Football fans can look forward to more international football action with the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying playoffs finals, as well as several friendlies between major nations as part of the FIFA window in November 2020.
Topping the bill of international friendlies on Wednesday 11 November is the meeting of the Netherlands and Spain in Amsterdam. ‘De Oranje’ have struggled to put together results of late and will be even more hamstrung with the absence of key defender Virgil van Dijk.
Nonetheless, coach Frank de Boer is upbeat about his team and recently spoke about midfielder Donny van de Beek, who he argues is being managed perfectly at Manchester United by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“People have to understand him [van de Beek], his teammates and the coach. He’s a guy that doesn’t get nervous, but of course I understand the current situation. United have spent a lot of money on the boy and he’s on the bench sometimes playing five minutes,” said de Boer. “I think overall Donny is a very intelligent boy and he will fight until the end. I think Manchester United will have a lot of enjoyment with him.”
The string of friendlies on Wednesday also sees Germany battling the Czech Republic, world champions France host Finland, Italy tackle Estonia, Portugal host Andorra and Belgium will welcome Switzerland to Brussels, while Thursday sees Republic of Ireland visit Wembley to face England.
Irish manager Stephen Kenny insists that he wants to stick with an approach based on passing and possession: “We’ve been told as a nation that we can’t pass the ball, that our players aren’t enough to play a certain way. That’s a narrow viewpoint. We’re in the process of changing that concept. I think the players really enjoy playing that way, they want to express themselves. I think when we get everybody fit and available, we’ll gradually improve and show our quality.”
The UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying playoffs have reached the final stage and Thursday 12 November sees eight teams battling for the last four spots at next year’s tournament. Most focus will fall on Scotland’s clash away to Serbia in Belgrade, with the Tartan Army looking to qualify for their first major international tournament since the 1998 World Cup.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke says his team is now difficult to play against and a return to the European Championship is within their grasp.
“We have started to do that, we have started to look more difficult to play against, which is great,” said Clarke. “The players have to take the credit. The players apply themselves properly. We have tweaked the system a little bit and it has worked so far. That’s not to say it is always going to work in the future but it has worked so far.
“That’s credit to the players, the fact that they can take in all the information they are given and they can make the system work. With any group of players that you have, the longer you work together, the more they will start to show what you are trying to ask them to do.”
The playoff finals also see Georgia face North Macedonia, Iceland are away to Hungary and Northern Ireland will host Slovakia.
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International Friendlies broadcast details, 11-12 November 2020
Wednesday 11 November
6:45pm: Turkey v Croatia – LIVE on SuperSport Premier League
8:45pm: Italy v Estonia – LIVE on SuperSport Variety 1
8:45pm: Germany v Czech Republic – LIVE on SuperSport Grandstand, SuperSport Football and SuperSport GOtv Football
8:45pm: Belgium v Switzerland – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport GOtv La Liga
8:45pm: Netherlands v Spain – LIVE on SuperSport Premier League
8:45pm: Portugal v Andorra – LIVE on SuperSport PSL
9:10pm: France v Finland – LIVE on SuperSport Variety 3 and SuperSport GOtv Select 1
Thursday 12 November
9:00pm: England v Republic of Ireland – LIVE on SuperSport Premier League
UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers broadcast details, 12 November 2020
Thursday 12 November
6:00pm: Georgia v North Macedonia – LIVE on SuperSport Premier League
8:45pm: Hungary v Iceland – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga and SuperSport GOtv La Liga
8:45pm: Northern Ireland v Slovakia – LIVE on SuperSport Variety 3 and SuperSport Maximo 2
8:45pm: Serbia v Scotland – LIVE on SuperSport Football and SuperSport GOtv Football