Serdar Gurler says Turkey can have no excuses after suffering a shock defeat to the Faroe Islands in Sunday's Nations League clash.

Turkey entered the Group C1 contest unbeaten in six matches, winning five of those en route to earning promotion into the second tier of the competition.

However, the country of around 86 million people fell to a 2-1 reverse in Torshavn against a country with a population of under 49,000.

Viljormur Davidsen and Joan Simun Edmundsson gave the hosts, who are ranked 125th in the world – 83 places below their opponents – a two-goal lead early in the second half.

Gurler pulled one back in the final minute, but the Faroe Islands held on to extend their own unbeaten run to four matches.

Reflecting on a chastening loss for the side coached by Stefan Kuntz, Istanbul Basaksehir forward Gurler told reporters: "We are incredibly sad. There is no excuse for this.

"Maybe we didn't want it as much as they did. We didn't fight. We completed the first four matches with very good results."

Quoted by Turkish outlet Aspor, Gurler added: "Maybe we were too comfortable, but we can't make any excuses for this evening. In the dressing room, there's a silence as if you were at a funeral home."

Louis van Gaal praised the Netherlands' discipline in their 1-0 Nations League victory over Belgium on Sunday despite describing his team as having played "very badly". 

Victory over Poland on Thursday meant the Oranje only needed to avoid a heavy defeat to their neighbours at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam to seal top spot in Group A4 and progress to the Nations League Finals next year.

A result of that nature never looked like materialising, with Virgil van Dijk securing three points for the hosts in the 73rd minute – the centre-back's sixth goal for his country, four of those being headers from a corner.

The result extended Oranje's unbeaten run to 15 games (11 wins, four draws) since Van Gaal was reappointed for the third time in August last year, while it also saw Van Gaal move level with Dick Advocaat as the manager with the most wins in charge of the Netherlands (37). 

"We lost the ball so much and in simple situations," he told NOS. "Just like against Poland, only now even more. 

"That also had to do with Belgium, who put more pressure on the ball, especially in the second half. We certainly didn't play our best game.

"Belgium are very strong in terms of quality. They have a lot of individual quality. [Kevin] De Bruyne and [Eden] Hazard; those are top players. The Belgians did very well from the back. They were the better team today.

"I told the players that we played very badly, but we didn't give away many chances. 

"We also had the greatest opportunities, especially at the end. I think [Steven] Bergwijn and [Davy] Klaassen should have scored.

"This is a disciplined victory and that's nice. Although we were second best for 90 minutes, we still continued playing our game and were disciplined."

Marten de Roon replaced the injured Frenkie de Jong in midfield and Van Gaal was pleased with how the Atalanta man contained De Bruyne.

"I thought [De Roon] was one of the better players," he added. "He gave few balls to the opposition and defensively picked up De Bruyne, who walked a little further away from our pit bulls. He did that very well."

One of those "pit bulls", substitute Tyrell Malacia, also received praise from Van Gaal, who said the Manchester United man also did well in shackling De Bruyne.

"I put him on the left of the central defence because De Bruyne played a lot on that side," Van Gaal explained. "It's better to have a pit bull like that instead of someone like [Daley] Blind who tries to solve it tactically. 

"I had already discussed this with him the day before yesterday. The defensive work he did very well."

Denmark threw down a gauntlet for the Qatar 2022 World Cup with a 2-0 win over France, only to narrowly miss out on the Nations League Finals.

First-half goals for Kasper Dolberg and Andreas Skov Olsen put the Danes firmly in the frame to reach next year's final four, only for rivals Croatia to net twice in the second half to beat Austria and finish top of Group A1.

Nevertheless, an assured victory over World Cup holders France in Copenhagen offered a sharp reminder of Denmark's dark horse credentials for Qatar, after also reaching the Euro 2020 semi-finals.

Austria's defeat ensured Les Bleus dodged relegation to the second tier, but for Didier Deschamps, alarm bells may be ringing after a lacklustre campaign.

With the risk of the drop breathing down their necks, it was the visitors who started sharpest, with Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann delivering early tests for Kasper Schmeichel.

Yet Denmark steadily gained ground, and when Dolberg lunged by the left post to meet Mikkel Damsgaard's cross and bobble a finish over Alphonse Areola in the 34th minute, their lead was not an unworthy one.

Olsen's rocket of a volley through a crowded box after a poorly fielded corner was a fine finish too, five minutes later, and it was France who went into the sheds on the back foot.

Attempts to fight back after the interval were frequent, if speculative, with Mbappe almost catching Schmeichel out twice, but Denmark's game management proved too shrewd to be broken, seeing them through for a famous win.

The Netherlands booked their place in the Nations League Finals as Virgil van Dijk's second-half header sealed a 1-0 win over Belgium on Sunday.

Victory over Poland on Thursday meant the Oranje only needed to avoid a heavy defeat to their neighbours at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam to seal top spot in Group A4.

Belgium never looked like they had the firepower to pull off such a result, with Liverpool defender Van Dijk securing three points for the hosts by scoring in the 73rd minute.

The result meant the Netherlands topped their group with 16 points, with Roberto Martinez's Red Devils six points behind in second.

Belgium looked bright in the early stages, with Eden Hazard blazing over from a promising position and Michy Batshuayi firing at Remko Pasveer after being played in by Kevin De Bruyne.

At the other end, Denzel Dumfries cracked wide from 12 yards after fine work down the left from Vincent Janssen, which was the closest the hosts came in a first half that saw them fail to have an attempt on target.

Dumfries again went close at the start of the second period, while Belgium's Amadou Onana was denied by a smart stop from Pasveer shortly after the hour mark. 

Steven Bergwijn powered a shot straight at Thibaut Courtois as the Netherlands cranked up the pressure, before Van Dijk handed the hosts victory with a close-range header from Cody Gakpo's corner.

Courtois did well to deny Davy Klaassen and Bergwijn in the closing stages, while Belgium substitute Dodi Lukebakio struck the post with a sensational overhead kick with almost the last kick of the game.

Gareth Southgate says the negativity aimed his way "is not healthy" for England's players as he urged supporters to get behind their side in Monday's clash with Germany.

England are winless in five matches – their worst such run since June 2014 – ahead of taking on historic rivals Germany at a sold-out Wembley in their final Nations League tie.

The Three Lions were relegated from Group A3 after Friday's 1-0 loss to Italy, which followed a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Hungary in their most recent home game.

Southgate was booed after both of those defeats, with fans also heard chanting "You don't know what you're doing" during the contest against Italy at San Siro.

But ahead of England's first game at Wembley since March, in what is their last outing before the World Cup, Southgate hopes his players are backed by those inside the ground. 

"We've got 90,000 people – the stadium is sold out – so people want to come and see this team play," he said at Sunday's pre-match press conference.

"That's because the players have done an unbelievable job for six years. 

"We were on the back of a difficult time in terms of the relationship with the fans at the start of that journey and slowly we've built with the finishes that we've already discussed.

"It is not healthy for the team to be having this noise around them. I fully understand that. But it is for me to take responsibility, it is for me to allow them to go and play. 

"I want them to feel freedom. They know we always talk about that around the training ground, on the training pitch, and I would urge the supporters to get behind the team.

"How they deal with me at the end or whenever, on the phone-ins or wherever else is completely different. 

"But this is their last chance to see the boys before they go to a World Cup and we are all in it together. We can only succeed if we're all pushing in the same direction.

"What happens to me is irrelevant, frankly. It is about the team. The most important thing is the team and the success of the team."

Across his six years in charge, Southgate has guided England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and Euro 2020 final, as well as reaching the Nations League Finals in 2019.

England have won just two of their seven matches this year, however, with both of those coming in friendlies, and have failed to score from open play in more than eight hours.

Indeed, the Three Lions are one of only two nations yet to score a single non-penalty goal in the 2022-23 Nations League alongside minnows San Marino.

Asked how he is coping with the recent criticism, Southgate said: "You're not going to have six years as we've had without a spell where you are going to have some tough results.

"You've got to show resilience to come through those moments. I'm not the first coach to go through a difficult time in terms of results and criticism. 

"This is part of the territory – for me, it's a great challenge to lead the team through a moment like this.

"The results haven't been at the level we want or require. So, no matter what job you have in football, that would be the case. 

"Of course, with the national team, that noise is going to be louder and more widespread, I understand that."

Italy boss Roberto Mancini says he is "pleased" to see Hungary thriving under former team-mate Marco Rossi, as the pair face off for a winner-takes-all Nations League clash.

The two sides meet in their final match in Group A3 on Monday, with the Azzurri needing victory in order to leapfrog their hosts into next year's finals in Budapest.

In a group that also included 2014 World Cup winners Germany and Euro 2020 finalists England, Hungary had been written off as easy pickings for relegation from the A tier of the Nations League.

But wins over both nations has catapulted them to top spot, and Mancini said he is delighted to see former Sampdoria team-mate Rossi showcasing his skill, stating that he is under no illusion of the task at hand.

"Playing in Hungary is never easy, but I am pleased that they have done so well in the Nations League, especially as their coach is my former team-mate," he stated.

"I see it as 50-50, because they can also count on a draw to go through. The fact we are here challenging for first place with 90 minutes to go is already pleasing, so we'll give it our all."

Italy will be without Ciro Immobile for the trip despite the striker making the journey to the airport, only to be left behind when the squad flew to Hungary.

Reports that Lazio's president Claudio Loitio ordered him to remain behind owing to a slight thigh issue were not commented on by Mancini, though he admitted the forward was not worth the risk.

"We tried and Immobile did everything right in trying to stay with us, but this morning we decided it wasn’t worth the risk," he added.

"It was disappointing for him and for us. Ciro would happily have stayed, and he did during the first game, but it was too dangerous to risk it.

"He wasn't in awful shape, but hasn't trained with us for three days. We met up when arriving in Milan, but his absence had already been discussed."

Jamal Musiala has no regrets and is "very happy" with his decision to represent Germany over England ahead of Monday's Nations League clash at Wembley.

Born in Stuttgart, Musiala spent a significant part of his childhood in England and was with Chelsea from 2011 until 2019, while he also captained the Three Lions at youth level.

However, he returned to Germany in 2019 to join Bayern Munich and elected to represent Hansi Flick's side last year.

Musiala will now face off against the side he could have represented on Monday and made it clear he has no regrets about the decision on his international allegiance.

"I feel good to be here in England. I am very motivated. England are a very strong team and my past makes me want to play even more," he said.

"I don't know exactly how many times I've played at Wembley. I've been to school tournaments here before and made it to a final there twice. The atmosphere at Wembley is always great.

"It wasn't an easy decision and I thought about it for a long time. In the end it was a decision I made with my family and I'm very happy with. Some England fans are definitely not happy with my decision but that shows that I play well."

Flick has confirmed Musiala will start for Germany in their Nations League dead rubber at Wembley and heaped praise upon the 19-year-old.

"When he trained for the first time, you immediately noticed what a talent he is. His development is fantastic," he declared.

"He can hold his own well in a small space and has a strong feeling for the space. He is also very strong at dribbling, which is why he can solve situations for us.

"In addition, he is very skilled defensively and has many ball wins. I'm glad he's playing for Germany."

Raheem Sterling says England have shown what Gareth Southgate brings to them and insists it is not "time to panic" following their UEFA Nations League relegation.

The Three Lions were condemned to bottom spot in Group A3 after a 1-0 loss to Italy on Friday, marking their fifth consecutive match without a win, their worst competitive run since 1992.

With the World Cup in Qatar looming, expectations for another successful tournament run following a semi-final appearance at Russia 2018 and finishing runners-up at Euro 2020 look to have plummeted for Southgate's side.

Despite his achievements, form under the 52-year-old has come under increasing criticism, but, speaking ahead of Monday's dead rubber with Germany, Sterling has defended his efforts and says he remains the right man.

"[We've made it to] a semi-final and a final," he stated. "We should be trying to put positive messages out there to try and spur the boys on again. With the performances, I get why we're not thinking like this at the minute.

"But I don't think it is time to panic. We've shown over the last couple of years what [Southgate] brings to this team. He's someone that all the boys trust and someone that we want to follow in his direction.

"I don't think these last games change that narrative. I think the narrative needs to be can we go that one step ahead and how we can do it - to try and build positives."

Sterling acknowledged performances have been below par as of late, with England struggling to find a satisfactory formation to prevent defensive fragilities, but remained adamant they can turn the corner.

"In football, there's ups and downs," he said. "I think over the last couple of years, we've been in good form. The game tomorrow is a great opportunity to go out there and take a step in the right direction."

Didier Deschamps has called on Paris Saint-Germain head coach Christophe Galtier to let Kylian Mbappe "breathe a little bit" by resting the forward ahead of France's World Cup bid.

Mbappe has started all nine of PSG's Ligue 1 and Champions League matches this season, scoring 10 times.

The 23-year-old also played 90 minutes of France's 2-0 Nations League win over Austria on Thursday when opening the scoring before Olivier Giroud killed off the contest.

PSG have 11 matches to play before France head to Qatar, but Deschamps is hoping Mbappe is not used in all of those games.

"I know [Galtier] still wants to play Kylian. But from time to time, he needs to be able to breathe a little bit," Deschamps told Telefoot. 

"He needs to play a few minutes less. It won't hurt him – quite the contrary."

Mbappe led the way for shots (seven), shots on target (three) and touches in the opposition box (10) against Austria, while no player created more chances (three).

After registering his 28th international goal in 58 caps, Mbappe admitted he felt "a lot more freedom" playing alongside fellow scorer Giroud than he does for club side PSG.

While Mbappe's World Cup spot is all but guaranteed, Giroud faces uncertainty over his position in the squad once Karim Benzema is back from injury.

Asked if he plans on naming Giroud in his travelling party for the World Cup, Deschamps said: "If I knew that... All I know is he is doing everything he can to be there."

Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhalo Mudryk believes football is "more than a game" for the people of Ukraine amid the war with Russia, while adding he is open to a move to England in the future.

The 21-year-old has caught the eye in the Champions League, scoring twice in as many matches to help his side defeat RB Leipzig 4-1 and draw with Celtic in Glasgow.

Shakhtar's matches in the Champions League are being played in Poland following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, with the nation also playing host to Ukraine's Nations League clash against Scotland on Tuesday.

Mudryk believes these fixtures are important to those who remain affected by the war and that football can make people smile.

"We must adapt because we don't have a choice. We must play because it is our work, but every day we're thinking about our Ukrainian soldiers and our Ukrainian people," he told The Times.

"I am very proud to be Ukrainian. The spirit of our country is high because in this war we can always see the great spirit of Ukraine. I feel that football is more than a game at the moment for the people of Ukraine.

"In this situation, we have a lot of sad moments, and football is one of the things that make Ukrainian people smile. We play to bring a smile on our people's faces."

On the prospect of moving to the Premier League in the future, Mudryk admitted it is something that may be on the agenda.

"Yes, yes, it is possible. The Premier League is the best league in the world and everyone wants to play in this league," he added.

Luis Enrique believes Spain's performance in the first half of Saturday's defeat to Switzerland was their worst 45 minutes of his reign.

Spain slumped to a disappointing 2-1 loss in Zaragoza that leaves them trailing Portugal by two points in Nations League Group A2 heading into the last game.

That final group match is on Tuesday as Spain prepare to face the leaders in Braga, with Fernando Santos' side 4-0 winners over the Czech Republic on Saturday.

La Roja did not muster a single shot on target until Jordi Alba's 55th-minute equaliser at La Romareda, and Luis Enrique could not hide his disappointment at the showing.

"Losing is always something that hurts. It has been a pity, but we must value Switzerland, who from the beginning caused us many difficulties," the coach said.

"In the first half, it was the worst of my time as coach. [Then] we have badly defended the corner of their second goal.

"In the second half we improved. We have tried until the end. The key game is Portugal. We will go to Braga to win."

The manner of Saturday's loss clearly perturbed Luis Enrique, understandable given the World Cup starts in less than two months.

Yet, he is refusing to blow it out of proportion, adamant he does not need to re-evaluate his faith in the squad just because of one result.

Asked if the game generated doubts in relation to Qatar 2022, Luis Enrique replied: "No doubts.

"Obviously it's better to go to Qatar on a winning streak, but I have full confidence in the team. I have seen many players in the first half who have been more imprecise than ever, but the opponents are good, they know how they play.

"But everything doesn't always go well, when you don't have a good day, this happens.

"A victory against Portugal would be the perfect way to reach the World Cup. We have drawn three times with them and now we will go there to win."

Portugal only need a draw on Tuesday to seal their place in the Nations League Finals for the second time.

England manager Gareth Southgate is adamant he is the right man to lead the team into the World Cup despite a woeful run of form.

Defeat to Italy on Friday condemned the Three Lions to relegation in the Nations League, extending the winless streak to five matches in the process.

Southgate was jeered by England's travelling supporters at San Siro but, despite being under the most pressure he has been in his six-year stint in charge, believes he remains the best choice to take the team to Qatar.

"Without a doubt. We're playing and have been playing some top-level sides and we will be better for that," he said.

"And the younger players, in particular, that have been in these games will have learned a lot from them.

"In the past we've had runs of friendlies or whatever the matches are and then we've gone into tournaments and that's the first time we've hit high-level opposition and it's hit us in the face quite often.

"Now we know the level, now we know what we've got to improve and we'll be better placed for that by having had the quality of matches that we've had."

Southgate's views were echoed by England captain Harry Kane, who is confident the Three Lions will be back to their best in time for the start of the tournament in November.

"I believe we are going to be judged on how we perform out in Qatar. We're just in one of those moments where it's not quite going our way. We're confident we can turn that around," he stated.

"We have one more game on Monday to try to get some good feelings back. Ultimately, once we get to the World Cup, we will be ready for that first game and be fully focused on that.

"I don't think our confidence has been dented, but you want to win games. We are all experienced enough, with our clubs especially we have been through those moments when things haven't been going so well. It's about bouncing back."

Diogo Dalot insists Portugal's approach in their final Nations League Group A2 game against Spain will not be any different after rising to the top of the table.

A comfortable 4-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Prague, where the Manchester United full-back scored a brace, came alongside a surprising 2-1 defeat for Spain against Switzerland.

Those results set up a decisive match between Portugal and Spain on Tuesday in Braga, where the hosts know avoiding defeat will secure a spot in next year's Finals tournament.

Despite now finding themselves in pole position, Dalot says the outlook ahead of the game has not changed.

"Our thinking will be the same, whether Spain had won or our result [had been different]. We're going to Braga to win," he said.

"It's going to be a very complicated game and we have to do our [work] to be able to be in the next phase."

Dalot was also pleased with the overall performance from the squad, believing it to be evidence of their strength ahead of the World Cup later this year.

"The most important thing was the good game we played collectively. I think we could still have done a little better after the third goal, taking it easy and more ball," he added.

"We had some scares there that could have given them a goal, but we kept our cool. Defensively we were also very good and I think the result speaks for itself. We played a great game, and we deserved this win.

"This is the result of the work we have been doing. We have a lot of quality. This is a strong [moment] for us. The World Cup is coming, it's a competition where we always want to be."

Diogo Dalot struck twice as Portugal crushed the Czech Republic 4-0 in Prague to go top of Group A2 in the Nations League.

The Manchester United full-back opened the scoring after 33 minutes, with club-mate Bruno Fernandes doubling Portugal's lead before Patrik Schick smashed a penalty over the bar following a VAR call at the end of the first half.

Dalot scored again shortly after the break, and Diogo Jota added gloss to the scoreline late on.

The result moved Portugal above Spain in the standings with one round of games left to play.

Antonin Barak wasted the best chance for the hosts on the half-hour mark as he headed wide, and he would rue his error when Dalot broke the deadlock from close range after Rafael Leao prevented the ball from going out of play by cutting back into the middle.

A dramatic end to the opening half saw Fernandes volley home Mario Rui's cross to double Portugal's lead, before Cristiano Ronaldo was penalised for handball at the other end, the VAR intervention resulting in a penalty that Schick wasted.

Any hopes of a comeback for the Czech Republic suffered a significant dent six minutes after the restart, Dalot netting his second of the game when he curled home a low effort from outside the penalty area.

Further opportunities were few and far between, but there was time for Portugal to extend their lead further, Jota heading home following a corner in the 82nd minute.

Spain will have to win in Portugal if they are to reach the Nations League Finals after suffering a shock 2-1 home defeat to Switzerland in Group A2 on Saturday.

As Portugal cruised to a comfortable 4-0 win over Czech Republic, Luis Enrique's side failed to make the most of their superiority in Zaragoza and slumped to a first defeat since the 2021 Nations League final loss to France.

Spain had great difficulty converting possession into a goal threat, at no point in the first half looking likely to cancel out Manuel Akanji's opener.

Marco Asensio did inspire Jordi Alba's equaliser early in the second half, but an Eric Garcia own goal almost instantly had them playing catch up again and a second equaliser never materialised.

Despite their dominance of the ball, Spain struggled to carve out chances and were behind in the 21st minute as Akanji met Ruben Vargas' corner with a header that found the top-right corner.

The only other first-half shot on target for either team arrived just before the break, Unai Simon forced to keep Xherdan Shaqiri's effort out at his near post after the winger's incisive run.

It took 55 minutes for Spain to muster an accurate attempt and it brought the equaliser, with Alba hammering home after Asensio released him at the end of a brilliant solo run.

But the visitors quickly restored their lead – Garcia ultimately knocking into his own net following Akanji's flick-on from another Vargas corner.

La Roja played most of the final 30 minutes camped in Switzerland's half, but their only clear opportunity saw Yann Sommer get down to thwart Carlos Soler and seal victory in stoppage time.