Spain earned their first victory of the Nations League campaign in Switzerland on Thursday, winning 1-0 courtesy of an early Pablo Sarabia goal.

Finalists in the previous edition, Spain were frustrated in a draw with Portugal and then snatched a point against the Czech Republic before heading to Stade de Geneve.

Luis Enrique's side were not entirely convincing but got their win at the third time of asking, with Switzerland unable to respond to Sarabia's 13th-minute strike.

Bigger aims are on the horizon for La Roja, yet they remain firmly in contention for another Nations League run as a result.

Early Spanish pressure told when Marcos Llorente got in behind and squared for a simple Sarabia finish, with the scorer given the benefit of the doubt following a marginal offside call and lengthy VAR review.

Switzerland's only first-half attempts were miscued headers from Breel Embolo and Eray Comert, who each might have done better, although Sarabia also passed up an opportunity for his second when he blazed over.

Chances were even more sparse into the second half, with Switzerland gaining a foothold without really threatening.

Llorente whipped a left-footed shot wide, but Sarabia had continued to be the game's most dangerous player and his withdrawal just past the hour mark teed up a low-key finale.

What does it mean? Another successful Swiss trip

The Nations League ensures Spain are regularly playing high-level opponents, but there may have been some concern if the national team went three competitive matches without a victory in a World Cup year.

A trip to Switzerland was the ideal tonic then, for Spain are now unbeaten in all of their 11 matches in the country – their best such record anywhere.

Pablo predictably pivotal

Escaping the Paris Saint-Germain bench, Sarabia enjoyed an outstanding season at Sporting CP and has also become a key figure at international level. He has scored three goals and assisted another in his past four appearances, with his nine goal involvements in the past 12 months leading all Spain players.

Llorente's involvement in the goal was perhaps a little less expected. A superb player he may be, but this was the Atletico Madrid man's second assist outside of Spain for club or country across his entire career.

Gavi given rough treatment

Barcelona teenager Gavi catches the eye every time he plays, and this match was no different in that sense, with one outrageous sequence seeing the midfield execute a 'sombrero' over Xherdan Shaqiri and then dance past Granit Xhaka.

But that piece of skill, like other rare moments of Spanish brilliance, was followed by a foul. Switzerland conceded 21 of them, including seven to poor Alvaro Morata.

What's next?

Spain get another shot at the Czech Republic, this time at home on Sunday, when Switzerland host Portugal.

Louis van Gaal could not help but be impressed with his decision to not substitute Wout Weghorst when he appeared to be injured before scoring Netherlands' winning goal against Wales.

The Oranje claimed a dramatic 2-1 Nations League away win on Wednesday, with both teams scoring in second-half stoppage time.

Teun Koopmeiners had opened the scoring just after the break with a cool finish from the edge of the box.

Rhys Norrington-Davies levelled with a towering header to seemingly snatch a draw for Wales, but Weghorst produced a brilliant diving header a minute later to secure all three points in Cardiff.

The Burnley striker was almost withdrawn a little earlier with an injury, but Van Gaal opted against replacing him with Memphis Depay.

Asked about Depay's seemingly lengthy warm-up on the sidelines, Van Gaal said: "I don't know if Memphis had more warming up than other players. I don't think so.

"It's the structure in our selection; you warm up, sit down, warm up, sit down, so you can change instantly.

"Of course I say here in a moment, 'Okay, Memphis now maybe I shall change [for] Weghorst'. You know the name?

"He had a knock, then had to go out. I thought he was injured, and then he was not injured. And then I have to say, I had Memphis with me, 'If he's fit then I don't change'.

"And you know who makes the winning goal? Weghorst! Yes! And then I think… [pats himself on the back]."

Van Gaal is in his third spell as Netherlands coach and presided over the conclusion of their World Cup qualification campaign, ensuring they reached Qatar 2022 after failing to participate at Russia 2018.

They will face Senegal, Ecuador and hosts Qatar in Group A later this year.

Gareth Bale has suggested Wales need to master football's "dark arts" after they let a Nations League draw slip in a last-gasp 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands.

The Oranje emerged as victors in Group A4 following a dramatic stoppage-time period in Cardiff, where the Red Dragons looked to have seized a late point, only to lose it again.

Rhys Norrington-Davies appeared to have cancelled out Teun Koopmeiners' opener in the 92nd minute, only for Wout Weghorst to snatch a winner in the fourth added minute.

Both teams were much-changed and the result made for a sharp comedown after Wales' World Cup qualification on Sunday.

But Bale speculated whether improved game management might have helped the underpowered hosts cling on, telling S4C: "It was a difficult game.

"We didn't have our full-strength squad. The boys who came in worked very hard to get the equaliser [and] then to concede so early after that was gutting.

"It's something we have to learn, maybe the dark arts of taking them down. We need to learn from this.

"They're a world-class team [but] we're in this A league now because we deserve to be testing ourselves against the best.

"I think if you're the tier below, you get away with that at the end. You play the top teams, you don't do the things you need to do and you get punished.

"It's hard to take but it's something we need to learn from. We're still a young team we have to learn from stuff like that and take it forward."

With the loss, Wales suffered their first home defeat in a competitive international since November 2018, having been unbeaten in 13 such matches coming into the game.

Goalscorer Norrington-Davies felt similar frustrations with the defeat, but admitted it was a good chance for fringe players to stake a claim for a spot at Qatar 2022.

"I feel like we played well against a top side," he added."[I'm] delighted to get the goal but with the result, it's a disappointing night for myself.

"We all want a place at the World Cup, we're all battling it out. Obviously, quite a few youngsters played this evening, and we have to show what we've got.

"We take a lot of positives from the games, but at the end of the day we haven't got a point yet. I feel like we could have at least taken a point."

Wout Weghorst's stoppage-time header snatched a dramatic 2-1 Nations League win for the Netherlands over Wales in Cardiff.

Rhys Norrington-Davies looked to have secured a point for the hosts after nodding home in the 92nd minute to cancel out Teun Koopmeiners' opener on Wednesday.

But Burnley striker Weghorst rose to nod Tyrell Malacia's cross home just two minutes later, securing the Oranje’s second victory in as many games to sit top of Group 3 in League A

That was a frantic finale to an otherwise unremarkable encounter that give managers Louis van Gaal and Rob Page food for thought ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.

Belgium bounced back from their thumping by the Netherlands with an emphatic 6-1 Nations League win over Poland on Wednesday.

Roberto Martinez's side suffered a resounding 4-1 defeat to the Oranje on Friday, but a much-improved display at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels saw them return to winning ways in Group A4.

They fell behind to Robert Lewandowski's 28th-minute strike, yet pulled level before half-time thanks to Axel Witsel's superb effort from outside the penalty area.

Kevin De Bruyne then put them ahead after the interval, before a double from substitute Leandro Trossard, a long-range strike from Leander Dendoncker and a late sixth from Lois Openda put the seal on a convincing win.

Despite a bright start, Belgium fell behind shortly before the half-hour mark when Lewandowski controlled Sebastian Szymanski's pass before clipping past the onrushing Simon Mignolet.

However, the Red Devils pulled level three minutes before the interval, Witsel superbly whipping in from 20 yards after Bartlomiej Dragowski had kept out De Bruyne's close-range effort.

Dragowski made an excellent double stop after the break, first pawing away Dendoncker's header and then getting down well to repel Eden Hazard's drive. 

He was powerless to stop De Bruyne in the 59th minute, though, as the Manchester City man rolled past him after being played in by Hazard. 

Trossard made it three with a cool finish after cutting in from the right, before the Brighton and Hove Albion forward added a second with a looping strike from the edge of the penalty area. 

Dendoncker added a fifth with a sublime strike from 25 yards that flashed past Dragowksi, before substitute Openda wrapped up the scoring with almost the last kick of the game.

Gareth Southgate has challenged Manchester City attacker Jack Grealish to improve tactically if he is to become a regular starter for England.

Grealish was introduced from the bench with 18 minutes remaining of Tuesday's Nations League showdown with Germany in Munich.

The 26-year-old made a difference down the left-hand side for England, who secured a 1-1 draw through Harry Kane's late penalty after Jonas Hofmann had opened the scoring.

Despite his limited minutes on the pitch, Grealish managed six touches in the opposition box, which is double that of any England player other than Kane (seven).

He created one chance and was also involved in the build-up to the incident that saw Kane felled in the area to win the penalty that he converted for his 50th England goal.

However, while Southgate was pleased with the impact made by Grealish, the Three Lions boss indicated that he is still after more from British football's most expensive player.

"At the start of the game the challenge for the wide players was to attack, defend and to try to score goals – it's a high tactical level and you've got to be spot on," Southgate said.

"That's an area Jack can get better at. What he did do was carry the ball as the game opened up with a bit more space and opportunity. 

"The impact he and Jarrod Bowen had was really important in those attacking areas. There's a good challenge there among those players, but we've got to keep pushing them."

Only half of Grealish's 22 caps for England have been starts, and asked if he sees the former Aston Villa star continuing to be an impact substitute or a regular in the long term, Southgate said: "He can do both.

"If we didn't trust him we wouldn't put him on the pitch with 20 minutes to go in the belief he can make a difference."

England were three minutes from successive defeats to begin their Nations League campaign when Kane converted his late penalty.

The visitors fielded their most experienced starting line-up under Southgate in terms of average age (27 years, 89 days) and most caps won (481 prior to kick-off).

With home games against Italy and Hungary still to come this window, Southgate is happy with the progress being made by his side just five months out from the World Cup.

"These series of matches are about improving and learning as a team and you can't get that against lesser opposition," he said. 

"The quality of the game tests every part of the player. I think we'll review it and see things we can get better at.

"Coming away from home and getting a good result was a challenge for the players. Top teams don't lose two on the bounce and they've responded to that in the right way.

"It's an important sign for when you are in a team – we've got seven or eight players still in there that got to a World Cup semi-final. 

"That's important as they put their bodies on the line and on nights like this, you have to do that to get a result."

England manager Gareth Southgate was full of praise for his side after salvaging a 1-1 draw away from home against Germany – particularly for star striker Harry Kane and the multitude of ways he helps the Three Lions function.

The home side looked poised for victory after Jonas Hoffman's 50th minute strike, but the visitors were rewarded for their strong play in the dying stages as Harry Kane converted a penalty in the 88th minute to tie things up.

Despite having just 37 per cent possession, England produced more shots (15 to 10) and had more expected goals (1.92 to 0.71).

It was Kane's 50th career goal for England, but Southgate said the real story is how well-rounded he is as a forward, becoming much more than a goal-scorer.

"Rightly, the fact he's got 50 goals will be the centre part of the story," he said. "But his all-round game, the way he led the line, the way he competed, the way he pressed from the front for us today was exceptional. 

"I think his quality to drop deep – I know people say he drops too deep – but you need a player that can come and link the game. 

"He gives us so many different options, and when we had runners past him like Raheem [Sterling] and Bukayo [Saka] and Mason [Mount], then that part of his game comes into its own. 

"There are little moments where he comes and takes the ball and relieves the pressure that you almost take for granted, but they're such an important part of the game in terms of the battling qualities of going down against an elite nation."

Southgate said he was pleased with his side's overall performance, highlighting just how difficult it is to earn a result away from home against one of the world's greatest teams.

"Firstly, I was pleased with the level of the performance because this type of fixture challenges everything – technical, tactical, physical, psychological," he said. 

"The players have had to give absolutely everything to get a result from the game. 

"I thought in the first half we were okay. We looked at moments like we could cause problems, but the quality of our passing in various phases of the game wasn't at the level it needed to be. 

"Second half we were a little bit too passive in that period where we conceded, but the response to that was fantastic.

"I think we created quality chances, and I think we deserved something from the game in the end. 

"It's a huge credit to the players that they've shown that mentality, having gone behind, not to give in and to keep pushing right to the very end."

England's Nations League campaign continues on Saturday, at home against Italy.

Harry Kane reached the milestone of 50 international goals during England's 1-1 draw against Germany in Tuesday's Nations League action, and the data shows just how lethal England's number nine has been in his 71 caps.

Kane's landmark strike came from the penalty spot in the dying stages as Germany led 1-0, the Tottenham star coolly converting in the 88th minute to salvage a draw for the visitors in Munich.

It was a deserved result for England, who had more shots (15-10) and a better expected goals figure (1.92 versus 0.71), despite far less possession (37.3 per cent).

For Kane, it was the 15th penalty he has scored for his country, and by netting it away from home at the Allianz Arena, he now has 20 home goals, 20 away, and 10 at neutral grounds.

Despite having a strike rate of 0.7 goals per game in international play, the Nations League has been Kane's toughest competition, with his goal against Germany only his second in 14 Nations League fixtures (.14 goals per game).

He has been most prolific in World Cup qualifiers, scoring 17 times in 14 games, while being similarly effective in European Championship qualifiers (15 goals in 13 games). He also has six World Cup goals in six matches.

As a true striker, he has done most of his work close to goal, scoring 48 of his 50 goals from inside the penalty box. He has tallied nine headers to go with 35 right-foot finishes and six with his left.

Speaking to the media after his third career goal against Germany – having only scored more against San Marino (five), Bulgaria (four), Montenegro (four) and Albania (four) – Kane said he likes nothing more than putting the ball in the back of the net.

"I love scoring goals, I always have – especially for my country," he said.

"So whenever I can help the team, that's the most important thing. Good to bounce back with a result, it's not an easy place to come. Now we've got two games at home to try to get two wins. 

"Even going 1-0 down, it shows good character from us away from home to get back into the game and get a result against a good Germany side. 

"It shows where we are. We've still got improvement, but we're working hard and the World Cup's going to be here before we know it, so we've got to keep doing well."

He added in a tweet after the game: "50 England goals. So so proud. Treasure each and every one of them. Never take it for granted."

England's Nations League campaign continues on Saturday against Italy at Molineux.

Gianluigi Donnarumma admitted he was left "speechless" after leading Italy to victory over Hungary in the Nations League. 

Goals from Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Pellegrini helped the Azzurri prevail 2-1 at Dino Manuzzi on Tuesday.

Gianluca Mancini's own-goal set up a nervous finish in Cesena, but the reigning European champions held out for maximum points in the Group A3 encounter.

Once again, Roberto Mancini handed the captain's armband to Donnarumma, who shook off an injury to his finger to take his place between the sticks.

The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper became Italy's youngest skipper since 1965 when he donned the armband against Belgium last October.

And following his nation's failure to qualify for the World Cup – as well as the commanding Finalissima defeat to Argentina earlier this month – the 23-year-old has been pleased with the response of Mancini's youthful squad.

"We knew that we had to change and restart with young players after a difficult period," Donnarumma said.

"They [the youngsters] came here with the right spirit knowing that you have to do everything you can for this shirt.

"The captain's armband is an indescribable emotion, wearing the number one shirt and the armband is something that leaves you speechless. 

"For this shirt, I would play even without a finger, I have to thank the medical staff who helped me a lot; with my desire and their help, I was able to play tonight. 

"For me, this shirt is incredible and I will play as long as I can with this shirt."

Italy displaced Hungary at the top of Group A3 with four points from their opening two games.

As a result, Mancini believes his players can carry plenty of belief as the campaign continues against England later this week. 

"We played a good game, especially in the first half,” the head coach added.

"Their goal, however, created us some fear and pressure in a game we should have won with a bigger margin of goals. Both teams were a bit tired at the end.

"We are playing with several youngsters and we are aware that we have plenty of work to do, the road is still long. 

"We can go forward with confidence, however, because we played two good games against difficult teams in Germany and Hungary."

Harry Kane salvaged a point for England by scoring his 50th international goal with a late penalty in a 1-1 draw against Germany in Nations League Group A3 on Tuesday. 

By slotting his spot-kick into the bottom-left corner in the 88th minute, Kane moved clear of Bobby Charlton and to within three of Wayne Rooney's all-time England goalscoring record. 

Jonas Hofmann put Germany in front early in the second half, the midfielder finding the back of the net for the second time in three international appearances. 

However, Nico Schlotterbeck felled Kane in the box and the Tottenham striker stopped England succumbing to back-to-back defeats for the first time since 2018 with a milestone goal. 

Thomas Muller was denied a tap-in by an important intervention from Kyle Walker and the Bayern Munich star had the ball in the back of the net in the 13th minute, though play was pulled back due to an injury to Kalvin Phillips. 

Hofmann slotted home after Harry Maguire was caught out by Kai Havertz, but the goal was ruled out by an offside flag and the decision was upheld after a lengthy VAR check. 

Kane wasted a rare chance for England in the 26th minute by blazing over when Manuel Neuer spilled a corner at his feet under pressure from Maguire. 

Gareth Southgate's side struggled to keep pace after the restart and fell behind when Joshua Kimmich picked out Hofmann, who drilled the ball past Jordan Pickford. 

It would have been two had Pickford not managed to get a strong hand to Muller's volley at the near post after an excellent delivery from David Raum. 

Neuer produced a brilliant stop to keep Kane at bay with 15 minutes remaining but the England captain finally got the better of the Germany keeper from the penalty spot to earn the Three Lions a share of the spoils. 

Italy registered their first victory of the new Nations League campaign by beating Hungary 2-1 at Stadio Dino Manuzzi.

First-half goals from Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Pellegrini sealed the points for Roberto Mancini’s side in the Group A3 encounter in Cesena on Tuesday.

Hungary pulled one back after the break when Gianluca Mancini put through his own net, but Marco Rossi’s men were unable to build on their impressive victory over England on Saturday.

The European champions, who failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, held on for only their second victory from seven matches in what was the first meeting between the nations since August 2007.

Italy made a strong start as Mancini twice met Matteo Politano corners, but was denied by Denes Dibusz on both occasions. Gianluigi Donnarumma then got down well to block Roland Sallai’s fierce strike at the other end.

Dibusz was helpless as Italy broke through on the half-hour mark; Barella receiving the ball from Leonardo Spinazzola before firing into the top corner from 25 yards out.

The hosts doubled their lead just before the break, when Politano's square ball was swept home by Pellegrini at the far post.

Politano went close to adding a third within 10 minutes of the restart, rattling the crossbar from 20 yards out moments after Donnarumma kept out Sallai's volley.

Mancini gave Hungary hope in the 61st minute when he diverted Attila Fiola's centre into his own net.

Sallai and Willi Orban also drew smart saves out of Donnarumma, but Italy were not to be denied all three points.

Luka Modric was relieved his 150th cap was not marked with a loss against a familiar foe, following Croatia's 1-1 draw with France in Split on Monday.

The home side equalised in the 83rd minute via Andrej Kramaric, who sent Mike Maignan the wrong way from the penalty spot, following Adrien Rabiot's goal in transition in the 52nd.

Following a disappointing second-half in their opening Nations League defeat to Austria, Croatia finished the stronger of the two teams following the introductions of Nikola Vlasic and Luka Sucic.

With the Vatreni having never beaten France at senior international level, including World Cup final and semi-final defeats, Modric was thankful his side could salvage a draw.

"Irrespective of the result, thank God we didn't lose," Modric said after the game. "But we can be content with the performance we displayed. We played well, compactly, bravely and that's what we were after.

"I think the players who came in gave us a new energy. They gave us a freshness and aggression, and in the end we scored, we can be pleased as a result. And if we scored with [Ante] Budimir's chance in the first half, the match might have gone in a different direction.

"Then again, we showed we can hold our own against France, for whoever you put in that team, they're always going to be competent, with enough players for three teams."

Playing in his native Dalmatia, Modric became the first player to ever receive 150 caps for Croatia on Monday, following their readmission as a nation by FIFA in 1992.

Also receiving a gift from the France team pre-match to mark the occasion, the 36-year-old was dignified in response.

"This is a phenomenal feeling," he said post-match. "I'm happy and proud that I was able to reach this achievement with Croatia. I really didn't expect this, but there you go, I'm very proud and happy to have done so.

"Thanks to the crowd for their reception. It's enough to make your hairs stand up. Thanks to them for that, and to the French and Deschamps for their gift. I didn't expect that either but it was a beautiful gesture from them."

Fielding an inexperienced side, Didier Deschamps insisted he will continue his search for optimal balance following France's 1-1 draw away to Croatia on Monday.

Following their opening Nations League defeat at home to Denmark, Les Bleus could only manage a point at the Poljud, with Andrej Kramaric equalising from the penalty spot following Adrien Rabiot's opening goal.

Deschamps went back to 4-4-2 after the opting for a 3-5-2 against Denmark, with several starting players under 10 caps including Moussa Diaby, Matteo Guendouzi, Christopher Nkunku and William Saliba.

With that relative lack of experience in mind, Deschamps was buoyant following his side's performance against the other 2018 World Cup finalist.

"We had overall control with two chances for 2-0 but we conceded a few too many situations to this Croatian team at the end," he said post-game. "The lines were stretched, but it was consistent overall. We could also have avoided the loss of possession at times. I can't be completely satisfied even though there are a lot more positives.

"We must also take into account the merit of the opponent. We also gave them the opportunity to equalise with this penalty. There are also all the changes at the end of the match. There were less than 200 caps in the team selected against Croatia. This is no excuse, but there are fewer automatisms."

The Vatreni finished the stronger of the two sides in Split, with chances falling to Luka Sucic and Nikola Vlasic upon their introductions.

France ended the game with a cumulative xG of 0.69 from seven shots in comparison to Croatia's 1.55 from eight, speaking to their growing inability to turn possession into something substantial in front of goal.

With one point out of a possible six, Deschamps insisted that while Les Bleus are not out of Nations League calculations, November's World Cup in Qatar requires experimentation in preparation for their title defence.

"We are in contention," he said after the match. "But with one point out of six, we are not in the best of moods. They are also preparation matches in anticipation of what awaits us at the end of the year. You have to see different things, different players and different systems.

"There were a lot of forced changes with worries and injuries. Compared to my starting lineup, I still have the same concern to put each player in the best conditions.

"We can always improve in defensive animation, but we can have problems with three, four or five [in defence]. I'm not frozen for the next game. But that doesn't mean I'm going to give up. I want to have more answers."

Robert Lewandowski says "something has died" within him at Bayern Munich, as the striker continues to push for an anticipated exit to Barcelona.

The Poland international, who has a year left on his contract with the Bundesliga champions, has repeatedly signalled his intent to leave Allianz Arena this summer.

Though no official confirmation has been made by the player, it appears Lewandowski is fixated upon a switch to Camp Nou in the next step of his decorated career.

A myriad of issues, from Bayern's reluctance to sell him through whether Barca can afford to pay any transfer fee, remain major obstacles to any such move.

But Lewandowski has continued to state he will not be in Bavaria next term, saying he desires to move on to discover new challenges.

"Something has died in me," the striker told Polish outlet Onet Sport. "I want to leave Bayern to seek new emotions in my life.

"I just want to leave Bayern. Loyalty and respect are more important than work, [and] the best way is to find a solution for both parties."

Though other clubs have been intermittently linked, reports have suggested Barca will be the only destination for Lewandowski if he does depart Bayern.

The 33-year-old teased this elsewhere, adding: "The list of clubs interested in me is not very long.

"There is a lot of talk about a specific club. I am not considering other offers."

Lewandowski - who has spent a busy off-season so far, both with Poland and in attendance at other sporting events such as the French Open - is unlikely to see his future resolved until the international break is over.

Last season, he retained the European Golden Shoe, after winning it for the first time during a record-breaking 2020-21 campaign when he overtook Gerd Muller for the most goals scored in a single Bundesliga season.

Andrej Kramaric's VAR-assisted penalty snatched a late 1-1 draw for Croatia against France to deny Les Bleus a first win of the new Nations League campaign.

Adrien Rabiot's strike shortly after the break looked to have fired the visitors to victory in Group A1, in what was a rematch of the Russia 2018 World Cup final won by France.

But the hosts were able to take a share of the spoils in Split with the aid of VAR. Referee Marco Guida's decision to award a penalty for Jonathan Clauss' clumsy challenge on Kramaric was initially kiboshed by the linesman's flag but a review showed Luka Sucic had been onside when receiving Mislav Orsic's pass in the build-up.

Kramaric duly converted with seven minutes remaining at Stadion Poljud to inject a degree of late drama into a game otherwise marked by cagey performances, particularly across a first half that had struggled to burst into life.

Having slipped to an opening loss in their title defence against Demark on Friday, Didier Deschamps rung the changes for this clash, with all but one face swapped out.

With fearsome talents like Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema benched, though, it took until after the interval for the deadlock to be broken.

Seizing onto a terrific ball from Wissam Ben Yedder, midfielder Rabiot steered a superb finish above Dominik Livakovic and into the top-left corner.

That had looked to possibly be enough for the visitors, even as Luka Modric - on his 150th appearance for his country - had helped push for an equaliser.

Kramaric's late intervention, however, proved a return blow, and the two sides ultimately were forced to settle for a point.