The Irish national team tied with its Austrian guest 2-2, on Thursday, in the third group competitions in the second level of the European Nations League, in a match that witnessed a short halt due to protests against the Irish national team’s decision to play its next match against Israel.
Ireland was leading 1-0 amid a large crowd at the Aviva Stadium, when the referee stopped the match in the 20th minute, after protesters threw a number of tennis balls bearing the Palestinian flag onto the field from the stands behind the goals.
Play was stopped for more than two minutes, before the match resumed, while a man wearing the Palestinian flag tried to enter the field later in the first half, before security personnel removed him.
The “Stop the Match” campaign announced the end of its protest during the match, and described what happened as a symbolic and limited move in solidarity with national team goalkeeper Gavin Bazuno and the Palestinian people.
Bazuno had withdrawn from the Ireland squad on the eve of the 3-0 victory over Israel, last Sunday, in a match held in Hungary, after the players took two votes and the majority chose to play the match.
On the technical level, Troy Parrott gave the Irish team the lead in the 12th minute, after he bypassed three defenders and penetrated into the penalty area before shooting a low ball into the far corner.
Parrott returned to add the second goal from a penalty kick before the end of the first half, but Austria succeeded in returning during the second half through substitutes Alexander Bras and Michael Gregoritsch, so the match ended in a 2-2 draw.
Bazunu returned to the national team roster and sat on the bench against Austria, but he will not participate in the match against Israel, next Sunday, which the Irish Federation moved to Serbia, where it will be held without an audience in the city of Bačka Topola.
Members of the Irish Football Association voted in November to ask the UEFA Board of Directors to suspend Israel’s participation in European competitions, before adopting a proposal in July supporting the continuation of competitions.
Ireland's friendly match against Qatar at the Aviva Stadium was previously stopped twice during the first half last May due to a similar protest.
French club Paris Saint-Germain achieved a landslide victory over its guest, UD Heverle Leuven, 5-0, on Thursday, in the second round of the league stage in the Women’s Champions League.
The Parisian team raised its score to 4 points after achieving its first victory in the tournament this season, advancing to third place, while Leuven remained at one point in 14th place.
In another match, Manchester City of England tied with its guest, Real Madrid, of Spain, 1-1, bringing the two teams to two points, with City occupying eleventh place on goal difference, ahead of Real Madrid, which is in twelfth place.
The Italian Inter had survived its first loss in the competition, after snatching a fatal 1-1 draw against its host Austria Vienna.
Modesta Oka opened the scoring for the Austrian team in the 21st minute, before Ivana Andres saved Inter with an equalizing goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time in the second half.
Inter raised its score to 4 points in sixth place, while Austria Vienna earned its first point in the tournament to occupy fifteenth place.
In another match, the Danish team achieved a major victory over its guest, Servette, Switzerland, 5-1, to obtain its first 3 points in the tournament and temporarily occupy eighth place, while Servette remained without points in the eighteenth and last place after its second loss in a row.
The German national team achieved its first victory under the leadership of its new coach, Jurgen Klopp, by defeating its Serbian guest 2-0, on Thursday, in the third round of Group Two competitions in the first level of the European Nations League.
Klopp had taken over as coach of Germany, succeeding Julian Nagelsmann, who left after the team was eliminated from the round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup by Paraguay on penalties.
Germany began its campaign with Klopp with a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, before losing at home to Greece 0-1, succeeding against Serbia in achieving its first victory and raising its score to 4 points in third place. On the other hand, the Serbian team remained without points after suffering its third loss in a row.
The German team imposed its advantage from the beginning at the Allianz Arena, and Alexander Pavlovic was close to opening the scoring in the eighth minute with a shot from outside the penalty area that passed near the post.
After a series of attempts, Tom Bischoff succeeded in giving the hosts the lead in the 39th minute, after Florian Wirtz's shot bounced off the post and reached Bischoff, who followed it directly into the net.
Germany continued its pressure in the second half, and Nick Voltemade wasted an opportunity in the 58th minute, after receiving a pass from Wirtz, but he shot over the crossbar even though the goal was empty.
Three minutes later, Wirtz made up for the opportunity and added the second goal, after receiving a pass from Maximilian Mittelstadt, and passed the Serbian defender before putting the ball into the net.
The match saw Klopp rely on Jonas Orbig, Bayern Munich's reserve goalkeeper, as a starter, while Voltimade, the Juventus striker on loan from Newcastle, led the attack.
Germany will meet Greece in Athens, next Sunday, in the fourth round, while Serbia will host the Netherlands on the same day.
