UEFA Nations League: a preview of the World Cup?

The World Cup 2022 is going to pop on our radar pretty soon now. The kickoff of the most prestigious competition in the world is on the 21st of November. For bettors, it’s often difficult to predict games between the biggest favorites at the Word Cup, because of the lack of recent head to head information. This is where the upcoming UEFA Nations League is interesting.  

The competition in itself is nice to watch of course, but despite UEFA’s efforts to promote it, most players and fans still view it as a sort of semi-friendly tournament. Yet, it will be the occasion to see many great contenders for the World Cup title playing against each other. The physical intensity and mental pressure will be not at the same level as the Word Cup, but it will give previous indications at players and technical levels, and on the coaches tactical strategies. 

I’ve selected 3 games that you should watch. If these teams face again in the World Cup, you’ll have a head start to visualize how the game could unfold:

• June 02: Spain vs Portugal. Spain is the EURO 2020 semi-finalist. Portugal won the 2019 Nations League. These two teams tend to often draw when playing each other, it happened 9 times in their last 13 matches. It will be great to see what tactical plans the Portuguese coach Fernando Santos has in mind to make the best of Cristiano Ronaldo, a magnificent but aging player.

• June 06: Croatia vs France. This match opposes the winner of the 2018 World Cup to the finalist. France is very likely to be the 2022 World Cup favorite. This game will inform us on their general level against that same team they have beaten 4-2 to become World champions. The degree of form and talent displayed by the Croatians, and so their chances to surprise again in Qatar, will be also something to look at.

• June 07: Germany vs England. An all-time classic and the occasion for the German team to avenge the 2-0 loss they suffered against England in the EURO 2020 semi-final. With both teams playing such an advanced breed of football in recent years, the tactical battle between Joachim Löw and Gareth Southgate will be an excellent indication of the type of football we can expect to see at the World Cup.

Enjoy the matches and keep in mind that this UEFA League of Nations is happening only 5 months before the World Cup!