\n21 min: <\/strong>A shot of Ronaldo in the Portugal dugout. To be fair to him, he’s not sitting there with a face on. He’ll be dreaming about coming on and adding to those 115 international goals, I’ll be bound.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n18 min: <\/strong>Jordi Alba floats a chip into the Portugal area. It’s claimed easily by Diogo Costa, who bowls out long to Bernardo Silva. Portugal press Spain back, and Guerreiro works some space out on the left. He rolls infield for Le\u00e3o, who really should do better from ten yards than to lean back and blaze over. He should have worked Unai Simon in the Spain goal at the very least.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n15 min:<\/strong> It’s gone a little flat meanwhile in Seville, as both teams probe gingerly. Nobody yet of a mind to take a risk.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nGOAL! Czech Republic 1-0 Switzerland (Kuchta 11). <\/strong>In the other Group A2 game, being played at Slavia Prague’s Sinobo Stadium, Jan Kuchta has given the Czechs the lead.<\/p>\n\n <\/picture><\/div> <\/svg><\/span>Jan Kuchta puts the Czech Republic ahead against Switzerland.<\/span> Photograph: Luk\u00e1\u0161 Kabo\u0148 \/ EPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nUpdated at 15.08 EDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\n11 min: <\/strong>Portugal start pinging it around a bit. The home crowd keep the volume up.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n9 min: <\/strong>Andre Silva makes good ground down the right wing and is cynically brought to a halt by Busquets. No yellow card, though you’ve seen them given. You’ve seen them not<\/em> given to Busquets, too, so here we are.<\/p>\n\n <\/picture><\/div> <\/svg><\/span> Photograph: Soccrates Images \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nUpdated at 15.00 EDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\n8 min: <\/strong>Portugal enjoy a bit of possession for the first time in the game. They don’t really go anywhere, but that’s not the point, as they find their feet and slow the hosts down.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n6 min:<\/strong> Sarabia strides down the left and slips a cute ball infield for Gavi, who is storming down the channel in plenty of space. Just as he reaches the area, Gavi loses the run of his legs and trips over them in the frantic style. A promising situation for Spain goes to waste.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n4 min: <\/strong>Portuguese hearts in mouths as Azpilicueta takes a shot that’s blocked. The ball pings to Gavi, who nearly buries a shot from the edge of the box. It’s deflected inches wide right, then at the corner Portugal keeper Diogo Costa flaps hysterically. He’s fortunate to get a second chance to claim the ball.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\n2 min:<\/strong> Azpilicueta and Morata try to combine crisply down the right, but Pepe is having none of it. He snaffles possession and clears up.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nPortugal get the game underway in Seville.<\/strong> A rare old atmosphere as you’d imagine.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nThe teams are out!<\/strong> We’ll be off in a minute or two, with Spain-Portugal very much front and center of this blog. “The Spain team’s official Tweet is a bit overenthusiastic (EQUIPAZO!) But fair enough, a bit of oomph before you start never goes amiss (until later maybe). But the eye-catching thing is our old friends Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets still being in the team. Combined age probably in three figures. Perhaps there is hope for us all yet, \u201dwrites Charles Antaki, 99.<\/p>\n\n <\/picture><\/div> <\/svg><\/span>Old man Busquets and Joao Moutinho shake hands prior to kick off.<\/span> Photograph: \u00c1ngel Mart\u00ednez \/ UEFA \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nUpdated at 14.53 EDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n\n\nSpain and Portugal are facing off at Real Betis’s Estadio Benito Villamar\u00edn.<\/strong> Luis Enrique has gone for Valencia’s Carlos Soler in midfield ahead of Atletico Madrid’s Koke, but the big news is made by Portugal coach Fernando Santos, who has decided to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, with Andr\u00e9 Silva spearheading the attack instead. Jo\u00e3o Moutinho gets a go on the captain’s armband as a result.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nThe 21-year-old Fleetwood winger Paddy Lane starts at left wing-back for Northern Ireland tonight, as they begin their Nations League campaign at home to Euro 2004 winners Greece. <\/strong>Liverpool’s Conor Bradley, who turns 19 next week, lines up on the opposite flank, with 34-year-old Leicester stalwart Jonny Evans in the middle. Kyle Lafferty, fresh from winning promotion with Kilmarnock, is back in the squad for the first time since last September, and starts on the subs bench.<\/p>\nBradley will be coming face to face with his Liverpool team-mate, left-back Kostas Tsimikas.<\/strong> Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis leads the line up front, while Sheffield United’s George Baldock, who qualifies for Greece through his grandmother, is on the bench and hoping to make his international debut.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nThe teams from Seville<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/article>\n\n\nThe teams from Windsor Park<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/article>\n\n\nThe 5pm full times<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n … and we’ve already had a spot of high drama this evening. With eight seconds of four extra minutes to play between Bulgaria and North Macedonia in Razgrad, with the score 1-1, the referee awarded the hosts a penalty when Martin Minchev’s speculative shot hit Visar Musliu on the elbow. VAR got involved, though, and upon second viewing the ref decided Musliu’s elbow was right by the side of his body di lui, while there was little distance between the two players and therefore no time to react. No penalty, and Bulgaria end the evening with smoke pouring out of the old lugs.<\/p>\n
C2 <\/em>Cyprus 0-2 Kosovo<\/em><\/p>\nC4 Bulgaria 1-1 North Macedonia <\/em>Georgia 4-0 Gibraltar<\/em><\/p>\nD2 Estonia 2-0 San Marino<\/em><\/p>\n<\/article>\n\n\nPreamble<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n Football, having barely stopped for the last two years, keeps on keepin ‘on. <\/strong>Just when we thought the players could scoot off for a well-deserved summer holiday – long lie-ins, sunbeds by the pool, tinnies, the whole shebang – here comes the Nations League! Tonight’s big game is the Iberian showdown between Spain and Portugal, though we’ll also keep an eye on Northern Ireland versus Greece, plus all the other 7.45pm BST kick-offs.<\/p>\nThere were a few 5pm BST kick-offs as well, and they’ll be finishing in a minute. <\/strong>More on them anon. But in the meantime, here’s tonight’s full card (all times BST):<\/p>\nA2 Czech Republic v Switzerland (7.45pm) Spain v Portugal (7.45pm)<\/em><\/p>\nB2 Albania v Russia (P) Israel v Iceland (7.45pm)<\/em><\/p>\nB4 Serbia v Norway (7.45pm) Slovenia v Sweden (7.45pm)<\/em><\/p>\n C2 Cyprus v Kosovo (5pm) Northern Ireland v Greece (7.45pm)<\/em><\/p>\nC4 <\/em>Bulgaria v North Macedonia (5pm) <\/em>Georgia v Gibraltar (5pm)<\/em><\/p>\nD2 Estonia v San Marino (5 pm)<\/em><\/p>\nAll the news and more as we have it. <\/strong>The 2022-23 Nations League: it’s on!<\/p>\n