Robert Lewandowski marked his place in history with a hat-trick as Poland dominated Romania 6-0 in the UEFA Nations League, while Edin Dzeko brought the curtain down on an illustrious international career for Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In Warsaw, Poland ran riot against a Romania side reduced to ten men after Tottenham’s Radu Dragusin was sent off in the 22nd minute. The 38-year-old Lewandowski opened the scoring from the penalty spot and extended his tally early in the second half. An own goal, followed by strikes from Piotr Zielinski and Jan Bednarek, set the stage for Lewandowski to complete his seventh international treble, bringing his career total to 92 goals for Poland.
Poland currently sit third in Group B4, while Romania remain fourth under manager Gheorghe Hagi, who has now lost his first three competitive matches in charge.
Meanwhile, in Zenica, 40-year-old Edin Dzeko retired from international football following a 1-1 draw against Sweden. The former Manchester City striker had a turbulent moment when his late first-half goal was disallowed for an infringement during the buildup. However, the occasion was otherwise filled with emotion, as fireworks were launched after 11 minutes to honor his 152nd cap. Dzeko received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 62nd minute.
The post-match festivities included a guard of honor and a drone display spelling out messages of gratitude to the player, who was showered with soft toys during a lap of appreciation. Viktor Gyokeres had given Sweden the lead before Kerim Alajbegovic secured a point for Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In other Nations League action, Kevin de Bruyne scored twice as Belgium defeated Turkey 3-0, with Romelu Lukaku also finding the net, moving Belgium into second place in Group A1. In Group B2, Hungary claimed their first victory of the campaign with a 1-0 win over Georgia in Budapest, thanks to a goal from Liverpool defender Milos Kerkez.
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