Dubai Telegraph - France, Italy and Portugal target Nations League quarters

EUR -
AED 3.875889
AFN 72.205181
ALL 98.1458
AMD 411.558537
ANG 1.916541
AOA 962.380548
ARS 1053.460617
AUD 1.629039
AWG 1.899436
AZN 1.796054
BAM 1.955128
BBD 2.147062
BDT 127.076321
BGN 1.955501
BHD 0.397691
BIF 3140.220626
BMD 1.055242
BND 1.421211
BOB 7.348474
BRL 6.127479
BSD 1.063429
BTN 89.681974
BWP 14.429177
BYN 3.480104
BYR 20682.748811
BZD 2.143463
CAD 1.477856
CDF 3023.268931
CHF 0.936037
CLF 0.037475
CLP 1034.042999
CNY 7.643435
CNH 7.656268
COP 4726.4302
CRC 543.013352
CUC 1.055242
CUP 27.963921
CVE 110.227112
CZK 25.29162
DJF 189.364013
DKK 7.458431
DOP 64.047985
DZD 141.595584
EGP 52.048878
ERN 15.828634
ETB 129.787589
FJD 2.400517
FKP 0.831939
GBP 0.831679
GEL 2.880533
GGP 0.831939
GHS 17.174097
GIP 0.831939
GMD 74.922181
GNF 9164.849807
GTQ 8.217176
GYD 222.483527
HKD 8.210793
HNL 26.847772
HRK 7.527398
HTG 139.82194
HUF 408.071164
IDR 16747.750325
ILS 3.961617
IMP 0.831939
INR 89.091464
IQD 1393.021183
IRR 44417.781293
ISK 147.301429
JEP 0.831939
JMD 168.352133
JOD 0.748277
JPY 164.528089
KES 136.65697
KGS 90.959327
KHR 4308.519052
KMF 492.111895
KPW 949.718351
KRW 1484.483078
KWD 0.324709
KYD 0.886195
KZT 524.13984
LAK 23353.972643
LBP 95227.167988
LKR 310.813166
LRD 200.4511
LSL 19.103234
LTL 3.115856
LVL 0.638305
LYD 5.152205
MAD 10.573666
MDL 19.162413
MGA 4962.294333
MKD 61.50386
MMK 3427.385783
MNT 3585.713011
MOP 8.520071
MRU 42.333449
MUR 49.480474
MVR 16.303257
MWK 1843.966182
MXN 21.714761
MYR 4.729581
MZN 67.429784
NAD 19.103234
NGN 1777.15508
NIO 39.136548
NOK 11.768911
NPR 143.490319
NZD 1.79792
OMR 0.406301
PAB 1.063434
PEN 4.030415
PGK 4.274531
PHP 62.083597
PKR 295.462042
PLN 4.341712
PYG 8299.108061
QAR 3.877067
RON 4.9761
RSD 116.986248
RUB 103.941388
RWF 1459.598299
SAR 3.965
SBD 8.846682
SCR 14.372691
SDG 634.721198
SEK 11.604083
SGD 1.419443
SHP 0.831939
SLE 24.075373
SLL 22127.897695
SOS 607.691121
SRD 37.228328
STD 21841.3848
SVC 9.304802
SYP 2651.327542
SZL 19.109251
THB 36.955598
TJS 11.330505
TMT 3.7039
TND 3.34705
TOP 2.471482
TRY 36.253371
TTD 7.226516
TWD 34.38931
TZS 2806.944247
UAH 43.932499
UGX 3902.658556
USD 1.055242
UYU 44.834589
UZS 13604.323846
VES 47.482416
VND 26792.601648
VUV 125.280461
WST 2.949681
XAF 655.731608
XAG 0.035015
XAU 0.000412
XCD 2.851845
XDR 0.801125
XOF 655.728502
XPF 119.331742
YER 263.600634
ZAR 19.280301
ZMK 9498.447256
ZMW 29.089001
ZWL 339.787586
  • CMSC

    0.0700

    24.61

    +0.28%

  • CMSD

    -0.0200

    24.73

    -0.08%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.24

    +0.15%

  • BCC

    1.4200

    142.55

    +1%

  • RBGPF

    59.2500

    59.25

    +100%

  • RIO

    -0.5800

    60.62

    -0.96%

  • BCE

    -0.4800

    27.21

    -1.76%

  • NGG

    -0.7800

    62.12

    -1.26%

  • GSK

    -0.4100

    35.11

    -1.17%

  • SCS

    -0.3000

    13.37

    -2.24%

  • AZN

    0.1000

    65.29

    +0.15%

  • RELX

    -0.4700

    46.12

    -1.02%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0400

    7.07

    -0.57%

  • BP

    0.4100

    28.57

    +1.44%

  • BTI

    0.1800

    35.42

    +0.51%

  • VOD

    0.2800

    8.75

    +3.2%

France, Italy and Portugal target Nations League quarters
France, Italy and Portugal target Nations League quarters / Photo: FRANCK FIFE - AFP/File

France, Italy and Portugal target Nations League quarters

France, Italy and Portugal lead the teams attempting to secure a place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals, while England's promotion hopes have been hit by a series of withdrawals.

Text size:

With European champions Spain and Germany already qualified for the last eight, six spots are still to be filled going into the final two rounds of group matches over the next week.

Unbeaten Italy and Portugal require just a point to advance, while France are well positioned too ahead of the visit of Israel on Thursday -- a game that will be played surrounded by a large police presence.

The Paris fixture take places a week after clashes in Amsterdam around a match between Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch team Ajax.

Israel has urged fans to avoid the Nations League tie over fears they could be targeted amid a tide of rising anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim abuse since the start of Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"I can understand why people don't want to come," said France defender Dayot Upamecano.

"It's their choice," he added. "I'm just here to play.

"I like peace and I hope one day will have it again, in all countries."

Kylian Mbappe is again missing from the France squad, with coach Didier Deschamps insisting the absence of the Real Madrid superstar "is for the best".

The national team captain sat out last month's double-header in order to recover from a minor thigh injury and instead travelled to Stockholm for a short break.

It was following that trip that Swedish media reported he was being investigated for an alleged rape. Mbappe himself said those reports were "fake news" while his lawyer said the player would take action for libel.

A Swedish prosecutor confirmed that an investigation had been opened, without naming Mbappe.

"I am not going to set out my argument, but I can say two things. The first is that Kylian wanted to come," Deschamps said last week.

"The second is that it is not to do with the off-field problems because the presumption of innocence exists."

After the Israel match, France head to Milan where they face Group A leaders Italy on Sunday.

Italy go to Belgium first knowing that anything but defeat guarantees Luciano Spalletti's side a quarter-final berth.

Portugal host Poland and then travel to Croatia in Group A1, where Scotland are bottom of the pile with only a point from four outings.

The Netherlands and Hungary meet in a crucial A3 showdown with both countries level on five points, while Germany can wrap up top spot by beating Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Denmark and Serbia will battle it out for the other qualifying spot in Group A4 alongside Spain.

The Danes host Spain and Serbia go to Switzerland before a potentially decisive clash in Leskovac on November 18.

The two-legged quarter-finals are scheduled for March and the four-team finals will take place next June.

- England in must-win situation -

England must beat Greece in Athens to stay in contention for promotion back to the top tier.

Greece are the only nation with a perfect record in League B and won 2-1 at Wembley last month.

Lee Carsley will oversee his final two fixtures as interim England boss before handing the reins to Thomas Tuchel, but he will be without Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Georgia can become the first team to climb from League D to League A since the Nations League began in 2018, if they beat Ukraine and Czech Republic in Group B1.

San Marino, who earned their first-ever competitive win in September, would make the leap to League C for the 2026-27 edition by defeating Gibraltar on Friday.

Teams finishing third in League A, and second in League B, will face off in relegation/promotion play-offs, with identical play-offs between Leagues B and C.

There is an impact on World Cup qualifying too.

The 12 group winners in European qualifying will go to the World Cup, with another four places going to winners of play-offs featuring the 12 runners-up plus the four highest-ranked teams in the Nations League who have not otherwise made it.

F.Damodaran--DT