UEFA Nations League 2024/25: League A Preview
Previewing Septembers matches in League A of the UEFA Nations League, where many top teams are out to better themselves after an underwhelming Euro 2024 campaign
Everyone’s favourite international tournament returns on Thursday for what is already its fourth edition - you see, these crazy new formats don’t half fly by when you’re having fun!
The UEFA Nations League (UNL) had its critics from the off (give me an international competition which hasn’t) and was at risk of being sidelined in only its second edition due to Covid-created fixture congestion, but while it may not be a firm favourite, it now feels like a true part of the international calendar.
A bigger hit with the smaller nations, it is a bit more “marmite” when it comes to those at the top. We have had three different champions of League A (and thus, champions of the UNL) so far, but there seems to be a split between the elite sides who take it as a serious trophy to win, and those who see their fixtures as glorified friendlies.
Those out to win it will want to put a marker down this month with the first two fixtures in the group stage. This year - for the first time - top two in the group is the target, in an effort to reach the newly-introduced quarter-finals!
In an added incentive to finish in the top two, the team finishing third in each group is no longer guaranteed survival, they will play a play-off against a runner-up in a League B group in March to protect their place at the top table.
Group A1: Navigators to protect their own harbour
Thursday 5th September: Portugal vs Croatia - Lisbon / Scotland vs Poland - Glasgow
Sunday 8th September: Croatia vs Poland - Osijek / Portugal vs Scotland - Lisbon
The first group is the home of teams who will be out to prove a point following disappointing Euro 2024 campaigns.
Portugal failed to live up to expectation in Euro 2024, limping out in the quarter-finals, while Croatia, Poland and Scotland departed Germany with a combined zero wins.
Roberto Martínez’s side are one of the aforementioned three former champions, taking the inaugural crown on home soil five years ago. Croatia have less glamourous yet more recent success, finishing as runners-up to Spain in the last UNL Finals in 2023.
All four have kept the faith with their managers following disappointment in Germany, who in turn have only made minor alterations to their squads for September’s matches.
The standout tie will be Croatia travelling to the Estádio da Luz on Thursday night. Croatia have a poor record against Portugal, winning once and drawing once from eight meetings. However, the win came earlier this year, when the Vatreni ran out 2-1 winners at the Estádio Nacional in a pre-Euros warm-up match. Also, the only draw between the two came on Portuguese soil as well, in 2018.
Portugal’s mouth-watering attacking options did little to benefit them in the summer, but they are unbeaten in competitive home games for two years and should have enough against what looks to be a threadbare Croatia back line, especially if they can wrestle Cristiano Ronaldo off set pieces.
Newly-promoted Scotland will need to make Hampden Park a fortress if they are going to stay up, starting with the visit of Poland.
Goal scoring will be the key question hanging over Steve Clarke’s side, but perhaps the new chapter for Ché Adams, Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour - all now playing in Italy’s Serie A - might spur Scotland on in attack.
Poland only picked up one point at the Euros but they were not the whipping boys I expected. Michał Probierz will have a full campaign with the squad for the first time and he has not been afraid to add some fresh names to a squad which is now without the retired Wojciech Szczęsny, though Łukasz Skorupski is a more than adequate replacement.
These two have drawn five of their last six meetings and with the crowd behind them, Scotland could hang on for a point, but a win in this group looks to be beyond them.
Going into the weekend, the quick turnaround could prove tough for a Scotland defence without Kieran Tierney and Jack Hendry to name just two.
Gonçalo Ramos, Rafael Leão and Francisco Conceição will be desperate for a chance to prove that they deserve to be starting in attack for Portugal, and will be licking their lips at the prospect of the home tie with the Scots.
Croatia will meet Poland for the first time since a 1-0 win for the Adriatic side at Euro 2008! There will be relatively unfamiliar surroundings for the home side, playing at the Opus Arena in Osijek for just the second time. Failure to beat Portugal will only heap pressure onto the hosts for this clash.
Predictions
Portugal 2-1 Croatia
Scotland 1-1 Poland
Portugal 3-0 Scotland
Croatia 1-1 Poland
Group A2: Under fire managers need to prove a point
Friday 6th September: Belgium vs Israel - Debrecen (HUN) / France vs Italy - Paris
Monday 9th September: France vs Belgium - Lyon / Israel vs Italy - Budapest (HUN)
From a group with four teams disappointed with their Euro 2024 result, to a group with a mere three such sides.
France made it to the quarter-finals in Germany, two rounds further than both Italy and the Belgian side they eliminated, but given the anti-football on offer, one could argue their tournament was just as much of a let down.
Didier Deschamps’ men have notable absentees including Benjamin Pavard and Eduardo Camavinga, while top scorer Olivier Giroud has departed the international scene. The most notable inclusion is Michael Olise, receiving his first call-up after impressing at the Olympics.
Two home games should be targeted for a maximum six points over this break, as Les Bleus welcome Italy to the Parc de Princes first up.
Luciano Spalletti has gone for a squad with many unfamiliar faces to international football viewers; only 10 of the squad have more than 10 caps each while nine members of the Euros squad miss out, including Nicolò Barella, Jorginho, Federico Chiesa and Matteo Darmian.
On paper, the task facing Israel is a daunting one, but it is made even harder given that they cannot play any fixtures at home due to the ongoing political situation. Not only will they play all their home games in Hungary, but with no Belgian city with a UEFA-standard stadium willing to host them, their opening match “away” to Belgium will be played in the Hungarian city of Debrecen.
A lack of game time for Romelu Lukaku of late sees him not selected by Domenico Tedesco, so who provides the focal point in attack remains to be seen.
Like their Group A counterparts, Deschamps, Tedesco and Spalletti need to show the powers that be that they are capable of building (or rebuilding) for another tournament cycle.
Predictions
Belgium 2-1 Israel
France 2-0 Italy
France 2-1 Belgium
Israel 0-1 Italy
Group A3: What are Germany really made of?
Saturday 7th September: Germany vs Hungary - Düsseldorf / Netherlands vs Bosnia & Herzegovina - Eindhoven
Tuesday 10th September: Hungary vs Bosnia & Herzegovina - Budapest / Netherlands vs Germany - Amsterdam
Was Euro 2024 just a blossoming summer for a youthful host nation, or are Germany really on their way back to their former glories? Two games against very tricky sides this September will give us real clues, if not a full-blown answer.
Germany, yet to lose a match in 90 minutes in 2024, go into this window after losing four colossal servants to international retirement. No Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos, İlkay Gündoğan or Thomas Müller anymore to guide the youngsters on the right path, plus there will be no Antonio Rüdiger or Leroy Sané this month.
The young players can set this group alight, but who will be the leaders on the pitch for this campaign and beyond?
The proof of their kuchen will be against bitter rivals the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Tuesday, as the Dutch look to avenge a 2-1 friendly loss in March.
As unfortunate as Germany were to face Spain in the quarter-finals of the Euros, the Netherlands were fortunate to face Romania and a running-on-empty Turkey in the knockouts on the way to the semi-finals.
That said, Ronald Koeman’s men did grow into the tournament and were more entertaining than some of the names already mentioned. Koeman has stuck with most of what was a well-balanced squad, with Memphis Depay being the most notable absentee.
Which version of Hungary we get - the one that made everyone choose them as their Euros dark horses, or the one we actually got in Germany - is anyone’s guess, while the Bosnians, who have lost their last six in a row and did not come close to Euros qualification, look as if League A will be a bit much for them.
Predictions
Germany 2-0 Hungary
Netherlands 4-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Hungary 2-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Netherlands 1-1 Germany
Group A4: Difficult territories await kings of Europe
Thursday 5th September: Serbia vs Spain - Belgrade / Denmark vs Switzerland - Copenhagen
Sunday 8th: September: Denmark vs Serbia - Copenhagen / Switzerland vs Spain - Geneva
On the first night of European fixtures we get a look at European, Olympic and - lest we forget - UNL champions Spain.
Are they about to build another dynasty akin to the one of 2008-12, or was it just a case of win one major tournament and tart it up a bit with the UNL and a gold medal in an under-23 tournament?
90 minutes engulfed by the raucous atmosphere of the Rajko Mitić Stadium in Belgrade will show us how much desire there is to go again for Luis de la Fuente’s men, who have included the likes of Ayoze Pérez and Pepelu in the squad, as a handful of European Championship winners sit out this month.
No Unai Simón means it’s a battle between David Raya, Álex Remiro and Robert Sánchez to start between the sticks. The trio have nine caps between them.
Add Serbia to the list of teams who had a poor Euros but remained faithful to the manager. At least, the board stayed faithful to Dragan Stojković, though several players have vowed not to play under him again. Aleksandar Mitrović, Sergej Milinković-Savić and Dušan Vlahović are notable absentees this time.
You have to go back to 1984 for the last time Switzerland got the better of Denmark, though their 0-0 draw earlier this year was the fourth stalemate between the two teams since then, with the Danes winning twice.
Given how the Swiss impressed at the Euros and the Danes were marginally better than their catastrophic World Cup in 2022, you would fancy Switzerland to finally end their poor run in this head-to-head.
The meeting of Switzerland and Spain in Geneva is the one I highlighted as Sunday’s match to watch, a real test of the champions against a team who have not lost at home in over two years!
Predictions
Serbia 0-2 Spain
Denmark 1-2 Switzerland
Denmark 1-1 Serbia
Switzerland 2-2 Spain
How do you think the first two matchdays will pan out and what do you think of my predictions? Let me know in the comments, and follow The Full International for more coverage over the international break!
Anthony Tomas is a football writer and commentator, who writes for Flashscore and World Soccer Magazine.