Nations League Friday Roundup: France Held by Italy, Lewandowski Hits Hat-Trick as Poland Thrash Romania, Northern Ireland Rout Ukraine

There was a spectacular strike from one of France's new generation, a goal glut in Warsaw, and a statement away win for Northern Ireland as the Nations League programme rolled on across the continent.

In League A Group 1, France were held 1-1 by Italy at the Stade de France in Zinedine Zidane's first home game in charge. Michael Olise opened the scoring with a stunning strike from outside the box that crashed in off the underside of the bar, continuing a superb run of form that has now seen him involved in 14 goals in 15 games for his country this year. Italy levelled through Alessandro Bastoni, who nicked the ball off Lucas da Cunha before finishing from the edge of the box, and France finished the game with ten men after Dayot Upamecano was sent off late on for a second booking. 

[Nations League Thursday Roundup: Portugal Shine Without Ronaldo as Wales Beat Norway, Germany Win]

In the other Group 1 fixture, Belgium beat Turkey 3-0 under new boss Mark van Bommel, with Kevin De Bruyne scoring twice and Romelu Lukaku adding a third.

In League B Group 2, Northern Ireland produced one of their finest away performances in years, thrashing Ukraine 3-0 in Slovakia to maintain their unbeaten start to the Nations League. Ciaron Brown scored his first two international goals either side of a towering header from Isaac Price, with Brown's second coming in bizarre fashion after Ukraine's goalkeeper missed his header completely and the ball trickled in. Manager Michael O'Neill fielded the youngest Northern Ireland starting side since the Second World War, and the win puts them three points clear at the top of Group B2 ahead of a home game against Georgia next. 

Elsewhere in the same group, Hungary edged out Georgia 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Milos Kerkez.

There was a remarkable scoreline in League B Group 4, where Poland thrashed Romania 6-0 in Warsaw. Robert Lewandowski helped himself to a hat-trick, including a first-half penalty. Romania defender Vladislav Ghiță also scored an own goal, while Piotr Zieliński and Jan Bednarek got on the scoresheet. Romania's night went from bad to worse when Radu Drăgușin was sent off inside the first half hour.. 

In the other Group 4 game, Sweden had to settle for a point in a 1-1 draw away at Bosnia-Herzegovina, with Viktor Gyökeres's second-half opener cancelled out by a late equaliser from Kerim Alajbegović.

League C Group 2 produced two home wins, as Cyprus beat Armenia 2-0, with Loizos Konomis and Andreas Kakoullis scoring either side of the half-hour mark, although the hosts had to see out the closing stages with ten men after Konstantinos Pileas was sent off just after half time. 

Montenegro beat Latvia 2-1 away from home, with Vasilije Adžić scoring either side of half time before Latvia pulled one back late on through Markuss Strods.

Finally, in League C Group 3, Moldova came from behind to beat Kazakhstan 2-1, with goals either side of half time from Nicolae Cleșcenco and Petru Popescu overturning an early Kazakh setback, before Kazakhstan's Nurzhan Alip grabbed a late consolation. 

The Faroe Islands and Slovakia played out a 1-1 draw, with an early own goal from Gunnar Vatnhamar putting Slovakia ahead before Andrias Justinussen equalised in the second half..