New Delhi: The UEFA Nations League delivered another thrilling night of action as top teams battled for playoff qualification. Norway and England continued their dominance with commanding 5-0 victories, highlighted by Erling Haaland’s stunning hat-trick against Kazakhstan. Elsewhere, France secured a 3-1 win over Italy, and Israel, amid ongoing controversies, edged past Belgium 1-0.
With France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain already securing quarterfinal spots, Matchday 6 promises high-stakes drama as Croatia aims to avoid defeat against Portugal or rely on Scotland failing to beat Poland to advance with a complex tiebreaker looming if results go against them. Meanwhile, England and Norway earned promotion to League A as Group B2 winners. Before the action unfolds, let’s dive into the key games with everything on the line.
Croatia vs Portugal (November 19, 1:15 AM IST)
IT’S MATCHDAY!
The final group stage game of the Nations League is on Remembrance Day. Let’s get into the quarter-finals!#Croatia #Portugal #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/wgfjF6vKGR
— Croatian Football (@CroatiaFooty) November 17, 2024
Croatia are set to lock horns with an impressive Portugal side in a crucial encounter at the Stadion Polijud in Split. While Portugal have already secured a quarterfinal berth as group winners, the hosts need at least a point to guarantee their place in the knockout stages. Portugal thrashed Poland 5-1 in their previous game and will look to replicate a similar scoreline in the upcoming fixture.
On the other hand, Croatia currently sits in second place and, after a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign, have shown improvement in recent months, including a 2-1 win over Portugal in a summer friendly. However, they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Scotland this week and will need to bounce back if they want to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Croatia 1-2 Portugal
Spain vs Switzerland (November 19, 1:15 AM IST)
Das letzte Spiel des Jahres
Le dernier match de l’année
L’ultima partita dell’anno
📺 SRF 2, RTS 2, RSI La 2#natimiteuch #lanatiavecvous #lanaticonvoi #lanaticunvus pic.twitter.com/JLWqlxPqnN
— 🇨🇭 Nati (@nati_sfv_asf) November 18, 2024
Defending champions Spain have already secured their spot in the quarterfinals and will host bottom-placed Switzerland in the final group-stage match. Switzerland’s relegation to League B has already been confirmed, and they will be playing for pride when they face Luis de la Fuente’s Spain at Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez. The visitors played to a 1-1 draw against Serbia last week and will aim to put up a strong fight against Spain.
Meanwhile, Spain sit at the top of their group and have been in excellent form this year. La Furia Roja defeated Denmark 2-1 in their last match and will look for a similar result this week. They will be missing a few key players, but Mikel Oyarzabal and Ayoze Perez, who made crucial contributions last week, will aim to set up a similar performance in today’s match.
Prediction: Spain 2-0 Switzerland
Serbia vs Denmark (November 19, 1:15 AM IST)
🤍🦅#SUISRB #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/0ZMIQOKpio
— Fudbalski savez Srbije | FA of Serbia (@FSSrbije) November 15, 2024
Serbia and Denmark will face off in Leskovac for a spot in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals. With Spain already securing the top spot, second place in League A Group 4 remains up for grabs: Denmark will advance with a draw while Serbia can clinch second place with a victory. The Eagles played out a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Friday and now have the chance to secure their first-ever entry into the knockout stage.
Meanwhile, Denmark have struggled with consistency and have delivered a mix of results so far. In their most recent match, they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Spain on home soil. With a talented squad a win against Serbia would seal their progression to the next round. However, new head coach Brian Riemer is still searching for his first away victory with Denmark’s winless run on the road stretching to five matches.
Prediction: Serbia 1-2 Denmark
Other fixtures for today
Match
League and Group
Date
Time (IST)
Poland vs Scotland
League A Group 1
November 19
1:15 AM
Liechtenstein vs San Marino
League D Group 1
November 19
1:15 AM
Romania vs Cyprus
League C Group 2
November 19
1:15 AM
Bulgaria vs Belarus
League C Group 3
November 19
1:15 AM
Luxembourg vs Northern Ireland
League C Group 3
November 19
1:15 AM
Kosovo vs Lithuania
League C Group 2
November 19
1:15 AM
The final matchday of the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 group stage is under way with teams battling to secure crucial points and keep their dreams alive. Here’s a look at the day’s most anticipated clashes. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
