UEFA Nations League: Quarter-Finals and Playoffs On The Schedule
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Netherlands vs. Spain - La Roja Aim For Title Defence
The first quarter-final of the 2024-25 Nations League will see defending champions Spain travel to De Kuip to face the Netherlands on Thursday evening. La Roja earned their spot in the last eight by topping Group A4 with 16 points, while Oranje finished second in Group A3 with nine points in their six round-robin matches.
Can Spain follow up their Euros glory with another Nations League title?
The Spaniards have been the team to beat in Europe over the last few years, having won the last edition of the Nations League before going on to lift the European Championship last year in Germany. However, the Flying Dutchman have solid Nations League pedigree, having finished as runners-up to Portugal in 2019 and narrowly missing out on third place to Italy in 2023.
Check out our Netherlands vs. Spain prediction!
Croatia vs. France - Blazers and Les Blues Showdown
In the second quarter-final matchup, Croatia will lock horns with France at Poljud Stadium in Split before heading to Stade de France for the second leg on March 23. The Chequered Ones ended as runners-up to Portugal in Group A1, while Les Bleus edged out Italy to the top spot in Group A2 by the slenderest of margins.
Kylian Mbappe is set to return to the France squad for this match!
The French captain was left out of the squad for the November matches in this competition following a brief spat with head coach Didier Deschamps. However, all that is now in the past, and with their talisman back in action, Les Bleus will be desperate to earn a piece of silverware, having last done so when they won this competition back in 2021.
Get insights on this match using our Croatia vs. France prediction!
Denmark vs. Portugal - CR7 Hunting More Records
Quarter-final three will see Denmark playing host to Portugal at Parken, with the return leg set to play out in Lisbon’s Jose Alvalade Stadium. The Danish Dynamite held off Serbia and Switzerland to claim second place in Group A4 of the competition, while Portugal romped to the top of Group A1, six points clear of second-placed Croatia.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the leading scorer in this season's Nations League!
Even at 40 years of age, CR7 is still banging in goals for fun and is the only player in League A to have notched up five goals during the group stage, two more than anyone else. The Portuguese superstar is also in incredible form for Al-Nassr, currently the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League with 19 goals in 24 matches. Ronaldo is the odds-on favourite to score at least once in this match according to most of the best online betting sites.
Don’t forget to check out our Denmark vs. Portugal prediction ahead of kickoff!
Italy vs. Germany - Familiar Foes Set To Collide
Over the years, Italy and Germany have faced off in some of the most memorable matches ever witnessed. These European giants are now set to lock horns once again in a knockout competition and there are sure to be plenty of fireworks before this tie is done and dusted. Gli Azzurri finished second in Group A2, while Die Mannschaft clinched top spot in Group A3.
Germany were the highest-scoring team in League A of this season’s Nations League!
Indeed, Germany’s star-studded attack, featuring the likes of Florian Wirtz, Deniz Undav and Jamal Musiala, among others, have been in great shape in this competition, combining to find the net 18 times in their six group-stage matches. The last time these sides met, we saw a total of seven goals, and based on recent form, there could be a fair few more in this one.
All the inside info on this match can be found on our Italy vs. Germany prediction!
Turkey, Belgium To Feature In Promotion/ Relegation Playoffs
While the quarter-final of the Nations League is likely to garner the majority of the interest over the coming days, there are also several tantalising matchups in the playoffs on the schedule, as some teams grapple to keep hold of their seeding, while others will be out to move up in the ranks for the next edition of the tournament.
Among those in danger of being relegated to League B are Belgium, who endured a very poor group stage, managing just one win from their six matches and ending above automatically relegated Israel only on goal difference. The Red Devils will now have to face a tricky Ukraine side to maintain their League A status, with the first leg set to play out in neutral Spain on Thursday.
Serbia is another team that is hoping to stay in League A after being edged to second place by Denmark. The Eagles lost just two matches during the group stage, but their major downfall was a lack of goals, having only found the net three times in six games. That stat does not bode well for the Serb’s chances against Austria who rippled the net 14 times in Group B3 - the third-most of any team in League B of the competition.
Scotland earned promotion to League A for this edition of the Nations League but are now in serious danger of heading back to League B after narrowly missing out on a top-two finish in Group A1. Standing in the Tartan Army’s way is Greece, who like their opponents moved up a division this season and could make it back-to-back promotion campaigns if they can come out on top in this contest.
All the promotion/relegation playoffs will be played on March 20 and 23, and you can get expert insights on every match by checking out our latest football predictions.
