It can be said that Portugal had a good draw to define its destiny in the fourth edition of the Nations League, a competition it has already won. Thanks to Juan Mata, Roberto Martínez’s team was paired in Group 1 of League A with Croatia, Poland and Scotland.
The national team was in pot 2 in this draw in Paris and this condition could put it, for example, in the path of Spain, holder of the title. But he escaped the “sharks”. It will always be a difficult group – League A has the 16 best teams in Europe – but it won’t be as unpredictable as Group 2, which has Italy, Belgium, France and Israel.
With this grouping, Portugal will be favorite for one of the two places to qualify for the quarter-finals – this is one of the new features in this fourth edition of the competition, whereas in the previous three, only the first team from each group passed.
Shortly after the draw, speaking to Canal 11, Roberto Martínez drew brief portraits of Portugal’s three opponents in the competition: “Croatia was in the last final, we know what they did in the European and World Cups. Poland, with a striker, A striker like Lewandowski, he has the ability to score goals. Scotland has the best generation of the last 20 years – they returned to the European Championship and beat Spain. It’s an interesting draw for us.”
For the Spanish coach, there can be no talk of a friendly draw, nor of Portugal as favorites to qualify. “There are no nice draws. We want to grow. Our qualification for the European Championship was impeccable and we have to continue. There are no favorites.”
Before Portugal starts thinking about the Nations League, it still has a European Championship in Germany to compete in and it is in this competition, says Martínez, that the focus must be: “We are focused on the European Championship. We have the training camp in March, which is important to finalize the list. [A Liga das Nações] It is important for the future because we must always be at the best level in European football. We have a responsibility because Portugal is the first champion.”
This remodeled Nations League will only start next September, with the first two rounds. Then, there will be a double round in October and another in November to close the group stage. The quarter-finals will take place in March 2025, with the semi-finals and the final to be played in early June.
Croatia, the generation that resists
Croatia’s history with Luka Modric has been a beautiful story. Finalist in the 2018 World Cup, semi-finalist in the 2022 World Cup and finalist in the last edition of the Nations League. So much so that Zlatko Dalic is asking his “star” to postpone the end of his career with the national team.
We don’t know if the Real Madrid midfielder will be in the Croatian team when we reach the Nations League, but we know that, under normal conditions, he will be at the Euro in Germany, alongside his “old” journeymates Kovacevic, Brosovic, or Pasalic – we will see if Perisic, who suffered a serious injury at the beginning of the season, still returns. But Croatia is not just Modric and the other “old men”. There is goalkeeper Livakovic, central defender Gvardiol or former Benfica player Musa.
Is Poland just Lewandowski?
Fernando Santos felt firsthand the difficulties of guiding a team that continues to depend too much on Robert Lewandowski – the Portuguese coach only lasted six games in charge. There is still no guaranteed place in the Euro (it is in the play-off), after a group stage that bordered on disaster – when they fail to beat Moldova, that says a lot about Poland’s current level.
Still, he has a world-class goalscorer in Lewandowski, although this season at Barcelona has not been the best. And in Szczesny they have a high-quality goalkeeper. Milik is also a good player and Piatek has his days, Zielinski has lost his protagonism in Naples, but is still important in Poland. Apart from these names, Michal Probierz, Santos’ successor, doesn’t have much else to choose from.
Scotland “made in” Premier League
Is this the best generation of Scottish football in the last 20 years, as Roberto Martínez said? The proof is in what the team coached by Steve Clarke has done in recent years. He returned to the European Championship in 2020 after 24 years of absence, and repeated his presence by qualifying in a group that included Spain and Norway, in addition to gaining access to League A for the first time.
This is a selection “made” in the English Premier League (but not only), in which the biggest “star” will probably be Andy Robertson, Liverpool full-back. But there is also Scott McTominay, Manchester United midfielder, Scott McGinn, Aston Villa midfielder, or Kieran Tierney, defender on loan from Arsenal to Real Sociedad. More midfield talent behind, and without a world-class striker like Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law or Ally McCoist. But whoever has McTominay, who scored seven during qualifying, doesn’t need strikers.
Turn on the
Group 1
Croatia
Portugal
Poland
Scotland
Group 2
Italy
Belgium
France
Israel
Group 3
Netherlands
Hungary
Germany
Bosnia
Group 4
Spain
Denmark
Switzerland
Serbia
B League
Group 1
Czech Rep.
Ukraine
Albania
Georgia
Group 2
England
Finland
Rep. Ireland
Greece
Group 3
Austria
Norway
Slovenia
Kazakhstan
Group 4
Gales
Iceland
Montenegro
Türkiye
C League
Group 1
Sweden
Azerbaijan
Slovakia
Estonia
Group 2
Romania
Kosovo
Cyprus
Lithuania/Gibraltar
Group 3
Luxembourg
Bulgaria
northern Ireland
Belarus
Group 4
Armenia
Faroe Islands
Macedonia
Latvia
League D
Group 1
Lithuania/Gibraltar
San Marino
Liechtenstein
Group 2
Moldova
Malta
Andorra