Ben Davies has urged Wales to summon up the spirit of reaching the World Cup to beat Croatia and keep their European Championship qualification hopes alive. Turkey’s shock win in Croatia on Thursday night damaged Welsh prospects of claiming a top-two place in Group D. Wales must now realistically beat top seeds Croatia in Cardiff on Sunday and finish with wins over Armenia and Turkey next month to qualify for Euro 2024. By doing so, Wales would qualify for a third successive major tournament – two European Championships either side of the 2022 World Cup. “We know the situation we’re in and it’s definitely going to be challenging,” said Tottenham defender Davies, who will be wearing the Wales armband in the absence of injured captain Aaron Ramsey. “We’ve shown in the past at Cardiff that against good teams we can win games. It’s the same mentality again that we go into it believing anything’s possible. “The two World Cup qualifiers (play-offs against Austria and Ukraine) were big pressure moments for this team. We've shown in the past at Cardiff that against good teams we can win games Ben Davies “Arguably people would say they were better sides than us, but we showed that we’re more than capable of making our home in Cardiff a fortress and making it difficult for the opposition. “We’ve played some of the best teams in Europe there – like Belgium and the Netherlands – and we’ve put good performances in. Playing at home gives us that something special.” Wales have not beaten Croatia in seven games between the two nations. There have been three 1-1 draws, including the March meeting in Split when Nathan Broadhead equalised with virtually the last kick of the match to get Wales’ Euro campaign off to a promising start. Davies said: “They’re a great footballing nation that have had great results over the last 10, 15, 20 years. “They’re a team stacked with quality players playing at the highest level. We know it’s going to be a hard game, but we believe it’s one we can get something out of. “It’s a huge opportunity playing at home. If we can get three points, then it will put us in a better situation going into next month.” Wales warmed up for their Croatia task by sweeping aside friendly opponents Gibraltar 4-0 in Wrexham on Wednesday. It was Wales’ third consecutive clean sheet following shut-outs against South Korea and Latvia last month, the first time the Dragons have achieved that for nearly three years. Number one goalkeeper Danny Ward said: “We got back to what we do best in the last camp, being defensively sound. “That was vital after the summer we had (4-2 and 2-0 defeats to Armenia and Turkey) and we’ve taken that into this camp.” Ward has yet to play for Leicester this season after losing his first-team place at the Sky Bet Championship club, but the 30-year-old insists that is not an issue while he is on Wales duty. He said: “It’s different for a goalkeeper as opposed to an outfield player. “It’s not so much about rhythm, more about bearings, knowing where you are on the pitch, distances, getting up to speed if you like. “That normally doesn’t take too long for our position thankfully.” Read More Matty Jones says late Wales Under-21s draw in Czech Republic ‘feels like a win’ Stephen Kenny under pressure as Ireland’s qualification hopes come to end England and Australia observe silence for those killed in Israel and Gaza Simon Raiwalui ‘in no doubt’ grieving Sam Matavesi will be ready to face England Shubman Gill could return to top of India order against Pakistan Sam Tomkins says Grand Final farewell will only be a fairytale if Catalans win

Jordan Henderson was booed by some England fans on a night when Ollie Watkins helped Gareth Southgate’s much-changed side secure an unconvincing 1-0 win against Australia. A sold-out Wembley crowd watched a surprisingly hard-fought friendly between these great sporting rivals on Friday night as the hosts experimented with Euro 2024 in mind. England can wrap up qualification against Italy on Tuesday night and Watkins boosted his chances of being on the plane to Germany with a goal and solid display. The Socceroos can count themselves unlucky to leave Wembley without so much as a goal to celebrate. Lewis Dunk’s brilliant block denied Ryan Strain ending a fine team move just before half-time and Connor Metcalfe headed off the outside of the post late in the second period. But England rode their luck to emerge victorious as Watkins, winning his first cap since March 2022, turned in Jack Grealish’s cross-shot at the far post in the 57th minute having earlier hit a post. The in-form Aston Villa striker will have boosted his chance of being regular back-up to captain Harry Kane, whose place on the bench meant Henderson wore the armband on Friday. There were murmurs from the crowd when his named was read out before England’s first home game since his controversial move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq. That reception turned to jeers when he was replaced in the second half of a match that began with the innocent victims of the conflict in Israel and Palestine being remembered. The Football Association was criticised by the UK government and the Jewish community in the build-up to the match for its response to recent devastating events. The Wembley arch was not lit up on a night when both sides wore black armbands and observed a period of silence before kick-off. Southgate made 10 alterations from last month’s friendly win in Scotland, leading to a sloppiness and disorganisation that allowed Australia to settle and threaten. A slight touch prevented Watkins sweeping home with the first noteworthy attack of the night and Sam Johnstone soon brilliantly stopped Keanu Baccus’ curling effort going in off Fikayo Tomori. England remained in control of first-half possession, but Australia continued to offer the greater threat. Mitch Duke connected brilliantly with a low cross, flashing a first-time strike under pressure narrowly wide before Kye Rowles hammered over following a set-piece scramble. England’s carelessness was summed up by James Maddison’s slip and strike out for a throw-in, but the Tottenham man showed his quality when slipping through Watkins. The Aston Villa frontman took the ball around Mat Ryan and got away a bobbling effort from an acute angle that came back off the far post in the 34th minute. Debutant Levi Colwill and Conor Gallagher received bookings in quick succession as a frustrating half continued, although it would have been worse was it not for Dunk – the only survivor from the side that started in Scotland. Graham Arnold’s outfit showed skill and confidence playing out from the back, with Martin Boyle following fine hold up play by playing in Strain to get away an attempt that was blocked brilliantly by the Brighton skipper. It was a moment Australia were made to rue in the 57th minute. England returned from the break with more urgency and Trent Alexander-Arnold swung a ball over to the back post after an initial free-kick was cleared. Grealish controlled and hit an attempt across goal that Watkins slid to turn home on the line – his third goal in eight England appearances. Southgate made a quadruple change as he turned to his talent-filled bench with around 30 minutes remaining. Henderson was among those withdrawn and Friday’s captain was booed by sections of the Wembley crowd, which he made a point of applauding as Kieran Trippier took the armband. Baccus dragged wide as Australia tried to claw back an equaliser and Metcalfe was free to meet a corner with a powerful header off the outside of the post in the 80th minute. Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah came on for his England debut and the visitors failed in their attempt to grab a memorable late goal. Read More England and Australia observe silence for those killed in Israel and Gaza Simon Raiwalui ‘in no doubt’ grieving Sam Matavesi will be ready to face England Shubman Gill could return to top of India order against Pakistan Sam Tomkins says Grand Final farewell will only be a fairytale if Catalans win Harry Brook admits he is learning on the job due to lack of 50-over experience England prop Joe Marler backs Marcus Smith to ‘thrive’ at full-back against Fiji

Kylian Mbappe scored twice, including a stunning strike from just outside the box, as France beat the Netherlands 2-0 in Amsterdam to secure Euro 2024 qualification. After putting Les Bleus ahead with a seventh-minute finish, Mbappe added a breathtaking second eight minutes into the second half, exchanging passes with Adrien Rabiot and sending a curling shot over Bart Verbruggen and into the top corner. Quilindschy Hartman reduced the deficit with seven minutes of normal time remaining. The result extended France’s perfect record in Group B to a sixth victory as they rubber-stamped their place in next summer’s finals in Germany with two fixtures to spare. Their opponents dropped from second to third, replaced by Greece – who won 2-0 against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. Georgios Giakoumakis and Georgios Masouras scored in the first half as Ireland’s chances of automatic qualification officially came to an end. Greece are now three points clear of the Netherlands, who have a game in hand. In Group F, Belgium sealed progress to the finals with a 3-2 win away against second-placed Austria. The visitors appeared to be cruising after Dodi Lukebakio’s double and a Romelu Lukaku effort had them three goals up before the hour mark. Things then became less comfortable as Konrad Laimer pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute, Belgium were reduced to 10 men by a red card for Amadou Onana six minutes later, and Marcel Sabitzer scored an 84th-minute penalty – but Domenico Tedesco’s side managed to see out the win. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan registered their first win in the group as they beat Estonia 2-0 in Tallinn. Portugal also completed the job of qualification via a 3-2 victory as they defeated Slovakia in Porto, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice. Goncalo Ramos and a Ronaldo penalty had the hosts two goals up at half-time, and after David Hancko’s reply, Ronaldo made it 3-1 in the 72nd minute with his 125th international goal. Stanislav Lobotka netted a second for Slovakia, who are second behind Portugal in Group J. Friday’s other matches in the pool saw Iceland and Luxembourg draw 1-1 in Reykjavik and Bosnia and Herzegovina win 2-0 in Liechtenstein. Read More Newcastle boss Eddie Howe hails Alexander Isak’s battling response against PSG Dan Burn’s dream comes true on a ‘special’ night for Newcastle Alan Shearer leads tributes after Newcastle’s Champions League demolition job Eddie Howe praises Jamaal Lascelles for stepping up as Newcastle stun PSG Eddie Howe staying grounded after Newcastle’s ‘amazing night’ against PSG Newcastle’s local heroes stun PSG to twist a tale of geopolitical tension

England football team are back in action for rare international friendly when they take on Australia at Wembley this evening. It is their first game since being confirmed as co-hosts of Euro 2028 and Gareth Southgate will use the opportunity to warm-up up his squad ahead of for next week’s more crucial Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy. Southgate will look to use this fixture as an opportunity to try out new partnerships and welcome a few less-familiar faces onto the international stage. Levi Colwill and Eddie Nketiah are the two uncapped players in the Three Lions’ squad, but a further nine players have won fewer than 10 caps apiece. Australia reached the round of 16 at the Fifa World Cup before losing to eventual winners Argentina, but they have only won once in four matches since then. “This will be a good challenge for us as Australia performed well at the World Cup despite against having four tough opponents,” said Southgate, “I imagine there will be a strong Aussie contingent in London for both games. We all know the sporting rivalry between our two countries and that alone will add an extra edge.” Follow the action from Wembley and get all the latest odds and tips for the match right here: Read More England’s Ollie Watkins: ‘I used to shop in Sainsbury’s ... then I came to Aston Villa and I couldn’t’ Harry Maguire supported by ‘role model’ David Beckham after Hampden experience Jarrod Bowen ‘in a good place’ on England return

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Northern Ireland will hope the visit of San Marino to Windsor Park on Saturday is the opportunity they need to end their long losing run in Euro 2024 qualifying. Here, the PA news agency looks at the key talking points ahead of the game. Back to the start Northern Ireland’s win away to San Marino in the opening fixture of this qualifying campaign back in March feels a long, long time ago now. Back then optimism was high that the return of Michael O’Neill as manager and what was seen as a favourable draw, certainly from pot five, in Group H could offer Northern Ireland a chance of challenging for qualification. But since their 2-0 win in Serravalle, nothing has gone right for O’Neill and his players, as a seemingly never-ending injury list and a string of narrow 1-0 defeats has doomed this campaign. A must-win game Qualification is now beyond them but the visit of San Marino is a must-win game for Northern Ireland, who have the opportunity to reset the narrative of this campaign and deliver a performance in front of the Windsor Park crowd. Even with their problems, anything short of a victory at home against the traditional whipping boys of European football would nudge a struggling team towards a crisis. Home doubleheader Northern Ireland have enjoyed few home comforts of late – winning only two of their last 17 fixtures in Belfast – but after the logistical challenges of last month’s away doubleheader against Slovenia and Kazakhstan, back-to-back games at Windsor is a welcome reprieve and a chance for O’Neill to get more work done with his players in the absence of long transfers. There is also a pressure of expectation from the sell-out crowd heading to Saturday’s match, but the players already expect nothing but a win anyway. Marshall’s moment? Since O’Neill announced his squad for these fixtures, much of the buzz has been around the return to the senior squad for West Ham striker Callum Marshall. The 18-year-old was denied a dream international debut by VAR in June when his late equaliser against Denmark in Copenhagen was ruled out for offside, but is now expected to get another chance in green against San Marino. Northern Ireland have been desperately seeking a reliable finisher for several years and although O’Neill is reluctant to put pressure on the teenager, many have already compared Marshall to record goal-scorer David Healy. Euro 2028 This might be the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign but after UEFA confirmed this week that the 2028 edition will be hosted by the United Kingdom and Ireland, there has been talk all week of Northern Ireland potentially getting the opportunity to play on home soil in five years’ time. O’Neill is about the only person not keen to get involved – he has more pressing concerns as he tries to mould a young squad into one that might be more competitive by then – but there is now a massive carrot dangling for Northern Ireland’s players. “It’s a big thing that’s going to be coming here, it’s fantastic,” said the 35-year-old Jonny Evans. “Who knows? I might still be knocking about.” Read More Millie Knight to compete in Karate World Championships after skiing retirement Steve Borthwick confident England will ‘rise to the occasion’ against Fiji Dan Sheehan keen to avoid being affected by hype of Ireland-New Zealand clash Michael O’Neill vows not to put ‘added pressure’ on rising name Callum Marshall Matt Peet admits leading Wigan out in a Grand Final ‘does seem bizarre’ No sweat: England great Sir Alastair Cook was always cool in the heat of battle

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill understands the excitement around teenage striker Callum Marshall but is eager not to put pressure on the West Ham prospect. Marshall is expected to feature in Saturday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against San Marino after returning to O’Neill’s squad this month, and fans are keen to get another glimpse of a player who has already drawn comparisons to Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer David Healy. Marshall was denied a dream international debut in June when his late equaliser against Denmark in Copenhagen was ruled out by the VAR for offside, but the 18-year-old will hope for another opportunity against San Marino and in Tuesday’s match against Slovenia. “I don’t want to put any added pressure on a young lad who is 18,” O’Neill said. “He’s shown a huge amount of promise. We probably skew that because of the moment in Copenhagen but that was only a moment. “I can’t think back to when we’ve had a young striker – they generally come in later…A young striker coming in always excites people. “Like every country, you want somebody at the top end of the pitch who can be a natural goalscorer, and without putting any burden on Callum, he has the potential and has shown the potential certainly since we’ve had him in. We’ve seen that he has the attributes. “But he’s only starting on his journey in the game. The signs are very positive and if he has the opportunity to play from the start or play some part of the game, I know he’ll approach it in the right way.” Marshall is yet another young face in a Northern Ireland squad robbed of experience by injuries, a significant factor in a qualifying campaign that has unravelled since the opening win in San Marino in March with five straight defeats. “It’s having that resilience which I think you build over time,” O’Neill said. “This team doesn’t have resilience yet because the players haven’t played enough, they’ve not played through the experience that Jonny (Evans) played through and Steven Davis played through. “That’s how you build it. That’s where you get it. We have too many players still in single figures in caps to have that resilience. That’s what they will learn when they step forward into the next phase of their international career, that the expectations will be there for us as a team to do better.” Evans echoed that view. The Manchester United defender made his international debut in Northern Ireland’s famous 3-2 win over Spain in 2009, and has seen both the highs and the lows since. “My international career got off to a good start and then had a bit of dip but you always find that, nothing is constant,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to handle that. It wasn’t until I was 27 or 28 that Euro qualification came around. It’s a long time but you’ve got to keep learning.” With Euro 2028 hosting rights having been awarded to the United Kingdom and Ireland this week, there is now the hope of Northern Ireland getting to play at another European finals, and to do so on home soil. However, O’Neill said that tournament is not on his radar yet. “The most important thing is to continue to work with this group of players,” he said. “It needs a lot of work. “There’s been a lot of talk about this campaign having not been what we hoped and being disappointing and yes, it has been, but we have to be realistic: this group of players is not ready to qualify for a major tournament. “Seven of them are under 21. Fourteen of them are three, four, five caps. We need to grow this group of players into a group ready for the next campaign.” Read More Matt Peet admits leading Wigan out in a Grand Final ‘does seem bizarre’ No sweat: England great Sir Alastair Cook was always cool in the heat of battle Sir Alastair Cook’s record-breaking career in pictures Dan Biggar determined Wales career will not end after Argentina quarter-final It’s the right time: Ex-England captain Sir Alastair Cook announces retirement Talking points as Ireland look to break World Cup curse against All Blacks

Beth Mead looks likely to make her long-awaited return to Arsenal’s matchday squad when the Gunners host Aston Villa at the Emirates on Sunday, boss Jonas Eidevall confirmed. The England forward, who won the Golden Boot in the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph, has not played for club or country since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) late last November. Mead faces one final training session before her fitness for Arsenal’s third meeting of the new Women’s Super League season is confirmed, but the 28-year-old’s manager was feeling optimistic after seeing her put through her paces on Friday morning. Eidevall said: “In order to, for squad selection, we have one more training to go. If she goes through that training she should be 100 per cent ready for squad selection. “She has a lovely energy, she plays the game with both her right and left foot with really good attacking qualities too. We all know that Beth Mead is a quality football player, so of course we are really looking forward to having her back on the pitch again.” Mead, whose injury ruled her out of this summer’s World Cup, was one of four of Eidevall’s players to sustain an ACL problem last season, drawing further attention to what many feel is a crisis facing women’s football, where the issue is alarmingly common. Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema joined the ‘ACL club’ a month after her team-mate and partner Mead but is also edging close to a comeback, said Eidevall, while Leah Williamson, who captained England to the European trophy, will not feature until after Christmas at the earliest. Defender Laura Wienroither ruptured her ACL in May, while fellow defender Teyah Goldie became the fifth victim when she suffered the same issue in August. Eidevall said: “Viv has returned to team training, which is really nice, so obviously the next thing from team training is to start playing in games, if that’s friendly games or internal games behind closed doors and so on. “That’s the next step, and from there on obviously you’re not miles away from being able to be selected to be in the squad, so she’s definitely getting close.” While the unfortunate quintuplet of team-mates have been able to support each other through the long recovery process, Eidevall and his staff do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. He added: “Unfortunately we have a group of players that went through the same thing. I think, though, at the end of the day you need to deal with your things yourself, because even if it looks on paper that you have the same injury, it’s never exactly the same. “There are always differences. There can be similarities and yes you can help, but at the end of the day everything is going to be unique to you as an individual. I try to be very mindful of treating people with similar injuries like a package.” Read More Dan Biggar determined Wales career will not end after Argentina quarter-final It’s the right time: Ex-England captain Sir Alastair Cook announces retirement Talking points as Ireland look to break World Cup curse against All Blacks Rabbi on FA faith group resigns over governing body’s response to Hamas attacks ‘Doing it for Johnny’ adds to Ireland’s Rugby World Cup motivation Warren Gatland: It would be ‘huge achievement’ if Wales can reach semi-finals

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Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali and on-loan Aston Villa forward Nicolo Zaniolo are returning to their clubs from Italy’s training camp after it emerged they were being investigated by the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office. The Italian Football Federation said the decision was taken because the players “are not in the necessary condition” to be involved in the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and England, as well as “for their protection”. The statement from the FIGC did not specify the nature of the investigations which Tonali and Zaniolo, who is on loan at Villa from Galatasaray, were facing. Reports in Italy claim it is relation to an investigation into illegal betting. On Wednesday, it was reported that Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli was under investigation for alleged betting breaches. The FIGC statement on Thursday read: “The federation announces that this afternoon the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office has conducted investigations into players, Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo, who are currently training with the national team at the Coverciano Federal Training Centre. “Regardless of the nature of the events, considering that the two players are not in the necessary condition to face the matches scheduled for the next few days, the federation has decided, also for their protection, to allow them to return to their respective clubs.” Italy, the reigning European champions, host Malta in Bari on Saturday before travelling to Wembley to face England next Tuesday in a repeat of the Euro 2020 final. England are currently top of Group C on 13 points, six ahead of second-placed Italy who have played a game less. Newcastle and Aston Villa have been contacted for comment. Read More Respect matters says Unai Emery after late goal gives Villa an important win John McGinn rescues Aston Villa from Europa Conference League embarrassment What do Scotland need to qualify for Euro 2024?