Following the completion of the top European leagues this season, international football takes center stage, and the UEFA Nations League is back with the knockouts. This is the third edition of the Nations League, and four teams are left in the competition. Spain, Netherlands, Croatia, and Italy are all vying for glory in the Nations League, and it would be the first title for the eventual winning nation.
The UEFA Nations League begins on the 14th of June, with the first semi-finals taking place between Netherlands and Croatia, while Italy would battle with Spain for a place in the final two. Both ties are one-legged contests, and in case of a draw, there would be extra time and penalties.
| ℹ️ Tournament: | UEFA Nations League Finals 2023 |
| 🏟️ Venues: | De Grolsch Veste and De Kuip Stadiums in Netherlands |
| 🗓️ Dates: | 14th to 18th June 2023 |
With only four teams in the two-match race, bookies see the hosts as slight favorites to clinch the trophy of the Nations League at 3.00 (2/1). The second favorite is Spain, which has odds at 3.40 (12/5), while Italy sits behind at 4.00 (3/1). Croatia has the lowest chance of winning the title, and Dutch bookies are ready to pay 4.50 for the victory.
Ronald Koeman’s team are the favorites to win the UEFA Nations League 2023, and they would be hoping for a better outing this time around. The Flying Dutchmen are a top-six team in the world, and they were present at the knockouts of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The Netherlands has been defeated only two times in their last 20 games, and one of those losses was in a penalty shootout against Argentina. France is the only other team to have beaten the Netherlands in the last two years, and they would be looking to win the Nations League on home soil.
Spain came very close to winning the UEFA Nations League in the 2020/22 season, but they collapsed in the final minutes against France. The Red Fury has declined in the last few months, but they are still a top-two team to win the UEFA Nations League.
Spain has won just one of their last five games in all competitions, and they were eliminated on penalties from the FIFA World Cup 2022 by Morocco. Luis Enrique left the Spanish national team by mutual consent after the Football World Cup, and Luis de la Fuente was tasked with returning La Roja to the top of European football.
The Azzurri suffered a huge disappointment last year as they failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022. Italy looked like they were on course for domination in Europe after beating England to win the last EURO 2020, but they have been far from their best recently.
Roberto Mancini’s team narrowly beat Hungary to the top spot in the UEFA Nations League group stage, finishing with 11 points from six games. After their absence at the last World Cup, Italy needs a huge response in this tournament, but they have won just one of their last three games in all competitions.
Croatia has become a big name in both European and International competitions in the last five years. The Checkers reached the finals of the FIFA World Cup in 2018, where they lost to Argentina, and they were present in the top three at the last World Cup in Qatar, ending the tournament as bronze medalists.
Zlatko Dalic has built a very competitive Croatia team with a mix of youth and experience. Luka Modric made his decision to extend his stay with the national team, and with young players coming through the ranks, they can compete properly against the big boys.
The UEFA Nations League is held every two years, and it is an international football tournament contested by the senior men’s national teams of the member associations of UEFA. The first competition was held in September 2018, and Portugal won the tournament as the host nation, beating the Netherlands 1-0 in the finals.
France completed a comeback over Spain in the finals at San Siro last year to bag their first-ever title in this competition. They have one title alongside Portugal, who won the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League in 2018. The second victory belongs to France, who overcame Spain in the final in October 2021, thanks to the decider by Kylian Mbappe.
25+ sportsSuperb bonusesEasy to useVIP programLive gamesMany bonusesMany bonuses24/7 supportMobile appsLive bettingMany sportsFast payoutsGreat supportMobile appsLive bettingThe Nations League is a relatively new tournament on the UEFA calendar, and it begins with a group stage. The competition begins with 55 teams grouped into four Leagues. Leagues A, B, and C contain seven teams while the last League D, has seven participants in the group stage. Each league has different groups, and in the top League A, the winner of four groups progresses to the semi-finals. There is also a third-place game alongside the finals for the semi-finalists that fail to reach the final showpiece.
The UEFA Nations League also has a promotion and relegation system. The winners of Leagues B, C, and D are automatically promoted to the next higher league, while those placing last in their group in the Leagues A and B are automatically relegated to the next lower league for the next edition of the Nations League. The league stage of the Nations League season takes place from September to November, but last year’s event changed due to the FIFA World Cup 2020.
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Louis Van Gaal led the Netherlands to the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and they had a great game against Argentina, although they lost on penalties. The Clockwork Orange is rated higher than the other three teams in the knockouts of the UEFA Nations League.
The Netherlands has scored two goals in four of their last five games, and they have a very good squad depth. Ronald Koeman is back with the team, and he is the man responsible for the beginning of their recent successes. The Flying Dutchmen came close to winning the Nations League in 2018, and they have a better chance of playing in front of their home crowd this year.
The Netherlands has only lost one game in normal regulation time since 2021, and they are in better form than any team in the UEFA Nations League. With Italy and Spain struggling to win games, Ronald Koeman’s team can clinch the trophy on home turf.
The Netherlands finished top of the UEFA Nations League A Group 4 ahead of Belgium, Poland, and Wales. They picked up five wins and one draw from six games in the group stage, and they are unbeaten in this competition. The Flying Dutchmen are one of the highest-scoring teams in Europe and have netted 14 goals in six games, being also pretty successful in defense, led by Virgil van Dijk.
Croatia was also in a tough group consisting of France, Denmark, and Austria. The Blazers started the group stage with a 3-0 loss at home to Austria, but they recovered properly to finish top of the group with 13 points. Zlatko Dalic’s men have scored eight goals in six games at the Nations League whilst conceding six times.
Matthijs de Ligt and Memphis Depay are key absentees for the Netherlands team, as they are out of the squad through injury. Ronald Koeman used a 4-3-3 in his first game against France, and he stuck with the same lineup in the game against Gibraltar. FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong is expected to start against Croatia after recovering from an injury.
Croatia has a fully fit squad for the semifinals against the Netherlands, and Luka Modric is expected to captain his side against the Flying Dutchmen. Ivan Perisic has had limited time with Tottenham Hotspur, but he should be back in the starting XI on Wednesday. With Ivan Rakitic retiring from the national team, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic are expected to start in midfield.
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The Netherlands is in better form than Croatia, and they are the stronger team on paper. The Croats have won only two of their last seven games in all competitions, and their wins are the World Cup were very narrow victories. Both teams are in good scoring form, but the Netherlands are averaging over two goals per game in the UEFA Nations League, while Croatia has netted only eight times in six matches. A bet on the Netherlands to win and both teams to score has a good value on Nations League football odds betting.
Spain grabbed a very important win over Portugal at the Estadio Municipal de Braga to finish top of the UEFA Nations League A Group 2. They won half of their games in the group stage, and their only defeat was a 2-1 home loss against Switzerland. The Red Fury has a very good defense, and they have let in just five goals in six games, but they have struggled in attack.
The UEFA Nations League A Group 3 had a lot of big names like Germany, England, and Italy. The Italians finished top of the group with 11 points from six games. Roberto Mancini’s team saw their unbeaten streak come to an end, but they did just enough to book a place in the final four. Italy has scored eight goals and conceded seven times in six group-stage games.
Luis de la Fuente released his squad for the upcoming games, and veteran defender Jordi Alba was called back to the team. The former Barcelona left-back is the current captain of the Spanish national team, and he would be looking to end the tournament with a winning medal. Barcelona midfield duo Pedro Gonzalez and Pablo Gavira are expected to play a huge role in this tournament.
Italy has a huge breakout of talent in the team, with players like Nicolo Barella, a finalist of the last Champions League with Inter, arriving in good form. Federico Chiesa is back from a long-term injury and is expected to start against Spain on Thursday. Roberto Mancini has often favored a three-person midfield with Jorginho Frello flanked by Nicolo Barella and Marco Verratti.
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Both teams have not had a potent goalscorer in their last two major tournaments, and they will likely struggle in attack again. Spain scored just five goals in their last five games and failed to find the back of the net in their last game against Scotland. Italy has scored only three goals in their last three games, and they are likely to struggle against Spain’s backline. The last three knockout games between the Azzurri and the Red Fury have all ended with not more than two goals.
The UEFA Nations League finals kick off on Wednesday in the Netherlands, and there are good offers from the bookmakers. You can get the best out of this tournament by using our expert betting tips and predictions across the wide range of legal online bookmakers in your country.
I believe in Spain!