Nations League Matchday 4: France’s Late Surge, Gyökeres’ Record and the Stories That Mattered

Eight UEFA Nations League matches were played on Monday, but the final scores only tell part of the story. France produced the most dramatic result of the night, Italy recovered control of a competitive Group A1, and Viktor Gyökeres turned another Sweden victory into a personal piece of Nations League history. For a matchday containing two goalless draws and several one-goal games, it was a remarkably eventful evening.

France’s 4-1 win was not a routine four-goal performance

A 4-1 scoreline normally suggests control from the beginning. France’s victory over Belgium was almost the opposite. Belgium led through Dodi Lukébakio and remained in front well into the second half. France remained behind deep into the second half, but once the momentum shifted, the contest changed completely. Désiré Doué brought France level before Rayan Cherki put the hosts ahead. Michael Olise then scored twice as France went from 1-0 down to 4-1 up in the space of just 14 minutes. That distinction matters. The useful conclusion is not simply that France scored four goals. It is that they were able to change the character of a difficult match through their options from the bench and the amount of attacking quality available when Belgium began to lose control. A comfortable final score emerged from what had been an uncomfortable match for most of the evening.

Italy responded when Türkiye threatened to change the game

Italy’s 3-1 victory over Türkiye followed a different pattern. Gianluca Scamacca gave Italy the lead before half-time, but Türkiye responded after the break through Aral Şimşir. Instead of allowing the equaliser to reshape the match, Italy regained the advantage through substitute Riccardo Calafiori before Pio Esposito completed the scoring late on. It was a useful result for an Italian side operating in a competitive Group A1 where France, Belgium and Türkiye can all punish dropped points. The important element was the response to the equaliser. Italy did not need to dominate every phase of the match; they needed to regain control after losing it. They did.

Gyökeres is turning consistency into a Nations League record

Sweden’s 1-0 win in Romania produced only one goal, but it carried more significance than the scoreline suggests. Viktor Gyökeres scored the winner and extended his scoring run to seven consecutive UEFA Nations League appearances — a competition record. It was also his fourth goal of the current campaign, putting him among the tournament’s leading scorers. Scoring streaks at international level are difficult to sustain because opponents, tactical structures and teammates can change dramatically from one window to another. Gyökeres has continued producing regardless. The goal in Romania was therefore more than another winner. It extended a pattern that now stretches across multiple Nations League windows.

The quieter results still changed their groups

Elsewhere, Hungary scored late to beat Ukraine 2-1, while Bosnia and Herzegovina edged Poland 1-0. Northern Ireland and Georgia finished goalless, as did Montenegro and Armenia, while Cyprus defeated Latvia 2-1. Those games may not have produced the headline moment of France’s comeback or Gyökeres’ record, but Nations League group stages are often decided by exactly these narrow results. A late winner or a point collected in a low-scoring game can become much more important when the final two matchdays arrive in November.

What comes next

Matchday 4 concludes on Tuesday with another ten matches. Much of the attention will fall on Group A3, where England host Czechia after their remarkable 7-0 victory in Croatia, while Spain travel to face the same Croatian side. For England in particular, the next question is not whether they can produce another seven-goal scoreline. It is whether the level of control behind that result can be repeated.