—- Jorginho’s penalty rescued a Nations League point for Italy against Poland in Bologna in Roberto Mancini’s first competitive game in charge in the UEFA Nations League.

The Chelsea midfielder’s error had earlier allowed Robert Lewandowski to deliver the cross from which Piotr Zielinski volleyed the Poles ahead.
But the hosts were given a way back when Jakub Blaszczykowski fouled substitute Federico Chiesa and Jorginho sent Lukasz Fabianski the wrong way.

Italy visit Portugal on Monday.

The Azzurri, Poland and Euro 2016 winners Portugal are in League A’s Group 3 in the inaugural Nations League – with every team playing each other home and away between now and November.

The winners of that group go into next June’s play-off to decide the tournament winner. The Nations League also offers teams a chance to reach Euro 2020 if they fail in qualifying next year.

Italy – who failed to qualify for this summer’s World Cup – have won one of their past eight games, a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in Mancini’s first game in charge.

Mario Balotelli made his first competitive appearance since the 2014 World Cup for Italy – led by his former Inter Milan and Manchester City manager – but he had a quiet game in Bologna and was replaced in the second half.

Artem Dzyuba continued his fine international form as he scored the winner for Russia in their Nations League opener against Turkey.

The World Cup quarter-finalists took the lead in their Group B2 match through Denis Cheryshev, scorer of four goals in the summer.

Russia were pegged back by Serdar Aziz’s strike but Dzyuba, who scored three World Cup goals, was the hero again with a low drive to earn all three points.

Sweden, the other side in the group, host Turkey on Monday.

A friendly saw Alex McLeish suffer his fourth defeat in five games in charge as Scotland were thrashed 4-0 by Belgium.

The Scots competed in the first half, albeit they trailed at the break after John McGinn was robbed at the edge of his own box and Romelu Lukaku scored.

But they collapsed after the interval. Eden Hazard lashed in before Michy Batshuayi added two more – both after the Scots gave away the ball. It was Scotland’s biggest home defeat since England won 5-0 in February 1973.

McLeish’s side begin their Nations League campaign on Monday, with early group leaders Albania visiting Hampden after they beat Israel 1-0.

A victory in Hungary is the only success of McLeish’s second stint in charge, with the Scots failing to score in defeats by Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, and now Belgium.

In friendlies in the United States a Luis Suarez brace, the second a cheeky ‘Panenka’ penalty, helped Uruguay ease to 4-1 win over Mexico, while Argentina rebounded from a poor World Cup to thump Guatemala 3-0.

Uruguay, knocked out of the World Cup by eventual winners France in the quarter-finals, took the lead in Houston in the 21st minute thanks to Jose Maria Gimenez before Raul Jimenez equalised from the spot for Mexico four minutes later.

Man of the Match Suarez grabbed his double in nine first-half minutes, the second an audacious 40th minute chipped penalty, before Gaston Pereiro completed the scoring on the hour mark with his first international goal.

In Los Angeles, a new-look Argentina, missing Lionel Messi, who is taking a sabbatical from international football, and the retired Javier Mascherano, were still too strong for an inexperienced Guatemala.

Gonzalo Martinez got Argentina’s first from the penalty spot after 27 minutes, before Giovani Lo Celso doubled their lead eight minutes later with a sweetly struck half volley from 25 meters.

Giovani Simeone, son of Athletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, scored the third on his national team debut two minutes before halftime to complete the scoring.

The game petered out in a second half following a raft of substitutions but the win was a welcome tonic for a team that disappointed in Russia, handing caretaker coach Lionel Scaloni a solid start.

Simeone said: “Ever since I was a boy my dad told me that one day I would be here. No matter the rival, there was a lot of anxiety to see this new Argentina. In the first half we did everything we had to do.”

In another friendly involving South American sides in the United States, Colombia came from behind to beat neighbours Venezuela 2-1 in Miami.

Darwin Machis put Venezuela ahead after just three minutes, but Radamel Falcao equalised with a header nine minutes into the second half before Yimmi Chara got the final touch to a goalmouth scramble to seal Colombia’s win in the last minute.