Israel beats Belgium and still remains relegated in the Nations League

Israel’s 1-0 win doesn’t change group stage positions; Belgium plays playoff to avoid relegation

Israel won its first and final match in the current edition of the Nations League. On Sunday, the Israelis beat Belgium 1-0 with a goal by Yarden Shua. The team, however, remains relegated to League B. In third place in Group 2, the Belgians are competing in a playoff to avoid relegation.

The game did not feature many scoring chances. Under heavy fog, the game was goalless until the end of the second half. In the 41st minute of the second half, Dia Saba entered the Belgian area after a defensive error and was blocked by the defense. The ball fell to Yarden Shua, who finished to score the only goal of the match.

For the Israelis, the result meant relegation from the competition. With just four points from six games, they are relegated to League B. The Belgians, with five points, are in third place and will play in the playoffs. Their opponents have not yet been announced.

Israel and Belgium were tied on four points, but the Israelis were relegated on a tiebreaker. Each team won one game in the two head-to-head matches, but the Belgians had the better goal difference on aggregate (3-1 for Belgium and 1-0 for Israel).

The match between Belgium and Israel was played behind “almost closed doors”. Around 160 Belgian fans attended the Bozsik Arena in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. The Israeli team plays its games outside the country for security reasons.

The Belgian national team has not won in five games (four defeats and one draw). Coach Domenico Tedesco’s team has played 14 matches in 2024: winning four, drawing four and losing six times. This is the year with the most defeats since 2009, when the team was beaten in seven games.