UEFA Nations League: Denmark Gains Promotion To League A; Germany, Republic of Ireland, Slovenia Relegated From Respective Leagues

Group-stage play in the UEFA Nations League continued on Friday with seven games.

LEAGUE A:

Group One:

At Rotterdam, Netherlands:

Georginio Wijnaldum (44') and Memphis Depay (PK-90'+6) each scored once as the Netherlands kept their hopes of advancing to next June's Nations League Finals alive by blanking visiting France 2-0----and condemning Germany into relegation into League B for the 2020-21 tournament.

Group One Standings:

1.    France (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
2.    Netherlands (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
3. z-Germany (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

z-Relegated to League B



LEAGUE B:

Group One:

At Trnava, Slovakia:

Juraj Kucka scored the winning goal in the 26th minute as Slovakia defeated visiting (and already promotion-bound) Ukraine 4-1.

Group One Standings:

1. x-Ukraine (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2.    Czech Republic (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3) 
3.    Slovakia (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 3)

NOTE:  The Czech Republic defeated Slovakia 2-1 on the road on October 13; The Czechs are set to host the Slovaks in Prague on Tuesday with the loser relegated to League C.

x-Clinched promotion to League A

Group Four:

At Cardiff, Wales:

Martin Braithwaite scored the game winner in the 88th minute as Denmark knocked off Wales 2-1 on the road, jumped the hosts and clinched promotion to League A.

The result clinched relegation to League C for the Republic of Ireland.

Group Four Standings:

1. x-Denmark (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2.    Wales (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. z-Republic of Ireland (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

x-Clinched promotion to League A

z-Relegated to League C



LEAGUE C:

Group Three:

At Nicosia, Cyprus:

Nikolay Dimitrov's successfully-converted penalty kick in the 89th minute carried Bulgaria to a 1-1 road draw with Cyprus, ending the hosts' shot at promotion to League B.

Panagiotis Zachariou scored for the hosts in the 24th minute. 

At Ljubljana, Slovenia:

Bjorn Johnsen's equalizer in the 85th minute carried Norway to a 1-1 road deadlock with Slovenia as the ex-Yugoslav republic were relegated to League D.

Benjamin Verbic scored for the Slovenians in the ninth minute.

Group Three Standings:

1.    Norway (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
2.    Bulgaria (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
3.    Cyprus (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
4. z-Slovenia (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 2)Gr

z-Relegated to League D



LEAGUE D:

Group Four:

At Gibraltar:

Yura Movsisyan produced a quadruple (27', 48', 52', 54') as Armenia demolished Gibraltar 6-2 on the road.

At Vaduz, Liechtenstein:

Enis Bardhi (53') and Ilija Nestorovski (90'+1) each scored once in the second half as Macedonia blanked Liechtenstein 2-0 on the road.

Group Four Standings:

1. Macedonia (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 12)
2. Armenia (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
3. Gibraltar (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 6)
4. Liechtenstein (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 3)