UEFA Nations League

Portugal take on Switzerland on Wednesday with a place in the inaugural UEFA Nations League final up for grabs at the Estadio do Dragao stadium in Porto on June 9.

The hosts were unbeaten in their four matches on the way to topping Group 3. They picked up two wins and two draws to finish three points clear of Italy.

Switzerland won three of their four matches to scoop top spot in Group 2 ahead of Belgium. Vladimir Petkovic's side are the joint-top scorers in the competition with 14 goals from their four games.

        

Date: Wednesday, June 5

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET

TV Info: Sky Sports Football (UK), ESPN2 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), Univision NOW (U.S.)

Match Odds (via Oddschecker): Portugal 8-13, Draw 13-5, Switzerland 19-4

        

Match Preview

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make his Nations League debut for Portugal after sitting out their group matches following the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The Juventus star made his return to international football in March's UEFA European Championship qualifiers against Ukraine and Serbia but was unable to add to his tally of 85 international goals.

The 34-year-old is coming off the back of another successful season. He helped Juventus retain their league title, racking up 21 goals along the way:

36-year-old Fabio Quagliarella finishes the season as Serie A top scorer 👑

Cristiano Ronaldo finishes fourth ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/uHTq1j53cC

— GOAL (@goal) May 26, 2019

Yet Portugal are not as dependent on Ronaldo as they once were, and there will be plenty of eyes on rising star Joao Felix against Switzerland.

The 19-year-old has been included in the squad and could make his senior international debut on Wednesday.

Felix has spoken of how he felt when meeting Ronaldo ahead of the game:

19-year-old Portugal stud Joao Felix met Ronaldo for the first time and his description is on point 😂

(via @brfootball) pic.twitter.com/NXOSukicww

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 25, 2019

The teenager has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Benfica, helping the club retain their league title from Porto and make it through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League:

João Felix has been directly involved in 15 goals in 19 league & Europa League starts this season.

Phenomenal return. 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/h8QqCXOeg9

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 11, 2019

Portugal can also look to Bernardo Silva for attacking inspiration. The 24-year-old has enjoyed an impressive season and played a key role in Manchester City winning the Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup.

The hosts will be favourites to progress to a final against either England or the Netherlands, but Switzerland have already shown their strengths by pipping World Cup semi-finalists Belgium to top spot in their group.

The Swiss team booked their place in the semi-final in some style with a 5-2 win over Roberto Martinez's men:

🔥 Shaqiri's skill
✅ Seferović's hat-trick goal

The moment Switzerland's place in the #NationsLeague Finals was sealed 👏👏👏

🇨🇭 @SFV_ASF pic.twitter.com/eNhRiSDEtK

— UEFA EURO (@UEFAEURO) June 3, 2019

Benfica forward Haris Seferovic scored a hat-trick in that game and should continue in attack, while Liverpool's Xherdan Shaqiri should feature after being an unused substitute in Liverpool's Champions League win over Tottenham Hotspur:

CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE 🔴🔴❤️❤️🔥🔥 Number 6 is back Home! Love this TEAM❤️🔥 @LFC pic.twitter.com/3cGE3AZObI

— Xherdan Shaqiri (@XS_11official) June 3, 2019

Portugal look to have the stronger squad and do have home advantage for this tie, but the hosts have drawn their last four games in a row and will need to improve in front of goal if they are to progress.

The inaugural UEFA Nations League will reach its conclusion this week, as Portugal, Switzerland, the Netherlands and England go in search of the title.

Following on from a gripping group stage, just four teams remain in the battle for the prize. Portugal, who will host the finals, take on Switzerland on Wednesday, while England will be in action against the Netherlands on Thursday.

The winners of each encounter will play out the final on Sunday at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto, with the losers fighting for third.

Here is the schedule for the competition, the key viewing details and a look how the bookmakers view the challengers.

          

Odds: Outright Winner

Portugal 28-15 

England 9-4

Netherlands 3-1

Switzerland 8-1

Odds courtesy of Oddschecker.

         

Schedule

Wednesday, June 5: Portugal vs. Switzerland, 7:45 p.m. BST

Thursday, June 6: England vs. Netherlands, 7:45 p.m. BST

         

TV Info: Sky Sports Main Event (UK), ESPN2 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), ESPN Player (U.S.)

        

Preview

Although there was a lot of scepticism about the Nations League, the competition has produced some high-quality matches and it appears set to culminate in an absorbing finale, too.

Home advantage will be expected to give Portugal the edge, and manager Fernando Santos has a fantastic squad to call upon for the two matches. In attack, in particular, they are blessed with a number of exceptional creative players.

In addition to Joao Moutinho, Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix and Goncalo Guedes, big things are expected of Bruno Fernandes at the tournament after a remarkable season with Sporting CP:

Bruno Fernandes has played 50 games across all competitions for Sporting CP this season...

...he's been directly involved in 48 goals...

...from midfield. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/nUr4Fkc2j8

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 6, 2019

Of course, skipper Cristiano Ronaldo will also lead the line, as he seeks to build on his Serie A success with Juventus.

Switzerland are the underdogs of the four teams involved, but they shouldn't be dismissed. After all, they produced a remarkable 5-2 win over Belgium to secure a position in the semi-finals.

England did brilliantly to qualify from a group containing Spain and Croatia, earning some dramatic wins along the way:

The season is far from over. Anyone for the #NationsLeague finals? 😁pic.twitter.com/CkTGe7pHzQ

— England (@England) June 2, 2019

It will be intriguing to see what condition the Three Lions are in for their match with the Netherlands, as seven of Gareth Southgate's players were involved in the UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

Captain Harry Kane, who was on the losing side for Spurs against the Reds on Saturday, said he's expecting the team to pull together.

"We've got such a great bond and, although we're at different clubs, when we come here everyone's fully focused on here," the striker said, per Simon Peach for The Independent. "You don't have to talk to people about switching off from club football."

Whether Kane starts on Thursday will be a big decision for Southgate, as he only made his return from injury in Saturday's final. 

Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman will have Liverpool stars Virgil van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum to call on for the match. He shared his congratulations for their recent triumph on Twitter:

What an achievement! Congratulations ⁦@VirgilvDijk⁩ and ⁦@GWijnaldum⁩ on winning the Champions League! pic.twitter.com/rXqeu47bah

— Ronald Koeman (@RonaldKoeman) June 1, 2019

Van Dijk being available will be a huge boost for the Dutch, as he's established himself as one of the standout players in the game:

One clean sheet, one trophy.@VirgilvDijk wins #UCL Player of the Week 💪 pic.twitter.com/CCcWYw5Oer

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 3, 2019

Portugal will likely be too strong for Switzerland, albeit the match is set to be a tight affair in Porto. The inventiveness and incision the hosts have in the final third will likely see them to a narrow win.

The more entertaining encounter is likely to come in the second semi-final. Having beaten elite nations on the way to the tournament semis, confidence will be bristling in both camps as they gear up for Wednesday's game.

With Van Dijk marshalling their defensive setup, though, the Dutch should have too much for England on the night.

Portugal national team manager Fernando Santos has said Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo will "certainly" be selected for the UEFA Nations League finals, despite not playing in the group stage.

Per Sport TV (h/t BBC Sport), Santos said he understands why the 34-year-old took some time off after the 2018 FIFA World Cup, before returning for the Euro 2020 qualifiers in March:

"He has a constant appreciation and passion for his country. His absence in the qualifying stages was very well explained and was a totally legitimate and understandable decision. He explained us well. We understood that the best way was that he would not be with us in that period."

Ronaldo was absent for his country's four group games, of which the team won two and drew two against Poland and Italy to finish top of Group 3 by three points. He was rested for the 1-0 win over Italy in September, before missing the final three games in the wake of American woman Kathryn Mayorga telling German magazine Der Spiegel that the forward had raped her in 2009 in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Vegas police reopened an investigation into Mayorga's allegation at her request, though Ronaldo has publicly denied the allegations.

Portugal will host the finals, taking on Switzerland in the semi-finals on June 5. If they win, they'll face the winner of the match between England and the Netherlands on June 9.

Ronaldo is Portugal's all-time top scorer with 85 goals and has been among the most productive forwards in the sport over the last decade. Only Iran's Ali Daei has scored more international goals over the course of his career, per FourFourTwo.

He hasn't found the net for his country since the World Cup, though, after returning for Portugal's first two Euro 2020 qualifiers in March. The defending champions played out a scoreless draw against Ukraine and a 1-1 draw with Serbia.

Things have gone far better for Ronaldo at club level in the 2018-19 season. In his first campaign with Juventus, he has scored 21 Serie A goals, just four fewer than the league's top scorer, Sampdoria's Fabio Quagliarella.

His most recent strike came in the Derby della Mole, a 1-1 draw against Torino:

Ronaldo's highlight of the season came in March, when he fired Juventus past Atletico Madrid by scoring a hat-trick to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the return leg of their UEFA Champions League tie:

The Champions League campaign eventually ended in disappointment, however, as Juventus were knocked out by Ajax in the quarter-finals. The former Manchester United star had won the three previous editions of the tournament with Real Madrid.

The inaugural Nations League finals will provide Ronaldo with an opportunity to win his third trophy of the season, after the Supercoppa and Serie A triumphs.

The semi-finals of the 2019 UEFA Nations League will see hosts Portugal take on Switzerland, while England will play the Netherlands in the other clash. 

Each of the four countries qualified from their respective groups recently and were in the draw in Dublin on Monday, per Rob Harris of the Associated Press:

Nations League semifinals pic.twitter.com/hZl7vqHzdC

— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) December 3, 2018

The finals of the competition will take place between June 5 and June 9.

A total of 55 teams were involved from the start of the inaugural edition of the Nations League, which implemented a promotion and relegation format.

The match involving the hosts will be played at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto, while the other will be in Guimaraes at the Estadio D Afonso Henriques.

Despite some initial confusion from supporters regarding the setup, eventually the competition was deemed a success, with the Netherlands, England and Switzerland all qualifying as a result of thrilling performances in their final matches.

For the Three Lions, a 2-1 win over Croatia at Wembley was enough to see them through, with Harry Kane's dramatic late goal catapulting England from the relegation spot up into top spot ahead of their opponents and Spain.

While the Nations League has had its doubters, Kane made it clear just how much the winner meant to him: 

To hear that atmosphere at Wembley today was superb. What a year it has been in an @England shirt and even more exciting times ahead. Proud of the squad. Proud of our fans. #ThreeLions 🦁🦁🦁 pic.twitter.com/lunFRVclfl

— Harry Kane (@HKane) November 18, 2018

The same goes for Netherlands skipper Virgil van Dijk, as his brilliant volley late on against Germany earned his side a 2-2 draw and a spot in the semi-finals ahead of France:

What a night!! What a team!! We must now keep working hard and keep getting better! Enjoyed the amazing atmosphere in the stadium! it was a night to remember 🔥🦁 @OnsOranje pic.twitter.com/PYhblTWkyG

— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) November 17, 2018

For the Dutch, the competition has provided a chance to reestablish themselves as a force of European football, having failed to qualify for the last two major tournaments. Wins over Germany and world champions France have shown they will be a challenging opponent for England.

Elsewhere, Switzerland are definitely not a team to be written off, as they produced a stunning comeback win against Belgium to get into the semis.

They trailed by two goals early on and knew they needed to win by a couple to progress. However, they launched a stunning fightback, with Haris Seferovic on the scoresheet three times in a remarkable 5-2 win.

Football journalist Tom Kundert noted that this epic encounter was one of a number of thrilling fixtures at the end of the group stages:

Last few days surely won round the doubters. Witness the passion on the pitch and in the stands in Croatia 3-2 Spain, England 2-1 Croatia, Switzerland 5-2 Belgium, the way Italy tore into the Seleção, Portugal's celebrations at the San Siro. Great competition this #NationsLeague! https://t.co/6w0FMbqgqo

— Tom Kundert (@PortuGoal1) November 18, 2018

Portugal's route to the finals wasn't quite so spectacular, as they booked their spot at the summer showpiece with a 0-0 draw in Italy.

For the European champions it will be a chance to impress in front of their own supporters. For star man and captain Cristiano Ronaldo, these games represent another big stage upon which he will seek to thrive.

Portugal drew with Poland 1-1 in Group A3 of the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday, with the hosts cantering into the semi-final stage.

Andre Silva grabbed the opener for the Selecao after 33 minutes with a clinical header, but Arkadiusz Milik claimed an equaliser from the penalty spot after 66 minutes.

                                  

Andre Silva Shows There Will Be Life After Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal fans will already be thinking about what their national team will look like the day Ronaldo hangs up his boots.

The Portuguese have already witnessed one major transitional period, with Luis Figopassing the baton to the former Manchester United and Real Madrid talisman, but the eventual loss of Ronaldo could seriously damage the nation on the world stage.

The emergence of Andre Silva in 2016 was exciting, but the 23-year-old has taken his game to a new level in recent months. 

A switch from Porto to AC Milan in 2017 highlighted Silva's potential, but a loan move to Sevilla has seen the attacker reach new heights.

Nine goals in 14 appearances in La Liga and Europe for his latest club have seen the striker produce a consistency once displayed by Ronaldo in Spain.

Silva was once again on the scoresheet for Portugal in the 1-1 draw in Guimaraes, heading home a classic striker's goal from a near-post corner in the first half.

The finish was indicative of a player on top form, and with Ronaldo out of the team, Silva once again led from the front.

Poland fought back in the second half, with the home side taking their foot off the gas, but Silva remained the primary threat for the Selecao.

Robert Lewandowski was also missing alongside Ronaldo, robbing the game of its potential superstar talent. However, Silva proved it might not be long until he's mentioned in the same breath as the very best.

Silva remains a forward that divides opinion, but he's producing the statistics which prove he is a developing star.

La Liga suits the attacker's game, and if he remains in Spain beyond his loan spell, he should become the focal point of Portugal after Ronaldo hangs up his international shirt for the final time.

                   

What's Next

Portugal enter the semifinals of the competition with England, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The final rounds are set to be played in Portugal, with the last-four draw to take place in Dublin on Monday, December 3.

Portugal have already secured top spot in Group A3 to progress to the UEFA Nations League finals and will round off their group stage when they face Poland at home on Tuesday.

The Selecao have seven points from their three matches, while Italy finished in second spot with five points.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva will be absent for the hosts, while Poland captain Robert Lewandowski has also been ruled out with a minor knock.

Here's how you can watch the encounter, including the latest odds:

                

Date: Tuesday, 20 November

Time: 7:45 p.m. (GMT), 2:45 p.m. (ET)

Odds: Portugal 11-20, Poland 11-2, Draw 16-5

TV: Sky Sports Red Button (UK)

Stream: Sky Go (UK), ESPN+ (U.S.)

Odds according to Oddschecker.

                  

Preview

The Nations League group stage has been a great success, throwing up interesting matches instead of the previous mundane friendlies.

Portugal only took three games to qualify, with the finals set to take place on home soil next summer.

Home advantage should be a huge benefit to Ronaldo and his team-mates, and with England, Switzerland and the Netherlands booking their places in the last four, the competition promises to be fascinating.

Poland have appeared woefully short after disappointing at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and after crashing out of the tournament in the group stage, they have repeated their performance level in Europe's newest international competition.

The Poles scored twice when Portugal visited the Silesian Stadium in October, but a 3-2 defeat gave the visiting party three points.

Silva was the match-winner for the Selecao in the game, but the Manchester City star has been forced to withdraw with injury this time, per Sky Sports.

A Portuguese Football Federation statement read: "Following medical and diagnostic tests performed by the FPF Health and Performance Unit, the player Bernardo Silva was considered unavailable for the meeting against Poland."

The Polish Football Association announced on their official website (h/t Radio Poland) striker Lewandowski will also be missing. The Bayern Munich forward has a "minor knee injury" and will not be risked.

The absence of both Ronaldo and Lewandowski takes much of the glamour out of the contest, especially with neither team having anything to play for.

Poland have the opportunity to grab a crumb of consolation on Tuesday, having suffered relegation from League A for the next Nations League.

Portugal are likely to coast through the encounter, but the expected return of Pepe to the home defence could frustrate the visiting attack.

The Netherlands will qualify for the UEFA Nations League finals if they can avoid defeat at the hands of Germany in Gelsenkirchen on Monday.

The Oranje relegated the Germans with a surprise 2-0 victory over France in Rotterdam on Friday, which moved them one point behind the world champions with one game remaining.

A win at the Veltins-Arena would see them leapfrog Les Bleus at the top of League A Group 1, but a draw would also be enough as they have a better goal difference than the French.

                                 

Date: Monday, November 19

Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET

TV: Sky Sports Football (UK), Univision Deportes (USA)

Live Stream: Sky Go, Univision NOW

Odds: Germany (10-11), Draw (14-5), Netherlands (10-3)

Odds courtesy of Oddschecker.

                                 

When the UEFA Nations League groups were drawn, the Netherlands appeared to be the clear favourites to go down with France and Germany set to battle it out for top spot.

After the Oranje lost 2-1 to France in their opening match it looked as though that might be the case, but they've turned things around with back-to-back home wins against Die Mannschaft and Les Bleus.

Football writer Robin Bairner felt the Netherlands were much better than France on Friday:

Full-time. Netherlands 2-0 France. Memphis added a late penalty to #Wijnaldum's earlier strike. Gini the man of the match. Dutch streets ahead of the world champions tonight. #NEDFRA

— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) November 16, 2018

The victory brought to an end France's 15-match unbeaten run, and the scoreline could have been much more one-sided had Hugo Lloris not produced a fine performance in goal.

Football writer Michiel Jongsma is impressed with how far the Netherlands have come in a short space of time:

https://twitter.com/JongsmaJongsma/status/1063543184234557440

One of the keys to their transformation has been the form of Memphis Depay, who has become a central figure for them in the final third, per OptaJohan:

58 - Memphis was directly involved in 58 attempts of the Netherlands in 2018 (34 shots, 24 chances created), at least 41 more than any other player (Quincy Promes 17). Leader. pic.twitter.com/rZ9lezvam0

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) November 16, 2018

Depay also got on the scoresheet when the Netherlands beat Germany 3-0 in October, and he'll be a big threat to their back line on Monday.

The Germans have picked up just one point from their three Nations League matches as the hangover from their FIFA World Cup group-stage exit has continued.

They put in an encouraging performance against Russia in a 3-0 win on Thursday, though, per football writer Jonathan Harding:

https://twitter.com/JonBloggs66/status/1063158995966418944

With their relegation already sealed, Monday's result means relatively little to Die Mannschaft.

However, they'll be eager to continue their efforts in getting back on the right path with another good performance, so it's unlikely to be completely straightforward for the Netherlands.

In July, England and Croatia met in Moscow with a 2018 FIFA World Cup final spot on the line.

On Sunday they meet again, and this time, the winner will claim a place in the UEFA Nations League final four.

Gareth Southgate's men will be hoping they are the team celebrating come the final whistle at Wembley Stadium, having lost 2-1 to Croatia after extra time at the Luzhniki Stadium.

Adding a further frisson, defeat on Sunday for England or Croatia would mean relegation to League B of the Nations League.

                              

Date: Sunday, November 18

Time: 2 p.m. GMT, 9 a.m. ET

TV Info: Live on Sky Sports Main Event (UK) and Univision Deportes (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go, Univision NOW

Match Odds: England 17-20, Croatia 10-3, Draw 29-10 (via Oddschecker)

            

Spain will be hoping for a draw at Wembley, a result that would see La Roja advance to the finals as Group A4 winners.

However, a stalemate would mean relegation for one of England or Croatia. If it is a scoreless draw, England survive.

All to play for on Sunday!

England win = England win group, Croatia relegated

Croatia win = Croatia win group, England relegated

Goalless draw = Spain win group, Croatia relegated

Score draw = Spain win group, England relegated

More: https://t.co/ERyOxg6iqR pic.twitter.com/sIjiSBQLzz

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) November 15, 2018

Both sides will surely be playing to win after Croatia's last-gasp victory over Spain on Thursday effectively turned Sunday's match into a Nations League quarter-final.

The widespread hope will be that the match provides more entertainment than the reverse fixture back in October, when the two teams played out a 0-0 draw behind closed doors in Rijeka.

The intensity should be higher, not least because Wembley will be packed to the rafters.

England's home advantage could prove telling, and it is one of the key reasons they are favourites with the bookies.

Another potential difference-maker is the absence of Ivan Rakitic, Croatia and Barcelona's superb central midfielder, who has been ruled out through injury:

BREAKING: Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic says midfielder Ivan Rakitic will miss Sunday’s game against England. #SSN pic.twitter.com/SJNybrEECo

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 16, 2018

The Three Lions go into the clash on the back of successive victories against Spain and the United States.

Croatia have also won their past two matches, a 2-1 friendly defeat of Jordan preceding their impressive 3-2 win against Spain.

As was evident at the World Cup, when Croatia came from behind to beat England in extra time, the two sides are well matched.

Given what is at stake, it is likely to be a cagey occasion at Wembley, especially in the opening minutes.

And it is the early phases that could make the difference.

If Croatia come out of the blocks fast, they may be able to silence the home crowd, which could be crucial.

But if England go ahead early, it will be difficult for the visitors to repeat the trick they pulled off in Russia of turning the match around.

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has said Les Bleus' 2-0 UEFA Nations League defeat to the Netherlands on Friday could have been even "more flattering" to the hosts, who now sit only a point behind them in Group A1.

Didier Deschamps men needed one point away at De Kuip in Rotterdam to secure their place in the competition's finals. However, they'll now miss out on a spot in the semis if the Dutch beat or draw against bottom-placed Germany on Monday.

Lloris lamented his side's display, per FourFourTwo:

"We played to the minimum of our potential and paid for it. The score could have been even more flattering for the Dutch.

“We have to hope that the Germans beat them on Monday.

"We knew what to expect, we knew the level of the Netherlands, they had demonstrated it against Germany and Belgium in October and they turned in a great performance. 

"We did not live up to it. It's disappointing, now we no longer have our destiny in our hands."

Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum netted the opener before Lyon's Memphis Depay confidently converted from the penalty spot to give the Netherlands a deserved three points.

Lloris was a large factor in why France were able to keep the deficit down to only two goals, having broken a French goalkeeping record despite the defeat, per OptaJean:

9 - Hugo Lloris made 9 saves against the Netherlands, a record for a goalkeeper with France in a single game in the last 10 years. Wall. pic.twitter.com/2okVKGtArV

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 16, 2018

Tottenham Hotspur's star won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with his national team in the summer but has shown some flagging form in the months since.

Nevertheless, the BBC's John Bennett backed up the statistics and lauded Lloris' performance:

Hugo Lloris gets plenty of publicity when he makes a mistake...

Tonight for France - even in defeat - he’s been outstanding.

— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) November 16, 2018

Friday's result left the Netherlands just one point behind Group A1 leaders France, who have played all their matches. A win would take them into first, but a draw would also be sufficient to advance after the 2-0 victory gave De Oranje a superior goal difference over Les Bleus.

It would represent a dramatic swing in the international power scales if the Netherlands were to suddenly tip the balance in their favour and advance to the finals after 2014 world champions Germany were relegated to League B, per Fox Sports:

The Netherlands' win over France means they have a chance to win Group 1 with a draw in Germany on Monday.

And Germany? They will join Poland and Iceland in League B. 😮 pic.twitter.com/7bBjpDkiNX

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 16, 2018

Lloris was not present in the France squad that drew 0-0 at Germany in their Nations League debut in September, but he and his team-mates will now rally behind Die Mannschaft if they want to make the finals.

France may be the defending world champions, but the Netherlands have earned results by refusing to show their group opponents respect and will hope to continue their form at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on Monday.

It's a plan that's worked to good effect of late, but France will hope Germany are capable of giving them a goodbye present by beating the Dutch before they make the drop down to Nations League B.  

Italy host Portugal in the UEFA Nations League at the San Siro on Saturday knowing a victory over the reigning European champions will see them move top of Group A3.

Roberto Mancini's side go into the game two points behind Portugal, although they have played a game more than Saturday's visitors.

Portugal need just a point against Italy to confirm top spot and a place in the finals. They will conclude their group campaign on Tuesday at home to bottom side Poland.

    

Date: Saturday, November 17

Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), ESPN+ (U.S.)

TV Info: Sky Sports Football (UK), Univision Deportes En Vivo (U.S.)

        

Odds

Italy: 5-4

Draw: 23-10

Portugal: 13-5

Via OddsShark

    

Match Preview

There will be no Cristiano Ronaldo once again for Portugal. The Juventus forward has not featured for the national team since the 2018 FIFA World Cup and has been left out again by coach Fernando Santos.

The team have fared well in his absence, winning three and drawing one of their four matches played since they were knocked out of the tournament in Russia by Uruguay in the last 16.

Portugal still have plenty of experience and young talent in their squad. Juventus defender Joao Cancelo is enjoying a strong season in Serie A and is being tipped to become one of Europe's best full-backs:

Joao Cancelo will be seen as a top 3 (pushing top 1) right back in the world after this season. He's been a revelation for Juventus. pic.twitter.com/AYeNwFCC8E

— EiF (@EiFSoccer) November 11, 2018

In attack, Andre Silva has been in prolific form for Sevilla. The 23-year-old is on a season-long loan from AC Milan and has scored seven La Liga goals already this season.

Scouted Football highlighted the other young talent Santos has at his disposal:

Fernando Santos has named his latest Portugal squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures:

🇵🇹 Rúben Dias (21)
🇵🇹 Gonçalo Guedes (21)
🇵🇹 Rúben Neves (21)
🇵🇹 Renato Sanches (21)
🇵🇹 André Silva (23)

Fab five. pic.twitter.com/YkaYkkKKv6

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) November 9, 2018

Portugal have won both of their Nations League games so far. They beat Italy 1-0 at home in Lisbon in September, won 3-2 in Poland and eased to a 3-1 friendly win over Scotland last time out.

Yet Italy go into the game knowing they must win—and Portugal must lose their final game—if they are to reach the finals.

The Azzurri put in a much-improved display to beat Poland last time out. The visitors dominated the match but needed a stoppage-time goal from Cristiano Biraghi to take all three points.

Mancini has two wins from seven games since taking over the national team and has caused a few surprises once again with his squad selection.

Sandro Tonali, Vincenzo Grifo and Stefano Sensi have all been called up for the first time, while experienced strikers Mario Balotelli and Torino's Andrea Belotti have missed out.

🇮🇹 #Azzurri

The 27 players in #Mancini's squad to face #Portugal 🇵🇹 and the #USA 🇺🇸

First call-ups for #Sensi, #Tonali and #Grifo. #VivoAzzurro #ITAPOR #ITAUSA pic.twitter.com/9BEdZpxHwc

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) November 9, 2018

Brescia's Tonali is only 18 and is the first player from a Serie B club to be called up to the senior side since Angelo Ogbonna in 2011, per Scouted Football.

Mancini has explained why he picked the youngster:

🇮🇹 #Azzurri

🗣️ #Mancini: "We must play good football and look to win the fans back, we are Italy. As for #Tonali, I want to stress again that he's incredibly gifted and has clear margins for growth. I'll get to know him better over the next few days."#VivoAzzurro

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) November 12, 2018

The match will also see captain Giorgio Chiellini win his 100th cap for Italy. The centre-back has spoken of his pride at reaching the landmark, per Sky (h/t Football Italia): "You dream of being a footballer, of playing in Serie A and for the national team, but getting 100 caps is something else."

Mancini will have to make changes to his team for the game, as Federico Bernardeschi has pulled out of the squad due to an adductor injury, per Football Italia.

Lazio's Ciro Immobile is expected to replace him in the Italy attack, although Sassuolo's Domenico Berardi and Udinese's Kevin Lasagna are also options to start alongside Federico Chiesa and Lorenzo Insigne.

Italy have shown signs of improvement under Mancini. They remain defensively strong but have struggled for goals with just three in their last four games.

Portugal go into the game on a good run of form, but it's the hosts who are favourites for victory. The onus will be on Italy to go for the win to keep their Nations League hopes alive.