Israel and Kosovo drew 0-0 in the third round of League B, Group 3 of the Nations League. The match was played on October 1 at the “Nagyerdey“ Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary, which was a neutral venue because Israel was hosting the match abroad.
The draw gave Israel its first point in the tournament. The team had started the campaign with a 1-3 defeat to Austria and a 0-3 loss to the Republic of Ireland. Kosovo now has four points after a 1-0 win over Ireland, a 1-3 loss to Austria and a draw in Debrecen.
No goals in Debrecen
The Israeli team started with goalkeeper Avishai Tsur, captain Dor Peretz, Manor Solomon, Liel Abada and Tai Baribo. Kosovo started with Amir Saipi in goal, captain Mergim Vojvoda and strikers Arber Rahmani and Fisnik Asllani. The match did not result in a change in the result and the two teams shared the points.
Before the match, Kosovo coach Franco Foda spoke about the need for adaptation in the squad. “This is football: there are injuries, there are absences, but at the same time new opportunities are created for young players“, he said.
What's next for both teams
After the third round, Austria remains the leader in Group B3. The Republic of Ireland and Kosovo have four points each, while Israel has one. The exact order of the teams with equal assets depends on the other results in the round.
On October 4, Israel visits the Republic of Ireland, while Kosovo hosts Austria. Israel and Kosovo will meet again on November 14 in Kosovo, and the group stage for Israel ends on November 17 with a home game against Austria.
Sources: Sky Sports, ExtraTime, Balkanweb