Portugal vs Spain
Portugal and Spain are set to square off at the Estadio Municipal de Braga with top spot in Group A2 – and a place in the UEFA Nations League Finals – on the line.
The Portuguese are now in pole position to clinch top spot after their big 4-0 win away to the Czech Republic coupled with Spain’s shock 2-1 defeat at home to Switzerland.
The UEFA Nations League 2022 odds now back Cristiano Ronaldo and co., who are two points ahead and only need to hold their Iberian neighbours to a draw to seal their place in the finals.
The Spaniards’ major problem at striker once again reared its ugly head against the Swiss, and they must now find a way to foil their fierce rivals away from home to claim first place.
Read on below as SBOTOP previews this titanic clash between two European heavyweight rivals.
Talking Points
Portugal a point away from the finals
Portugal are a point away from returning to the UEFA Nations League finals for the first time since winning the inaugural competition in 2019.
The Portuguese put four goals past the Czech Republic as they returned to top spot in Group A2 with 10 points. Right-back Diogo Dalot bagged a brace, while Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Jota got the other two goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who missed the team’s 1-0 defeat to Switzerland last time out, did not score despite four shots (none on target), but he did set up Digo Jota’s goal eight minutes from time.
Amid criticism for being too defensive in recent years, Portugal have been producing several UEFA Nations League 2022 highlights with their more attacking style of play. They are currently tied for second in League A with 11 goals. Meanwhile, they have managed to keep their defensive solidity as they have conceded just twice.
Coach Fernando Santos fielded an aggressive 4-2-3-1 formation against the Czechs, but it remains to be seen whether he will be quite as adventurous against Spain, especially with his side needing only a point to seal top spot.
He could very well revert to his favoured 4-3-3 formation, with a defensive midfielder – possibly Joao Palhinha or Vitinha – coming in to add more solidity down the middle.
Spain strikers shoot blanks again
Spain have slipped down to second spot in Group A2 after they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Switzerland. The Spaniards controlled nearly three-quarters of possession, but they only finished level with the Swiss with eight shots apiece.
Spain’s glaring problem of lacking a star striker in their squad once again reared its ugly head. Luis Enrique started the front three of Ferran Torres, Pablo Sarabia, and Marco Asensio, with the Real Madrid man playing down the middle. While Asensio did provide the assist for Jordi Alba’s goal, the experiment didn’t exactly work as the three forwards had just one shot each.
Alvaro Morata, the leading scorer in the Spain squad with 26 goals in 56 caps, was an unused substitute as Luis Enrique took out all three starters and brought on Borja Iglesias and Nico Williams, who were both making their Spain debuts, as well as teenager Yeremy Pino off the bench.
This could very well be a sign that Luis Enrique has finally lost faith in Morata, who has come up short in big moments for his country.
With Spain now facing a must-win situation against Portugal, it remains to be seen whether Luis Enrique will bring Morata back to start after snubbing him against the Swiss, or if he once again opts for less experienced alternatives.
History
The Iberian peninsula rivalry between Spain and Portugal has been surprisingly one-sided. La Roja have a huge 17-6 edge in terms of wins, while there have been 16 draws.
But while Spain dominated in the early stage of this rivalry – they went undefeated from 1921 to 1947 – it has been much more competitive in recent years.
An incredible 10 out of the last 16 matches between the two sides have been draws, including their first Nations League fixture back in June. Meanwhile, both sides have three wins apiece during that time.
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