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7 septembre 2018
UEFA Nations League : Mepham and Wales stole the show, Kraev hero of Bulgaria
Fifty-five European nations, divided into four leagues, are taking part in the newly created UEFA Nations League. The Matchday 1, started on this Thursday, has been the opportunity for several Maurice Revello Tournament former players to shine including Chris Mepham (Wales) and Bozhidar Kraev (Bulgaria).
Czech Republic – Ukraine : 1-2 (League B – Group 1)
The Czech players can regret their lack of concentration at the end of each half as they conceded a goal from Evegeni Konoplyanka just before the half time and another one from Oleksandr Zinchenko in the last minutes of the game.
And yet, Czech Republic enjoyed a great start notably thanks to Jan Sykora. The latter, named in the Maurice Revello Tournament 2016 best XI, has delivered an assist for his teammate Patrick Schick after only four minutes. Not enough however to help his side to claim a point…
Standings : Ukraine 3 pts, Slovakia 0 pt, Czech Republic 0 pt
Wales – Ireland : 4-1 (League B – Group 4)
What a fantastic display from Wales ! The Ryan Giggs’ boys have totally outclassed their Irish rivals as they reached a four-goal-lead just before the hour mark thanks to goals from Tom Lawrence, Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Connor Roberts.
Several players who took part in the Maurice Revello Tournament 2017 contributed to this win. The centre-back Chris Mepham has impressed and confirmed the good form shown with Brentford. Meanwhile, the winger David Brooks distinguished himself too as the Maurice Revello Tournament 2017 best player has been a constant threat for his opponents. It should be noted also that Tyler Roberts made his international debut during his game after replacing Gareth Bale in the second half.
Standings : Wales 3 pts, Denmark 0 pt, Ireland 0 pt
Slovenia – Bulgaria : 1-2 (League C – Group 3)
The man of the match was without doubt Bozhidar Kraev. The 21-year-old midfielder, who took part in the Maurice Revello Tournament 2016, has netted his first two goals on the international scene : Kraev has fired a winning shot from distance in the first half (after an assist from Kiril Despodov) before netting another goal just before the hour mark.
Standings : Norway 3 pts, Bulgaria 3 pts, Slovenia 0 pt, Cyprus 0 pt
Amayes Brahmi
