Portugal and Spain Vie for Second UEFA Nations League Crown

Portugal vs Spain

Portugal and Spain are the finalists for this year’s UEFA Nations League, as both nations came from their thrilling semifinals matches against Germany and France yesterday. 

Portugal earned their win over Germany the hard way since they had to overturn a one-goal deficit created by Florian Wirtz after the halftime break. Francisco Conceicao scored the equalizer three minutes after the hour mark, and the evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo scored the marginal goal five minutes later to put Roberto Martinez’s side ahead for good.

​On the other hand, Spain fended off France’s late comeback. After building a 4-1 lead before the hour mark. France roared back by scoring three goals, including a late one in stoppage time. However, Lamine Yamal’s goal during Les Bleus’ scintillating run was enough to make the difference.

Portugal and Spain are vying for their second UEFA Nations League crown, but only one of them will stand tall this Sunday at the Allianz Arena.

 

Talking Points

Ronaldo stays clutch for Portugal

Believe it or not, yesterday marked the first time Portugal defeated Germany in quite some time, and it was timely that Cristiano Ronaldo scored the matchwinner. Ronaldo had lost all five times he previously played Die Mannschaft, and the Selecao had not won this fixture in 25 years since Sergio Conceicao scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory during the Euro 2000 group stage.

So, it was fitting that his son, Francisco, scored the equalizer in the 63rd minute before Ronaldo scored the winning goal in the 68th minute after tapping the ball into the open net following a square pass from Nuno Mendes. The 40-year-old now has 137 international goals for Portugal and 937 overall in his career, extending the two records he already has.

Germany dominated the first half, but Diogo Costa kept Die Mannschaft at bay with his timely stops. The Porto goalkeeper saved Leon Goretzka’s and Nick Woltemade’s shots and prevented Karim Adeyemi’s shot from going in during the second half. Vitinha, fresh from his Champions League triumph, also deserves plaudits for a superb shift in the middle of the park alongside Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva.

 

Yamal continues to shine for Spain

Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal inspired Spain to a thrilling 5-4 win against France last night in Stuttgart. The Barcelona youngster scored a brace, with his second goal being the difference-maker. Nico Williams and Mikel Merino gave La Roja an early two-goal lead before Yamal scored a penalty and Pedri clipped a fourth a minute later. If Yamal didn’t score in the 67th minute, the match would’ve gone to penalties following France’s insane comeback attempt.

​Yamal is one of the frontrunners to win this year’s Ballon d’Or, which is wild to say since he has yet to turn 18. Winning the UEFA Nations League should strengthen his case, though he’ll need enough help from his national teammates this Sunday. Luis de la Fuente will likely stick with Mikel Oyarzabal as their No. 9 because of how well he linked up with Williams and Merino.

 

History

As mentioned, Portugal and Spain have already won the UEFA Nations League before. Portugal won the inaugural edition of this competition in 2018-19, beating the Netherlands in the final. On the other hand, Spain won it in 2022-23, defeating Croatia via penalties in the final, for Luis de la Fuente’s first title with La Roja. Spain also qualified for the finals in 2020-21 but lost 2-1 to France. 

​Portugal and Spain were bunched together in Group A2 in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League. These two sides shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in their first group stage meeting, and Spain won 1-0 in the reverse fixture, which was enough to earn the top seed and advance to the semifinals.

 

Betting Tip

The UEFA Nations League 2025 odds back Spain to successfully defend their title. La Roja are 1.92 favorites to win this weekend, while the Selecao are 3.47 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.41 in the 1X2 market. Spain can ill afford to count Portugal out easily.

While these two nations can create new UEFA Nations League 2025 highlights, we believe that this will be a low-scoring game, which an odd goal could decide, hence our recommended bet. SBOTOP football fans and bettors can also go for alternatives such as Under 2.75 at 1.98, Total Goals 2-3 at 2.03, or even Total Goal 0-1 at 3.72. Moreover, a Correct Score of 1-0 in favor of Spain – the result of their most recent UEFA Nations League meeting – offers a solid payday of 8.40 your bet.

   

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