The 2024-25 UEFA Nations League’s League A Group 1 concludes with a high-stakes encounter between Croatia and Portugal at Stadion Poljud in Split on Monday evening. While Portugal has already secured their spot in the quarter-finals as group winners, Croatia needs at least a draw to confirm their place in the knockout stages.At 39, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to defy age and expectations. The Portuguese superstar scored twice, including a stunning overhead kick, during his side’s emphatic 5-1 victory over Poland on Friday. This marked Ronaldo’s 132nd international win, surpassing Sergio Ramos as the male player with the most wins on the global stage. Goals from Rafael Leão, Bruno Fernandes, and Pedro Neto completed the rout, though Dominik Marczuk spoiled Portugal’s clean sheet late on.Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez likely won’t dwell on the defensive lapse, as his side has dominated the group. Aside from a draw with Scotland, the Selecao have been nearly flawless, losing only once in their last 10 Nations League away games — a defeat to Switzerland in June 2022. Furthermore, Portugal has not conceded more than one goal in any match since June 2023.🇭🇷 Croatia 🆚 Portugal 🇵🇹We’ll never get tired of seeing these two share a pitch 🥹 pic.twitter.com/KCAdl5ot1w— OneFootball (@OneFootball) November 18, 2024 Croatia’s form has been less consistent. Zlatko Dalic’s men, who began the Nations League campaign with promise, suffered a setback in their last match, losing 1-0 to Scotland after John McGinn’s decisive goal in the 85th minute. Despite this, Croatia remains three points clear of both Scotland and Poland. Their head-to-head advantage over Poland ensures they cannot be relegated, and a point on Monday will secure their place in the next stage.Croatia could still advance regardless of their result if Poland fails to beat Scotland or if the other Group 1 match ends in a draw. However, history is not on their side, as they have lost seven of their nine previous encounters with Portugal. September’s defeat to the Selecao marked their seventh loss, although Croatia did manage a 2-1 friendly win over Portugal earlier in the year.With top spot secured, Martinez has opted to rest several key players, including Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes (suspended for Monday), and Pedro Neto. In their absence, Fabio Silva and highly-rated Sporting Lisbon full-back Geovany Quenda have been promoted from the U21 squad, while Tiago Djalo may also feature. Martinez is expected to rotate heavily, with Joao Felix, Joao Cancelo, and Vitinha likely to start, and Rui Silva or Jose Sa set to challenge Diogo Costa for the goalkeeper position.Croatia faces its own squad adjustments. Playmaker Petar Sucic is suspended after his red card against Scotland, and either Mario Pasalic or Nikola Vlasic will likely step in. On a positive note, Ante Budimir and goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic return from suspension, with Livakovic set to reclaim his starting spot. Meanwhile, Andrej Kramaric is expected to retain his role up front, while injury concerns over Kristijan Jakic may force Marin Pongracic to fill in at right-back.With the stakes high for Croatia and a rotated Portugal lineup, the showdown promises to deliver plenty of drama as the group stage draws to a close.Nations League: Rabiot and Digne stun Italy as France win group against oddsElsewhere, Spain will wrap up their Group 4 campaign in League A of the UEFA Nations League on Monday evening, hosting Switzerland in a match with little at stake for either side. The reigning champions have already secured top spot and a place in the quarter-finals, while Switzerland’s relegation to League B has been confirmed following a disappointing run that left them with just two points from five matches.Despite not being at their best on Friday, Spain secured a 2-1 victory over Denmark in Copenhagen, thanks to goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Ayoze Pérez. This result extended Spain’s unbeaten run in the group and brought their tally to 13 points, six clear of second-placed Denmark. While the outcome won’t impact their standings, La Roja will aim to maintain momentum and end the group stage on a high.Spain’s dominance in Group 4 is reflected in their numbers: 10 goals scored and only two conceded across five matches. They are on a four-game winning streak, with their sole blemish being a draw against Serbia in their opening fixture. As reigning Nations League and European champions — having overcome Croatia in the 2022-23 Nations League final and England in the Euro 2024 decider — Spain hasn’t lost a competitive match since March 2023.For Switzerland, the campaign has been a struggle from start to finish. Murat Yakin’s team suffered defeats in their first three matches against Denmark, Spain, and Serbia before managing draws in their last two games. Their 1-1 stalemate with Serbia on Friday, where Zeki Amdouni scored before Aleksa Terzić equalized late, sealed their fate at the bottom of the group. Switzerland’s last victory in any competition came against Italy in the recent European Championship’s round of 16, a win that now feels like a distant memory.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Historically, Switzerland has rarely fared well against Spain, beating La Roja only twice, most memorably in their shock 1-0 victory at the 2010 World Cup. They also defeated Spain during the 2022-23 Nations League campaign. However, Spain prevailed 4-1 in their earlier Group 4 meeting this season, underscoring Switzerland’s underwhelming performance in the current edition.Spain has made several squad adjustments ahead of the game. Martin Zubimendi, Álex Baena, and Oyarzabal have been released, with the latter suspended regardless. Atlético Madrid’s Pablo Barrios has received a call-up and could make his debut. Pau Cubarsí, Bryan Gil, and Bryan Zaragoza — omitted from the Denmark match — are available for selection, as head coach Luis de la Fuente plans to rotate heavily. Alvaro Morata and Nico Williams are expected to return to the starting lineup, while in-form forward Samu Omorodion, who has 12 goals in 13 appearances for Porto this season, is likely to feature at some point.For Switzerland, Yakin is also expected to shuffle his squad. Players such as Dereck Kutesa, Joel Monteiro, and Andi Zeqiri could start, while regulars like Granit Xhaka and Manuel Akanji are likely to feature to provide stability. Breel Embolo, the team’s top scorer with 15 goals, may begin on the bench as Yakin looks to offer opportunities to other players.Though the match carries no major stakes, Switzerland will aim to end their dismal campaign on a positive note, while Spain will look to further underline their dominance as they prepare for the Nations League knockout rounds.🔷 Nations League – Quarterfinals:📈 Seeded on the Draw:🇵🇹 Portugal🇫🇷 France🇩🇪 Germany🇪🇸 Spain📉 Unseeded on the Draw:🇮🇹 Italy🇳🇱 Netherlands🇭🇷 Croatia or 🏴 Scotland 🇩🇰 Denmark or 🇷🇸 Serbia pic.twitter.com/trahD4bDBv— Football Rankings (@FootRankings) November 17, 2024 UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE (A)Monday22:45: (2.70) Croatia (3.30) Portugal (2.85)22:45: (2.40) Poland (3.45) Scotland (3.15)22:45: (2.70) Serbia (3.20) Denmark (2.90)22:45: (1.43) Spain (4.50) Switzerland (7.50)Tuesday22:45: (10.5) B&H (5.70) Netherlands (1.33)22:45: (6.75) Hungary (4.40) Germany (1.53)***odds are subject to change***
