Watch: Nations League: Germany Reaches Quarters with Win Over Netherlands; France and Italy Victorious

Germany secured their spot in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands on Monday, while France triumphed in Belgium and Italy continued their recent resurgence with another win.

Jamie Leweling, a Stuttgart forward, scored the only goal for Germany on his debut, ensuring their progression to the next stage. The match, held in Munich, marked the eighth encounter between these two rivals in six years. For the Dutch, Leweling was an unfamiliar face, having been called up to the Germany squad after Jamal Musiala’s injury. Initially set to come off the bench, Leweling started the match following an injury to his club teammate Deniz Undav during warm-ups. Despite an early goal being ruled out for offside, Leweling fired home the winner in the 64th minute. Germany now tops Group 3 of League A with 10 points from four games and is assured of a place in the quarter-finals in March.

The Netherlands, missing suspended Virgil van Dijk, are tied on five points with Hungary. The Hungarians won 2-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with captain Dominik Szoboszlai scoring twice, including a penalty.

Italy maintained their lead in Group A2 with a commanding 4-1 victory over Israel in Udine. Mateo Retegui scored a penalty just before half-time, and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo added two more goals in the second half, with Davide Frattesi also finding the net. Mohammad Abu Fani managed to pull one back for Israel.

In Belgium, Randal Kolo Muani starred for France, scoring twice in a 2-1 win. His first goal came from the penalty spot in the 35th minute, and although Lois Openda equalized for Belgium in first-half stoppage time, Kolo Muani’s header in the second half secured the win. Despite Youri Tielemans missing an early penalty for Belgium, France held on for victory even after Aurelien Tchouameni was sent off late in the game. France has now won two consecutive matches without their captain, Kylian Mbappe, who was allowed to sit out due to a recent thigh injury. Meanwhile, Mbappe denied allegations of rape made in Sweden, dismissing the claims as “fake news” on social media.

Elsewhere, Turkey remained atop Group B4 with a 4-2 win over Iceland, thanks to goals from Irfan Can Kahveci, Hakan Calhanoglu, Arda Guler, and Kerem Akturkoglu. They lead the group with 10 points, two ahead of Wales, who defeated Montenegro 1-0 with a Harry Wilson penalty.

In Group B1, the Czech Republic held a 1-1 draw against Ukraine, while Albania beat Georgia 1-0. Sweden dominated Estonia with a 3-0 victory in Group C1, and Slovakia secured a 3-1 win over Azerbaijan.