Nadiem Amiri and Jonathan Burkardt) started in a German national team match.
Ukraine vs Belgium 3-1
*Belgium have lost their last 4 matches in all competitions: their worst run since May-September 2009 (also 4).
*Jorthy Mokio became the third-youngest (17 years 19 days) debutant for Belgium this century, after Anthony Vanden Borre (16-187) and Romelu Lukaku (16-294).