Uefa nations league
Embattled Loew to stay on as Germany coach for Euros
Loew, 60, has been in charge of the Germany team since taking over from Jurgen Klinsmann following the 2006 World Cup and led the nation to a fourth world title...
Italy secured first place in Group 1 with a 2-0 triumph in Sarajevo thanks to a goal in each half from Torino's Andrea Belotti and Domenico Berardi of Sassuolo.
Manchester City forward Torres was the star for Spain, who were as brilliant as Germany were bad. The result raises further questions about Germany coach Joachim Loew, who was already under pressure coming into this game.
Belgium were just five minutes from joining world champions France at next October's finals when Iceland pulled level at 1-1 with group rivals Denmark in Copenhagen.
Juventus forward Ronaldo is currently quarantined at his home in Turin after travelling from Portugal in an air ambulance following a positive COVID-19 test while with his national team for Nations League matches.
The Juventus forward who has been voted the world's top player five times played in Portugal's goalless Nations League draw against France but will have to sit out his national side's clash with Sweden on Wednesday.
Ronaldo broke the mythical 100-goal mark on the stroke of half-time, the 35-year-old Juventus attacker curling in a free-kick from 25 yards over the wall and into the far left corner beyond Sweden's stranded goalkeeper Robin Olsen for a memorable milestone in his trophy-laden career.
Italy move top of League A, Group 1 while Poland registered their first points after a 2-1 win over Bosnia in Zeneca despite the continued absence of rested striker Robert Lewandowski.
Barcelona forward Fati put Spain three goals ahead after just 31 minutes of the League A, Group 4 clash at the empty Alfredo di Stefano Stadium in Madrid with a fine individual strike that came amid a scintillating debut start for his adopted country.
This second edition of the Nations League will be crammed into the next three months, with the four group winners in League A advancing to the finals later in 2021.
Ronaldo, 34, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner missed the group stages preferring to try and adapt to life in Juventus since moving from Real Madrid.
England’s 5-1 rout of Montenegro in Podgorica in March was soured by racist abuse from fans and the hosts were ordered to play their next European competition match behind closed doors as part of sanctions handed out by Uefa.
England play their Nations League semi-final against the Netherlands on 6 June and Southgate is hopeful the striker will complete a full recovery over the next three weeks.
The point in Gelsenkirchen was enough for the Dutch to advance to the last four at the expense of world champions France after scoring twice in the final six minutes in a dramatic finish.
Just over a year ago, England's qualification for the World Cup was greeted with yawns and a barrage of paper aeroplanes from fans disillusioned by decades of underachievement.
The Netherlands beat Germany 3-0 last month in the Nations League to signal their potential but Koeman, appointed coach in February, then tried to temper the euphoria.
The 27-year-old forward cancelled out Toni Kroos’ first half penalty with a fine header just past the hour and then scored with a spot-kick himself late in the game to kill off the visitors’ hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
Marcus Rashford was the other scorer in a breathless opening 45 minutes, which witnessed Spain conceding three on home soil for the first time in their history.
Spain coach Luis Enrique declared himself an admirer of England manager Gareth Southgate ahead of the two sides’ meeting on Monday in the UEFA Nations League, saying that he even studies his counterpart’s news conferences.