5 Hertha players hoping to take top spot in the Nations League

The next set of Nations League fixtures are scheduled for Sunday evening, with six Hertha players on international duty for their respective countries.

Berlin - The first matches of the second international break of the 2020/21 season have already been played, and tonight the action will continue. On Sunday, no fewer than five UEFA Nations League games will take place involving Hertha players on the third matchday of the tournament. On international duty are Dedryck Boyata and Dodi Lukébakio (Belgium), Vladimír Darida (Czech Republic), Peter Pekarík (Slovakia), Rune Jarstein (Norway), and Krzysztof Piątek (Poland), who will all be hoping to pick up valuable points. First place in the respective countries’ groups is up for grabs in four of the five matches.

Czech Republic and Slovakia both kick off their League B, Group 2 matches at 20:45. Peter Pekarík’s Slovakia take on group leaders Scotland, while Darida and second-placed Czech Republic play Israel. The Czech preparations have been anything but ideal, with three of Darida’s teammates testing positive for COVID-19 and the rest of the squad only allowed to travel following negative results. “Understandably, we weren’t able to prepare for the game as we’d planned,” said Hertha’s number 6, “but we will do our best to bring the 3 points back home with us, as we want to win our group.” Norway can also move top of their group tonight, as Rune Jarstein and his teammates face Romania at 18:00, who are one point ahead of them in League B, Group 1. Krzysztof Piątek’s Poland welcome group leaders Italy and could take top spot in League A, Group 1 tonight, providing other results go their way. Meanwhile Belgium find themselves already on top of League A, Group 2 and will be hoping to keep it that way as they travel to England to take on the Three Lions at 18:00, where Lukébakio could make his debut for the Red Devils, possibly alongside Boyata.

Further international commitments are on the agenda for Hertha players after the weekend as well. The U21 European Championship qualifiers will see Mattéo Guendouzi’s France play Slovakia on Monday at 21:00, while Deyovaisio Zeefuik and the Netherlands face Cyprus  on Tuesday at 18:00. In addition to this, World Cup qualifying in South America continues on Wednesday evening. Matheus Cunha will take on Peru with Brazil (02:00) and Jhon Córdoba’s Colombia will face Chile (02:30). Both players will be hoping for a successful result and to make their debuts for their respective nations. Meanwhile already-capped Omar Alderete will take on Venezuela with Paraguay at 00:00.