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Stats highlights from the third ODI between Zimbabwe and New Zealand in Harare where the visitors sealed a series win

Shiva Jayaraman07-Aug-20152 Before the third ODI, New Zealand had lost the final and deciding game of a bilateral ODI series against Zimbabwe just twice. They had last lost the final match of a three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe in 2001, after being tied 1-1. Overall, this was New Zealand’s tenth win in the decider of a bilateral series after being level with the opposition. They have lost on nine such occasions.4 Times Kane Williamson has been dismissed in the nineties in his last six ODI innings. His 90 in Harare was also the fifth time this year that he got out in the nineties. Only Sachin Tendulkar, with six such scores in 2007, has had more nineties in one calendar year.6 Consecutives fifty-plus scores Williamson has now hit in ODIs. Only Javed Miandad, who made scores of 50 or more in nine consecutive innings in 1987, has had a longer sequence. Only four other batsmen – Gordon Greenidge, Andrew Jones, Mark Waugh, and Mohammad Yousuf – have made six consecutive fifty-plus scores.1 Batsmen to have gotten out twice in the nineties in more than one ODI series before Williamson. Tendulkar had four series during his career in which had two scores in the nineties.1992 The last time a Zimbabwe opening pair put on a stand higher than the 97-run partnership shared between Chamu Chibhabha and Hamilton Masakadza in this match, which was also Zimbabwe’s joint second highest opening stand against New Zealand. Andy Flower and Grant Flower had added 124 runs for the first wicket in an ODI in Harare.19 Fifty-plus scores by Hamilton Masakadza as an opener in ODIs; among Zimbabwe openers, only Grant Flower and Alistair Campbell have made more. Vusi Sibanda too has made 19 fifty-plus scores as an opener for Zimbabwe.187 Runs scored by Williamson in this series – the third highest by a New Zealand captain from three or fewer matches in an ODIs series. Brendon McCullum’s 222 runs from three innings in a bilateral series against England in 2013 are the highest.4 Man-of-the-Series awards won by Williamson in ODIs. No other New Zealand player has won more than two such awards. Williamson also won the eighth Man-of-the-Match award of his ODI career in this match.

Alex Hales’ departure to the final stages of the IPL is symptomatic of the ECB’s failure to back its own T20 tournament

George Dobell17-May-2015Imagine a shop that hides its most popular product from customers, opens when they are unable to visit and displays a sign saying “The shop next door is much better” and you have, by and large, imagined the NatWest T20 Blast.This should be English domestic cricket’s vehicle for change. It should be an opportunity to attract new audiences and raise revenues.And, in some aspects, it is excellent. Now benefiting from a semi-regular Friday night spot, most of the counties have bought into it and have signed some of the most exciting overseas players currently available: Brendon McCullum, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch and Wahab Riaz to name but a few.But, somewhere along the way, the ECB – and, for the purposes of this piece, the ECB means the administrators at Lord’s rather than the counties they are meant to represent – appears to have stopped believing in its product.Indeed, lovers of conspiracy theories might even suspect that some at the ECB – those keen on a 10-team franchise-based T20 competition – are even wishing the Blast to fail. If it does, it will prove far easier to push through the changes required to bring in a franchise system.This impression has been underlined by the sudden departure of Alex Hales – who has been signed by Mumbai Indians for a brief stint at the IPL – just as the Blast season begins.

Allowing England-qualified players to miss fixtures during the domestic season to play in another nation’s domestic tournament is perverse

Let’s be clear: this is not a criticism of Hales. Even if this decision was purely financial – and it almost certainly isn’t – there is no disgrace in a man seeking to maximise his earnings or broaden his horizons. Hales has departed – and, who knows, might not even miss a T20 match for Nottinghamshire – with everyone’s blessing.But allowing England-qualified players to miss fixtures during the domestic season to play in another nation’s domestic tournament is perverse.The ECB has let down the English game by allowing some of its most attractive players – its prize assets – to miss games. With it also being decided, against the original understanding with the counties, to rest England players from the opening round of games, it meant that many of the most “box office” names in English cricket – the likes of Hales and Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan – have been allowed to go absent just when they could have played a role in the resurgence of the sport.Equally, the scheduling of the Blast remains bizarre. While a majority of counties have requested that the start date of the competition be pushed back a month so it coincides more with school holidays and warmer weather the ECB has insisted on a start date that clashes not just with the IPL but with exams, so rendering it far more difficult for many teenagers to attend. Again, it is hard to avoid the suspicion that not everyone is pulling in the same direction in English cricket at present.It is important to remember the purpose of the Blast. It is not just about talent development. It is about developing another generation of supporters. So the perception, whether accurate or not, that the most glamorous, most eye-catching players are engaged in another nation’s domestic tournament makes it too easy for people to come to the conclusion that the Blast is a second-rate competition.It makes it too easy for the cynics to suggest it is nothing more than a feeder competition for the IPL or Big Bash. It makes it too easy to denigrate what is, in many ways, a very good competition. And a competition that, this year, Hales’ departure probably should not have come as a surprise. The ECB had already allowed Morgan (among others) to miss an ODI in order to play in the IPL – an extraordinary decision bearing in mind he was captain during England’s awful World Cup campaign – and seems to have had a change of heart since the days when Kevin Pietersen had to fight for any involvement with the competition.The ECB now argues, with some logic, that experiences of foreign leagues help players’ development. It argues, with some evidence, that the knowledge learned in such leagues can be passed on to other players in the English game.

The ECB can learn from the BCCI’s determination to protect, promote and fight for their own product.

Paul Collingwood, for example, credits his time at the IPL for helping him understand the value of left-arm seamers in white ball cricket and led to England preferring Ryan Sidebottom to James Anderson at the World T20 in 2010. As it remains the only global limited-overs competition they have won, the significance of such a realisation should not be underplayed.The next World T20 tournament – less than 12 months away – will be played in India, too. So the benefits of involvement are not disputed. Even if they are sometimes talked up by those looking for a justification – an unnecessary justification – for their income.The issue is more about the damage their absence inflicts to the English game. So not only is it harder to sell the Blast product without the appearance of its star players – and Hales’ six sixes in six deliveries on Friday night surely confirmed his billing as a star – it also dilutes the quality of the competition. It means the gap between domestic and international cricket grows for future England players.Only by the likes of Hales and Morgan and Buttler participating alongside them can young English players know what it takes to succeed in limited-overs cricket. They can learn from watching Buttler scoop or trying to contain Hales. They can see the standards necessary to prosper at international level. They can experience a level of competition that will minimise the step up to international level. Hales and co. must not just learn; they must teach.The ECB – the individual counties and the board – has the power to decline requests from players to go to the IPL. All the players have contracts; all contracts in English cricket could have clauses prohibiting their absence. Hales, by contrast, has a clause saying that he can go if he wishes.While the financial attraction of IPL contracts is clearly a factor, few English players will choose to decline the relative security of a county or central contract for the short-term gain of IPL deals or the itinerant life of a T20 specialist. The ECB needs to fight a little harder to retain its assets. And if that means paying the best players more, so be it.Of course, English limited-overs cricket needs to improve. And of course English cricket can learn from the IPL. But the main lessons are not necessarily on the pitch. Instead the ECB can learn from the BCCI’s determination to protect, promote and fight for its own product.Somewhere along the way, the ECB seems to have lost faith in its T20 competition.

While Everton have suffered a turbulent few months with off-the-field issues resulting in an eight-point deduction, manager Sean Dyche has impressed this season with the Toffees' securing their Premier League status for next term.

The Merseyside club have turned their form around in recent weeks, with their four-game unbeaten run enough to pull themselves clear of any looming danger despite the troubles with PSR.

The financial problems behind the scenes at Goodison Park have been well documented and have prevented Dyche from investing heavily in his squad, restricting him to working with players who were at the club before his appointment.

Injuries and various other reasons have seen the Toffees' boss rely on some younger players to do the business this season, with Jarrad Branthwaite the main beneficiary – starting 33 times in the Premier League this campaign.

However, the manager has been let down by some of his first-team squad this season, with one player, in particular, struggling with his fitness and yet to showcase his best at Goodison Park.

Nathan Patterson's stats at Everton

After joining the club in January 2022 under boss Rafa Benitez, full-back Nathan Patterson had high hopes of being the club's long-term Seamus Coleman replacement.

He joined from Rangers for a fee in the region of £16m, a figure that was then the highest figure ever received for a player from Ibrox, with the youngster signing a five-and-a-half-year deal at Goodison Park.

However, over two years on from his arrival on Merseyside, he's only made 48 appearances for the club, with only 20 coming during the 2023/24 campaign.

Patterson has only started 25% of matches under Dyche this season, missing the last four Premier League outings with a fresh hamstring issue.

At just 22, the Scotsman could still prove to be a success at Goodison, but for the time being he's failed to prove his worth, with his market value taking a nose dive as a result of his lack of game time.

Nathan Patterson's market value in 2024

After just two appearances in 2024, the Scotsman's value has decreased to just £6m, as per Football Transfers – a drop of £10m from the fee that the club paid for him in January 2022.

His subsequent value is now less than defender James Tarkowski, who joined the club on a free transfer from Burnley just six months prior to Patterson's arrival at the club.

The centre-back is now worth £17.8m, a huge jump from his transfer that cost the club nothing – another example of the excellent dealings conducted by the Toffees in recent seasons.

Patterson undoubtedly still has the potential to be a hit at the club, but for now, he's got to bide his time with Ben Godfrey currently looking undroppable after his recent stint covering at right-back.

However, he has the opportunity during pre-season to stake his claim for a starting spot, with the defender needing to grasp the next opportunity that comes his way if he's to become a regular under Dyche next season.

Having spent over two years now on Merseyside, time is perhaps running out for the former Gers man to make an impact…

Everton played a blinder on Koeman signing who's now worth less than Keane

He failed to demonstrate his qualities during his time at Goodison Park.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 9, 2024

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is facing months on the sidelines after suffering a serious injury in Barcelona's 5-1 win against Villarreal.

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• Ter Stegen suffers knee injury in win
• Goalkeeper carried off on a stretcher
• Flick admits "it doesn't look good"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Barcelona goalkeeper was carried off on a stretcher in tears after injuring his right knee in the first half of Sunday's 5-1 win against Villarreal in La Liga. Ter Stegen landed awkwardly after claiming a corner, and players immediately called for medical help. He was taken to a hospital close to Villarreal's Estadio de la Ceramica for assessments.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 32-year-old is now expected to be out for a considerable length of time. According to RAC1, per ESPN, he could be sidelined for eight months, which would end his season.

  His injury marred an otherwise fine afternoon for Barcelona, who made it six wins from six in the league thanks to two goals each from Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, along with Pablo Torre's strike.

• WHAT FLICK SAID

  "It doesn't look good for Marc," Flick said after the game. "We have to wait to know the full diagnosis of the injury, but it's true it does appear to be really serious. This injury makes us sad. I think the injury will be huge, but we have to wait for information."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Barcelona's injury list is mounting, with Ter Stegen joining Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo on the sidelines.

Marcus Rashford has been going the extra mile in private training sessions in a bid to rediscover his best form at Manchester United.

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• Rashford training away from Utd during international break
• Hasn't scored in his last nine Premier League games
• Man Utd next face Southampton

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The out-of-form Manchester United star uploaded a video on Instagram showing highlights from his private training sessions during the international break. With Rashford failing to make Lee Carsley's first England squad for the Nations League, he has been working hard to sharpen his skills by training away from United with the RH Elite Coaching team in Manchester.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

  Rashford posted the clip on Instagram with the caption: "Raw material." The United forward can be seen finding the net with a number of long-range shots and working on his one-touch passing around the box.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 26-year-old, who was once hailed as one of United's brightest stars, has come under fire in recent times for what many perceive as a lack of effort on the pitch. The England international, who was instrumental during the 2022-23 campaign with an impressive 30 goals in 56 appearances across all competitions, has experienced a dramatic dip in form since then.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MARCUS RASHFORD?

  The attacker will aim to end his nine-game Premier League goal drought this weekend as Erik ten Hag's side take on Southampton in an away fixture on Saturday. United have slipped to 14th in the table after losing two of their opening three games, and need Rashford to step up if they are to start climbing back towards the top half.

It's no secret this season that Sunderland have struggled to find a potent striker to lead the line, never being able to fill the huge void left behind by Ross Stewart exiting for Southampton.

Stewart hasn't been blessed with the best luck since moving to St. Mary's however, with injury issues galore only seeing him make two appearances for the Saints this campaign, but the wasteful Black Cats have never replaced their former lethal Scotsman all the same.

A conveyer belt of failed attackers in Nazariy Rusyn, Mason Burstow and more have all struggled to become the star centre-forward Sunderland have craved this dismal Championship season, with a new striker a must on the Black Cats shopping list this summer.

Sunderland will hope they don't fall victim to a similar transfer blunder like this one back in 2015, with the Wearside outfit gaining what they thought was a prolific forward for £5m only for him to go all goal-shy playing at the Stadium of Light.

Danny Graham's transfer to Sunderland

Sunderland must have thought they'd hit the jackpot when Danny Graham was unveiled as a major signing mid-way through the 2012/13 Premier League season, having been deadly for his ex-employers in Swansea City before moving on.

12 goals from 36 games the campaign before this deal was finalised would have caught the eye of the Black Cats, alongside Graham's past goalscoring heroics at Watford before his spell with the Swans which saw him score 41 goals from 98 Hornets games.

Enshrined in Swans folklore for his dramatic winner against Arsenal during his final full season in Wales too, Graham would unfortunately flop in his new surroundings after once being thought of as an effective goal-machine elsewhere.

Graham would only line up for Sunderland 13 times during the second half of his first season, failing to hit the ground running with zero goals for his efforts.

Loaned out to Hull City, Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers, it wouldn't be until the 2014/15 campaign that Graham would finally break his duck for the Wearside outfit in a deal that is now seen as a colossal blunder.

The 6 foot dud would only ever score one more strike for Sunderland to take his goals total to a pitiful two from 59 games, even when returning to the Black Cats in a random loan spell during the 2020/21 season when the side had fallen all the way down to League One.

Graham's wage costs during his initial wretched stint would also have hurt Sunderland alongside his lack of clinical finishing, earning £12.5k-per-week more than what Daniel Ballard does currently, according to Capology.

Graham's wage at Sunderland

The former Swansea man would rake in a high £27.5k-per-week wage for the Black Cats during their Premier League days ten years ago, which would make him the highest earner by over £10k-per-week now in the current Sunderland camp.

Graham would also find himself earning nearly double that of dependable centre-back figure Ballard back in 2013, who is now being touted for a move away from Sunderland after a poor collective second-tier season just gone still saw the ex-Arsenal man shine.

Only missing three games all season long in the Championship, an impressive feat considering the chopping and changing of managers on Wearside, Ballard could make Sunderland a healthy profit this summer if sold on all whilst earning significantly less than what Graham pocketed.

Graham will just be thankful that this disappointing patch of his career didn't upset his flow of goals moving onto Blackburn Rovers right after Sunderland, bagging 57 strikes whilst lining up alongside ex-Riversiders and current Black Cats midfielder Bradley Dack as a teammate.

Sunderland must consider selling “magic” star who earns 4x Hume’s wage

Sunderland could soon sell on this star who is a high earner at the Stadium of Light.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 1, 2024

The attacking midfielder has been promised a consistent role at the Bundesliga club this season, despite exit rumors

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• Reyna will stay at Dortmund after positive talks
• Told by sporting director to "accept role"
• Reportedly no offers on the table for an exit

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  After heavy speculation about his future, Gio Reyna is set to remain at Dortmund for the 2024-25 season, Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl confirmed in an interview. The two parties reportedly held talks over the summer and agreed on a role for the USMNT midfielder for the club. This follows a disappointing 2023-24 campaign in which Reyna made only a few appearances for the Bundesliga side and during his loan to Nottingham Forest in January.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite failing to reach expectations last season, Reyna played a big role for the USMNT in Copa America. The midfielder started all three group games for the hosts, and impressed in the tournament opener against Bolivia in an ultimately unsuccessful campaign.

• WHAT SEBASTIAN KEHL SAID

  Kehl elaborated on Reyna's future at the club in an interview with German publication : "He has to accept his role, free himself from it. It was clear when we had the talks in the summer that Gio wanted to take on this role. That there will be enough games in which we need it. We know that he has insane abilities. He worked on himself, worked on stability, worked on radiance. This clever turning up between the lines and his goal threat – he has further developed this. So Gio can still become very important for us this season. There are no other thoughts. There is nothing on the table and I don't sense that the player wants to leave."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REYNA?

  The USMNT midfielder seems set to stay in Germany for at least one more season. His current Dortmund contract expires in 2026 – at which point he will be 23.

The Allianz Arena is the next venue for Arsenal to attend, as Bayern Munich welcomes the English side to their back garden on Wednesday evening.

The last time that the Gunners won away at the German giant was in 2013, and a similar scoreline will be needed this time around if they’re to progress into the quarterfinal.

The Champions League anthem had already rung around the Emirates this time last week, when the tie ended in an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Unfortunately, the preparation going into the game hasn’t been ideal, with Aston Villa defeating Mikel Arteta’s side 2-0 last weekend, and therefore, the boss may look to change a few individuals ahead of the season-defining clash.

Gabriel Jesus drops out of the side

Gabriel Jesus hasn’t featured quite as much as anticipated in the Premier League this season, with the Spaniard often opting for Kai Havertz up front.

Nevertheless, the Brazilian has made 22 league appearances, scoring four goals, but despite his best return coming in the Champions League, netting four goals and providing three assists in seven matches, he may not make the starting lineup for this evening.

The former Manchester City star did start at the weekend in the defeat, where he failed to get on the scoresheet for a seventh consecutive game.

With Bayern set to be an even tougher opposition than Villa, particularly when playing at home, it wouldn’t be a surprise for Jesus to drop out of the side completely, even being replaced by a midfielder.

Who will come into the team to play Bayern

Jorginho has been fantastic when featuring for Arsenal this season, playing 22 games in the English top flight and eight in the Champions League.

The Italian has often been drafted into the side ahead of important ties, notably the recent match against Manchester City and the second leg versus Porto.

However, on Wednesday night, the former Chelsea player will once again have an enormous task on his hands, and that is to stop Jamal Musiala from working his magic in the gaps between the midfield and backline.

Last week, the 32-year-old started against the Bundesliga side, and he impressed during his 67 minutes on the field, influencing the side from both an in-possession and an out-of-possession perspective.

Tonight, it may not be Jorginho’s technical ability that makes him so important, but more so his experience of performing on the big occasion, which we’ve seen when Italy won the Euros and when Chelsea lifted the Champions League trophy.

With Bayer Leverkusen knocking Bayern off their perch in the league, the atmosphere could become overwhelming, which suits the level-headed and composed star.

Furthermore, the “ridiculous” midfielder, as labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson, is extremely composed in possession, often making the right decision and hardly losing the ball, as shown by the earlier table.

However, during the first leg, he also showed his defensive capabilities, making three tackles, one interception, and only being dribbled past once, which is an achievement in itself against the tricky Musiala.

Overall, Arsenal must play as a unit, and Jorginho could just prove to be the glue that keeps the side together. Therefore, he simply has to start alongside Declan Rice.

Arsenal lining up £51m Jorginho replacement as a priority summer target

The Gunners are reportedly interested in the impressive central midfielder ahead of the summer.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 16, 2024

If you ask any Tottenham Hotspur fan what period in recent times was the most enjoyable and successful, almost every individual would say the run from 2015–19.

The core of that success involved the likes of Heung-min Son, Harry Kane, and Jan Vertonghen, but there was one player who was just as influential.

The player in question is Christian Eriksen, who featured in 305 matches for the Lilywhites, scoring 69 times and providing 90 assists.

New boss Ange Postecoglou is keen to strengthen his midfield this summer, and on his radar is a highly-rated Eriksen clone.

Spurs’ search for a new midfielder

As per a recent report from Ben Jacobs via CaughtOffside, Spurs are seriously interested in signing Giorgiy Sudakov.

The Ukrainian star plays for Shakhtar Donetsk, who are known to be difficult to deal with in regards to transfers.

Despite having an incredible £128m release clause in his contract, it’s reported that a fee of around £60m will likely be enough to secure his services in the summer.

However, if Spurs do go ahead with attempting to sign the midfielder, they will face competition from European giants such as Inter and Juventus.

Spurs have a "generational" teen talent who could be the new Dele Alli

This star could rival players such as James Maddison for a spot in Postecoglou’s first-team in good time.

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 17, 2024

Sudakov would be a James Maddison rival

James Maddison’s start to life at Tottenham couldn’t have gone any smoother, with the £40m man scoring twice and assisting twice in his first four league matches.

However, an injury against Chelsea earlier this season saw him miss 13 games of action, and since then, he’s not been quite as impactful, failing to register a goal contribution in his last five matches.

Nonetheless, the interest in Sudakov highlights one of two things: either Postecoglou isn’t entirely happy with Maddison being his first choice number ten, or he intends to tweak the system next season.

The 21-year-old star is an attacking midfielder by trade, but he’s already shown that he can comfortably play as a left midfielder or slightly deeper as a box-to-box this season.

As you can see by the table above, the number 10 has shown that he can compete against the very best, as he starred in the Champions League against Barcelona earlier this season.

Playing away to Barca is often a daunting prospect for the most experienced players, but Sudakov proved that he’s not afraid of any challenge, as he was constantly a threat against the La Liga side.

What this game highlighted in particular was that the Ukraine star doesn’t only create, but he’s also a goal-scorer. The fact that he’s netted seven goals in 28 appearances this season further supports that.

Another aspect that was impressive was the way he dazzled the Barca midfield with his dribbling, completing 100% of his take-ons, which certainly highlights his technical ability.

Furthermore, the fact that he had 62 touches and completed 40 passes proves that he’s an extremely confident individual who is desperate to put his stamp on the game, which is what Tottenham need right now in particular.

What makes this potential move even more interesting is the fact that football scout Jacek Kulig has previously compared Sudakov to Eriksen, with the player's range of passing, creativity, and set piece mastery alike.

Sudakov, therefore, is most definitely a promising talent, but surely Spurs wouldn’t spend £60m on a Maddison backup? Either way, the thought of welcoming another Eriksen to north London will be a tantalising one.

Kylian Mbappe has struggled so far since his move to Real Madrid, however, Didier Deschamps has backed the France captain to handle the pressure.

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• Mbappe suffers slow start with Real Madrid
• Deschamps backs him to cope with pressure
• Says forward will find his feet in La Liga

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mbappe scored on his Real Madrid debut against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup, however, the Frenchman struggled to find his feet in La Liga and failed to get a single goal contribution through Los Blancos' first three league matches. However, Mbappe followed it up with a brace last weekend against Real Betis in a 2-0 win, and Deschamps has backed the 25-year-old to cope with the pressure on his shoulders.

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  WHAT DESCHAMPS SAID

  Speaking to the media, the France boss said Mbappe breaking his La Liga duck does not make a difference: "I have no reason to feel relieved, obviously I am happy for him, even if he had already scored in the first game of the European Super Cup. Kylian is used to this in his daily life, he sets very high standards for himself. His coach Carlo Ancelotti was not worried and neither was I. Kylian has always scored goals and he will score them."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mbappe hasn't just struggled at Real Madrid as the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner failed to show his usual level in the France shirt at Euro 2024. The French captain only scored a solitary goal in Germany – a group-stage penalty against Poland. However, Deschamps is not worried about the drop in form heading into the Nations League.

  Deschamps said: "The French national team is better when Kylian is there. From experience, being in the French national team is a break that is good for many of them. He was not effective – at first – but I spoke to him and he feels good. Obviously he is not at his best yet, but he is not a robot or a superman. Expectations are high. He has a great capacity to absorb everything that happens on and off the pitch. But we can understand that human fatigue can be significant."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  The 25-year-old will be in action next up in a France shirt when Les Bleus take on Italy and Belgium in their opening Nations League group-stage clashes.