The Nations League semi-finals kick off on Wednesday, with Germany, Spain, France, and Portugal looking to sharpen their squads ahead of the World Cup, which is now just a year away.
The tournament hosts, Germany, will take on Portugal in Munich on Wednesday, while title holders Spain will face France in Stuttgart the following day.
The victorious teams from these matches will compete in the final in Bavaria on Sunday.
Introduced in 2018, the Nations League doesn’t boast the rich tradition and prestige of football’s legendary international competitions and has faced criticism for further congesting an already busy schedule.
However, as evidenced by Spain and France in recent years, this competition can serve as an effective stepping stone to greater success.
France’s Nations League victory in 2021 paved the way for their impressive run to the World Cup final in Qatar, where they narrowly lost on penalties to an Argentina team led by Lionel Messi.
Spain, who finished as runners-up to France in 2021, clinched the 2023 Nations League title after defeating Croatia in a penalty shootout, and just a year later, the Spanish were crowned Euro 2024 champions.
While some of the top nations have experimented with their line-ups, recent champions have utilised the tournament to refine and enhance their gameplay.
The ‘Major Titles’
Among the final quartet, only Germany is yet to secure a Nations League title, while Portugal clinched their victory in the inaugural tournament in 2019.
Germany captain Joshua Kimmich will earn his 100th international cap on Wednesday.
The Bayern Munich midfielder becomes the 14th German player to achieve this milestone but will be the only member of the 100-caps club without a World Cup trophy to his name.
Kimmich remarked on Monday that he “has a couple more chances” to rectify that statistic and stated that the Nations League would demonstrate how far Germany has progressed after a challenging decade.
“Whether it’s sufficient for the really major titles is uncertain. It hinges on numerous factors.“
Germany, who were crowned World Cup champions in 2014, exited the following two World Cups in the group stages.
Their best achievement since reaching the Euros semi-finals in 2016 was a quarter-final exit to eventual victors Spain at Euro 2024.
“We aim to head into the (World Cup) well-prepared. We’ve highlighted that preparation starts well in advance, not just two weeks before.“
“If we successfully navigate these two international matches, we can showcase that we’re still on the right path.“
Kimmich’s thoughts were mirrored by coach Julian Nagelsmann on Friday, who expressed, “We aspire to win titles and boost our self-confidence.“
“Even if it’s just a minor title, it holds substantial importance for us as a group… Confidence and trust are delicate elements that require continuous nurturing.“
‘Fatigue Takes a Backseat’
With the semi-finals occurring at the tail end of a long club season, all four teams are managing various injuries.
Germany, already without Jamal Musiala, Antonio Rudiger, and Nico Schlotterbeck, suffered further losses over the weekend as Jonathan Burkardt, Nadiem Amiri, and Yann Bisseck also succumbed to injury.
France will be without key defenders Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, and Jules Kounde, as well as Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, with six players returning after Saturday’s Champions League final.
Spain opted not to include Rodri in their Nations League squad to allow the reigning Ballon d’Or winner adequate time to recover from his cruciate injury.
Despite missing three out of his last six club matches for Al Nassr due to muscle issues, veteran Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo, now 40, has been included in the squad.
Portugal will also welcome four players who celebrated victory in the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain: Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Goncalo Ramos.
Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves acknowledged the challenges faced by elite players but stated on Sunday, “When we reach this level of competition, tiredness takes a backseat.
“Fatigue is set aside, and our primary focus is to win both matches and secure the Nations League title.“
“We possess all the tools necessary to perform at our best.“
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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