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    What did we learn from the international break?

    What did we learn from the international break?
    04/03/2021 3647

    Love it or hate it – the international break never fails to dish up drama. With some of Europe’s strongest teams coming up against the continent’s minnows, there are always plenty of talking points following an international break.

    With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the major talking points from the recent international break.

    • Germany aren’t the force they once were

    When Germany lost 6-0 to Spain back in November, it was clear that Joachim Low’s side were not the powerhouse of previous years. But following a shock 2-1 defeat to North Macedonia on Wednesday, alarm bells are ringing in Germany.

    Despite enjoying 70% possession, Germany were unable to get the better of the Group J minnows. And to make matters worse, Chelsea forward Timo Werner missed a massive chance to rescue a point for his side.

    • John Stones still makes mistakes

    John Stones is having a remarkable comeback season for Manchester City, there is no denying that. His performances have even earned him an England re-call. However, he let his country down again on Wednesday.

    We haven’t seen a high-profile mistake from Stones in a Man City shirt this term, yet he gave the ball away for Poland’s equalizer at Wembley. Many believed that his errors were in the past, but he returned to his old ways.

    • Serbia can challenge Portugal in Group A

    With Portugal and Serbia both picking up seven points from their opening three qualifying games, Group A is in the balance. Portugal scraped past Azerbaijan and Luxembourg, while Serbia also beat Azerbaijan, as well as seeing off Ireland.

    On Matchday 2, Liverpool forward Diogo Jota gave Portugal a 2-0 lead against Serbia. But second-half goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic and Filip Kostic saw the Serbs snatch a point. Having recorded 16 shots against Portugal, Serbia look set to challenge for top spot in Group A.

    • Zlatan Ibrahimovic has still got it

    Following a five-year absence, Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his return to international football by providing an assist against Georgia. Three days later, in true Zlatan style, he produced a back-hell volley assist in a 3-0 win over Kosovo.

    At 39, Ibrahimovic is now the oldest player to represent Sweden – scoring 62 goals in 118 appearances for his country. Even as he approaches his 40th birthday, the enigmatic striker still has a lot to offer.

    WC Qualification UEFA

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    Group A

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    Germany 15 6 5 0 1 13
    2
    Slovakia 12 6 4 0 2 -2
    3
    N. Ireland 9 6 3 0 3 1
    4
    Luxembourg 0 6 0 0 6 -12
    Next round
    Possible next round

    Group B

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    Switzerland 14 6 4 2 0 12
    2
    Kosovo 11 6 3 2 1 1
    3
    Slovenia 4 6 0 4 2 -5
    4
    Sweden 2 6 0 2 4 -8
    Next round
    Possible next round

    Group C

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    Scotland 13 6 4 1 1 6
    2
    Denmark 11 6 3 2 1 9
    3
    Greece 7 6 2 1 3 -2
    4
    Belarus 2 6 0 2 4 -13
    Next round
    Possible next round

    Group D

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    France 16 6 5 1 0 12
    2
    Ukraine 10 6 3 1 2 -1
    3
    Iceland 7 6 2 1 3 2
    4
    Azerbaijan 1 6 0 1 5 -13
    Next round
    Possible next round

    Group E

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    Spain 16 6 5 1 0 19
    2
    Türkiye 13 6 4 1 1 5
    3
    Georgia 3 6 1 0 5 -8
    4
    Bulgaria 3 6 1 0 5 -16
    Next round
    Possible next round

    Group F

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    Portugal 13 6 4 1 1 13
    2
    Ireland 10 6 3 1 2 2
    3
    Hungary 8 6 2 2 2 1
    4
    Armenia 3 6 1 0 5 -16
    Next round
    Possible next round

    Group G

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    Netherlands 20 8 6 2 0 23
    2
    Poland 17 8 5 2 1 7
    3
    Finland 10 8 3 1 4 -6
    4
    Malta 5 8 1 2 5 -15
    5
    Lithuania 3 8 0 3 5 -9
    Next round
    Possible next round

    Group H

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    Austria 19 8 6 1 1 18
    2
    Bosnia and Herzegovina 17 8 5 2 1 10
    3
    Romania 13 8 4 1 3 9
    4
    Cyprus 8 8 2 2 4 0
    5
    San Marino 0 8 0 0 8 -37
    Next round
    Possible next round

    Group I

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    Norway 24 8 8 0 0 32
    2
    Italy 18 8 6 0 2 9
    3
    Israel 12 8 4 0 4 -1
    4
    Estonia 4 8 1 1 6 -13
    5
    Moldova 1 8 0 1 7 -27
    Next round
    Possible next round

    Group J

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    Belgium 18 8 5 3 0 22
    2
    Wales 16 8 5 1 2 10
    3
    North Macedonia 13 8 3 4 1 3
    4
    Kazakhstan 8 8 2 2 4 -4
    5
    Liechtenstein 0 8 0 0 8 -31
    Next round
    Possible next round

    Group K

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    England 24 8 8 0 0 22
    2
    Albania 14 8 4 2 2 2
    3
    Serbia 13 8 4 1 3 -1
    4
    Latvia 5 8 1 2 5 -10
    5
    Andorra 1 8 0 1 7 -13
    Next round
    Possible next round

    Group L

    OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
    1
    Croatia 22 8 7 1 0 22
    2
    Czech Republic 16 8 5 1 2 10
    3
    Faroe Islands 12 8 4 0 4 2
    4
    Montenegro 9 8 3 0 5 -9
    5
    Gibraltar 0 8 0 0 8 -25
    Next round
    Possible next round

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