The UEFA Nations League as a tournament has its fair share of critics. Many say that
the relatively new competition has added too many fixtures to the footballing calendar
and that it is somewhat of a Mickey Mouse competition. We would beg to differ, and
plenty of other nations would agree with us.
Former winners of the tournament such as Portugal, France, and Spain certainly
wouldn’t feel that the action is meaningless. Neither would the likes of Georgia and
Kazakhstan, both of whom stocks have risen dramatically following success i
competition. And to be honest, let’s face it, at least the fixtures actually mean
something and are competitive, unlike the meaningless international friendlies we used
to be subjected to.
Throughout this year’s tournament, there has been plenty of stellar action taking place
all across the continent. But three teams have stood out to us more than any others.
Let’s find out who they are.
Italy
There can be no denying that the Italians have struggled in recent years. They haven’t
qualified for the FIFA World Cup since 2014 and haven’t made it past the group stage of
that particular tournament since winning it all back in 2006. They managed to win the
European Championships against all odds in 2021, but their defense of the crown this
summer couldn’t have gone any worse. They were dumped out in the second round by
Switzerland while the Azzurri were truly toothless.
However, the Nations League has provided Italy with a new lease of life. They shocked
everybody as they romped to a 3-1 victory against France in Paris in their opening
game, and that set the tone for what was to come. Another victory would follow against
Israel in Budapest days later, as would a 4-1 win against the same opposition in the
reverse fixture in Udine.
The Azzurri threw away a 2-0 lead at home to Belgium in their third game, with goals
from Andrea Cambiaso and Mateo Retegui being canceled out by Maxim De Cuyper
and Leandro Trossard. Manager Luciano Spalletti will be hoping that the particular two
points lost won’t be a sign of things to come.
Those looking to place a sport bet at Bovada can back the Italians (+600) to win the
tournament, and that doesn’t look like a bad shout. Since the European championships,
the Italians have shown plenty of resilience, particularly in their opening-day victory over
Les Bleus, and that could stand them in good stead for the knockout stages of the
tournament next year.
Germany
Germany is another nation that has been reborn, particularly under new manager Julian
Nagelsmann. Prior to the former RB Leipzig boss’ appointment, Die Mannschaft were
perhaps at the lowest point in their history. They had just been eliminated from the last
two FIFA World Cups at the group stage and had lost a plethora of friendly matches to
the likes of Japan, Colombia, Poland, and Austria in preparation for Euro 2024.
However, the sacking of Hansi Flick and subsequent appointment of Nagelsmann
resurrected their fortunes. At the aforementioned European Championship, the
Germans – who were hosting the tournament – made it all the way to the quarterfinals,
and they did so in impressive fashion. They were eliminated by the eventual champions
Spain thanks to Mikel Merino’s late header, and while that certainly broke hearts, it left
supporters with a sense that a return to happier times was on the horizon.
Germany have continued that form throughout their Nations League campaign. They
thumped Hungary on matchday one, before defeating Bosnia away from home in their
third game. The recent home win against their rivals the Netherlands has guaranteed
them a spot in the quarterfinals with two games to spare, and if young starlets Jamal
Musiala and Florian Wirtz continue playing their crucial roles to perfection, then they are
certainly a team that could go all the way.
Greece
Greece has emerged as a surprise package in League B, maintaining a perfect record
with impressive victories, notably a shocking away victory at recent Euro 2024 finalists
England at Wembley. The Three Lions were huge favorites for that particular contest,
but the visitors shocked the hosts with their devastating ability on the counterattack and
were good value for the victory. Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis was the hero that
night, scoring both including a 92nd-minute winner to help his side to a 2-1 victory,
maintaining their perfect record in the process.
The Greeks have already notched up wins against Finland and the Republic of Ireland
and they now find themselves top of their quartet, three points clear of the English. If
they can manage to avoid defeat against the Three Lions in Athens next month, they
will secure promotion to League A with a game to spare, sparking a resurgence in
Greek football in the process.
They famously won Euro 2004 as run outsiders but since then, they have fallen by the
wayside. If they can secure promotion in this tournament and subsequently secure
qualification for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, then Greece could see themselves
become a major player once again.
