Netherlands 0-1 Spain There’s a grim clash of heads between Hans Hateboer and Juan Gaya. Hateboer seems okay but Gaya has a nasty cut and is going to come off.
Netherlands 0-1 Spain The Netherlands have picked close to their best XI, but at the moment they are being outplayed. Spain have played beautifully.
GOAL! Italy 1-0 Estonia (Grifo 14) Vincenzo Grifo gives Italy the lead with a delicious curling shot from 20 yards.
“Thoroughly enjoyed the replay and Gazza’s genius, thank you,” says Jeff Bateman. “Highlight packages with full build-up to the goals are rare and appreciated. Do you agree that VAR would have given the penalty shout and that England’s #11 would have been red-carded for the incident at 9:23 approx. ?”
I can’t remember the penalty shout, but that’s such an odd tackle from Steve Hodge (the No11). I’m not sure it would have been a red card - doesn’t he dangle a leg rather than plunge it? I’d need to go to the monitor to be absolutely sure. On that subject, I’d like to hear the Stockley Park take on this.
Sometimes, just occasionally, you get what you deserve in life: Spain are ahead through Sergio Canales, who receives a pass from the lively Morata and belts a low drive across the keeper Bizot. Good goal that.
These are the latest scores in our featured games. You won’t be surprised to hear that Paul Pogba has done absolutely nothing for France so far.
- Germany 1-0 Czech Republic
- Belgium 0-1 Switzerland
- Netherlands 0-0 Spain
- Italy 0-0 Estonia
- Portugal 1-0 Andorra
- France 0-0 Finland (8.10pm)
GOAL! Belgium 0-1 Switzerland (Mehmedi 12) Admir Mehmedi finishes emphatically after a mistake from Sebastiaan Bornauw.
GOAL! Germany 1-0 Czech Republic (Waldschmidt 13)
Netherlands 0-0 Spain A weakened Spain team have started extremely well in Amsterdam, with Alvaro Morata looking especially lively.
GOAL! Portugal 1-0 Andorra (Neto 8) Wolves’ Pedro Neto has scored on his international debut! After an excellent move, he gleefully roofed a volley from eight yards out.
Thanks to Mark Hayton for this correction to the Finland formation.
Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC)
Teemu on the bench for @Huuhkajat tonight! 🇫🇮 https://t.co/77XNMpUu92
November 11, 2020
It took just over four minutes for the first soft-tissue injury. Bad news for Manchester City: Nathan Ake has done his hamstring and is going off; Daley Blind replaces him. This is turning into a farce.
In other news, here’s Andy Hunter on Northern Ireland’s big game tomorrow night.
Netherlands 0-0 Spain There’s been a good tempo in the first few minutes. Spain’s Alvaro Morata shot wide from 20 yards after a neat give-and-go.
“Unfortunately, it turns out I didn’t need long to reorganise my underwear drawer (one pair on, one pair in the wash, one pair for ‘best’), so I’ve still got an empty evening ahead of me,” says Matt Dony. “ That means I might be stuck with shockingly pointless football. Although, I am slightly distracted by seeing ‘Holes’ in the Czech Republic’s line-up. Might go and listen to some Mercury Rev. Or, as my friend used to dismiss them, ‘That Orville the Duck band.’”
I could listen to that song forever. Have you heard this version? Not quite as good as the original, but still emphatically a good thing.
Peep peep! The 7.45pm matches are under way.
“Is this definitively it for the old guard of the Spanish national side?” muses Charles Antaki. “Not a single name from the times of glory - even the apparently fireproof Busquets is out (and the new Morata is not the old Morata). But there is ageing cavalry on the bench – Ramos to the rescue when needed.”
While you’re right that it’s almost over for that team, I’d be loath to read too much into any of the XIs that have been picked tonight. Also, Tiki and Taka are still playing.
International friendlies used to be kind of a big deal, or at least a meaningful one. So as well as following tonight’s games, let’s bathe in some of our favourite matches and moments from the golden age of the international friendly. The first that comes to mind is England’s dramatic 3-2 win over Argentina in 2005, a significant landmark on their route to World Cup glory in Germany the following year.
A personal favourite is England 4-2 Czechoslovakia in April 1990, when Paul Gascoigne played with such spectacular brilliance that he went from optional Italia 90 wildcard to guaranteed starter in the space of 90 minutes. As one of only 21,342 people at Wembley that night, it’s nice to be able to say I was there (and you weren’t, ya filthy JCL).
“Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “If Germany earns a penalty, the taker should absolutely try to put a Panenka past Pavlenka. Tah!”
Pre-match reading
France v Finland team news
France (4-4-2) Mandanda; Dubois, Zouma, Lenglet, Digne; Sissoko, Nzonzi, Pogba, Thuram; Ben Yedder, Giroud.
Finland (4-4-2) Joronen; Hamalainen, O’Shaughnessy, Ojala, Vaisanen; Forss, Kauko, Karjalainen, Schuller; Niskanen, Valakari.
Belgium v Switzerland team news
Belgium (3-4-3) Mignolet; Bornauw, Mechele, Vertonghen; Chadli, Praet, Dendoncker, T Hazard; Vanaken, Batshuayi, Lukebakio.
Switzerland (3-4-3) Mvogo; Fernandes, Comert, Schar; Zuber, Xhaka, Sow, Benito; Gavranovic, Embolo, Mehmedi.
Germany v Czech Republic team news
Germany (3-4-2-1) Trapp; Tah, Koch, Rudiger; Baku, Neuhaus, Gundogan, Max; Brandt, J Hofmann; Waldschmidt.
Czech Republic (4-2-3-1) Pavlenka; Mateju, Brabec, Jemelka, Novak; Holes, Barak; Kopic, Dockal, Cerny; Krmencik.
Netherlands v Spain team news
Jurgen Klopp will be thrilled to see that Gini Wijnaldum starts in midfield alongside Donny van de Beek and Frenkie de Jong. Pep Guardiola will be similarly chuffed to see Rodri and Eric Garcia start for Spain.
Netherlands (4-3-3) Bizot; Hateboer, Veltman, Ake, Wijndal; Wijnaldum, van de Beek, F de Jong; Berghuis, L de Jong, Depay.
Spain (4-4-2) Unai Simon; Bellerin, E Garcia, Inigo Martinez, Gaya; Asensio, Rodri, Koke, Canales; Morata, Gerard Moreno.
Italy v Estonia team news
Italy (4-3-3) Sirigu; Di Lorenzo, D’Ambrosio, Bastoni, Emerson; Soriano, Tonali, Gagliardini; Bernardeschi, Lasagna, Grifo.
Estonia (4-2-3-1) Meerits; Teniste, Baranov, Mets, Pikk; Ainsalu, Soomets; Liivak, Miller, Marin; Sappinen.
Portugal v Andorra team news
Portugal (4-3-3) Lopes; Nelson Semedo, Ruben Semedo, Domingos Duarte, Mario Rui; Renato Sanches, Joao Moutinho, Sergio Oliveira; Francisco Trincao, Paulinho, Pedro Neto.
Andorra (5-3-2) Gomes; Jordi Rubio, Rodrigues, Emili Garcia, Rebes, Marc Garcia; C Martinez, Pujol, Cervos; Vieira, Sanchez.
Evening. We’re all friends here, so let us speak frankly: you shouldn’t be here. Trust me, there are better things you can do tonight. Read your old tax returns for the nostalgia, watch Dr Pimple Popper on the Really channel, organise your underwear in autobiographical order: all would be more spiritually enriching than following a load of international friendlies that were apparently arranged with only two things in mind.
1. To test the equilibrium of club managers across Europe.
2. To give us an excuse to do another midweek Clockwatch.
A full list of all tonight’s fixtures can be found here. We’ll be focussing on the most high-profile games, risible snobs that we are, including repeats of the Euro 96 and 2010 World Cup finals (all 7.45pm GMT unless stated):
- Germany v Czech Republic
- Belgium v Switzerland
- Netherlands v Spain
- Italy v Estonia
- Portugal v Andorra
- France v Finland (8.10pm)
We’ll have team news shortly. The first rule of this thing is that if you see the teams, you have to go the distance. Get out while you still can.
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