Lazar Samardzic returns to goal with a feat in a Serbia shirt. The Atalanta midfielder scored his first ever goal with the senior national team in the Nations League match tied 1-1 at home to Austria. In the 61st minute, the former Udinese man unleashed a left-footed left-footed shot from outside the box, a perfect conclusion that slotted into the crossbar of the posts for the final equalizing goal.
For the trequartista it is a liberating goal, breaking a more than three-month-long fast, considering that he last scored in the Coppa Italia against Cesena, with a brace in December. With this goal, Samardzic also unlocks his own score with Serbia, in his 18th national team appearance.
Belgium starter Charles De Ketelaere, who came off in the 70th minute in the 3-1 loss to Ukraine, also in the first leg of the Nations League interleague playoffs, will also be on the field. The return leg will be played Sunday, as for Azzurri Daniel Maldini and Raoul Bellanova, both of whom subbed in Italy’s 2-1 loss to Germany.
Good news from Croatia, which overcame France 2-0 in the Nations League A quarterfinals: Mario Pasalic came on in the 60th minute, helping to keep the result in favor of the Croatians. Again, the return match is set for Sunday.
We are now getting into the thick of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with two more Nerazzurri starring in Europe. Tonight Berat Djimsiti will start with Albania at Wembley against England, while Sead Kolasinac will take the field with Bosnia in Bucharest against Romania. Both challenges will be played at 8:45 p.m.
It is also a key day for Ademola Lookman, who is engaged at 5 p.m. in Kigali against Rwanda. Nigeria is second-to-last in its African group, with only three points collected in four days, and urgently needs a win to get back into the race for one of the top two spots, valid for World Cup qualification.
On the youth front, Palestra will be featured with Italy Under 21, today at 6:15 p.m. in Venice in the friendly against the Netherlands. Tomorrow, on the other hand, it will be Isak Hien’s turn, engaged with Sweden in the away match against Luxembourg.
Eleven Atalanta players in all have been summoned by their respective national teams, and the international schedule includes a second round of matches between Sunday and Tuesday, when many of the fates related to the Nations League and World Cup qualifiers will be determined.
The article Atalantini in national team: today it’s the turn of Djimsiti, Kolasinac and Lookman comes from CalcioAtalanta.
