France and Germany savor beating rivals in crucial ties

New era

It felt like a new era for Germany, with Neuer, Muller and Gundogan all given a fond farewell before the game. Together with Kroos, who wasn't there in person due to commitments at his youth academy, the four players won more than 450 caps for Germany.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann is bringing through younger players, with Aleksandar Pavlovic, 20, and Angelo Stiller, 23, handed first starts and the 23-year-old Leweling making his debut in place of the injured Deniz Undav. At the other end of the age scale, goalkeeper Oliver Baumann became the third-oldest debutant for Germany — at 34 years, 134 days — having been on the bench 26 times.

Baumann produced a brilliant flying save to deny Netherlands substitute Donyell Malen and keep a clean sheet, ensuring the Oranje's 13-match unbeaten streak in the group stage of the Nations League came to an end.

Germany is top on 10 points from four matches and guaranteed a place in the last eight, with the Dutch five points behind in second ahead of Hungary on goal difference. Bosnia is bottom with one point after losing 2-0 to the Hungarians.

"We won as a team. I scored but we played a good game and I am happy to have helped," Leweling said.

"The Dutch are a big team. We let them run, we kept possession and used our chances to score."

High alert

Stringent security measures, including armed military personnel on the roof of the 25,000-seater stadium in Udine, were in place as Italy hosted an Israel team playing its first match outside neutral Hungary this year. It came amid Israel's ongoing conflict in the Middle East which has spread to Lebanon after more than a year-long war with Hamas in Gaza.

Mateo Retegui — from the penalty spot — scored the opener for Italy, which had further goals by Giovanni Di Lorenzo (2) and Davide Frattesi as well as a debut for Daniel Maldini, the son of AC Milan great Paolo Maldini.

"We are going to play this match with the hope of convincing ever more people of the wrongness of war," Italy coach Luciano Spalletti said. "There are many Israelis who don't want it and we must convince ever more people that this is something that has to stop."

Around 1,000 people took part in a pro-Palestine demonstration in the city center before the match. Areas around the stadium were blocked off 48 hours before kickoff and declared a "red zone," while hundreds of extra police officers were called up from surrounding areas.

Italy is in the same group as France and leads by one point. Belgium is third, five points behind France, while Israel has lost all four games.

Agencies Via Xinhua