Nations League, decisive match for 1st place in the group

The national football team will meet today, at the National Arena, Kosovo in a decisive match for the first position in the group. Undefeated, our team starts with the first chance, also having a moral ascendancy after the 3-0 victory in the round match. Beyond the sporting aspect, the match also has a less pleasant component, in which the fans in the lawn feel the need to publicly express their geopolitical preferences. Against this backdrop, coach Mircea Lucescu sent a special message to the supporters before the match against Kosovo, asking them to encourage the tricolors and not to let themselves be provoked: "We need an enthusiastic atmosphere, to support us in our attempt to win this group. I would like our audience to help us, to try to have the same behavior as at the European Championship in Germany, when the entire football world appreciated the way our supporters behaved. We do not need to create a hostile atmosphere towards our opponents, not to respond to the challenges that may arise, to try to stay within the limits of sport and football, the encouragement should be such that the players feel the public is with them. I appeal to our audience to be with the team throughout the game, to support the national team as they have known how to do recently and always, as they did during the time I was playing."

• The Tricolors, very efficient in attack

After the first 4 rounds, Romania has the best attack in the first 3 divisions of the Nations League and a high conversion rate of goal chances, informs frf.ro. According to Wyscout monitoring, the Tricolors are one of the most efficient teams in the current edition of the Nations League. In 4 rounds, our national team has scored 11 goals. Analyzing the offensive game, Romania is among the first in League C or even Europe in several chapters. The Tricolors have an average of 13.8 shots per match, 7.3 of which are inside the box (16th place in Europe) and 6.5 from outside the box (10th place). Romania is among all the teams in the Nations League in the top of counterattacks completed with a shot! In defense, Romania has only conceded two goals so far, one from a penalty kick, with an average of 34 interceptions per match, 11.5 of which, on average, were made in the final third, thanks to their good pressing game. In passing, Romania is only 35th on the continent, with a total of 1,548 passes, and 34th in progressive passes, an average of 63.3 passes/match. In comparison, the opponent who eliminated us from the round of 16 at Euro 2024, the Netherlands, has an average of 64.5 progressive passes.

• Denmark Brigade

The Romania - Kosovo match, which will be played today, at 9:45 p.m., in the Nations League, will be refereed by a Danish brigade, with Morten Krogh at the center. He will be assisted by Victor Skytte and Steffen Bramsen, while the fourth official will be Lasse Læbel Graagaard. The VAR Chamber will be staffed by Jakob Kehlet and Sandi Putros. The last match in the group will take place on Monday, November 18, at 21:45, at the National Arena against Cyprus.