2020/21 UEFA Nations League

[HajdukSplit]

Italy will be the hosts of the Final Four with Milan and Turin as the venues, the draw will be on December 3, interestingly all four teams are completely new compared to the last edition. There are also "playouts" to determine the two teams getting relegated to League D (Moldova vs. Kazakhstan and Estonia vs. Cyprus, two leg matches, losers of the tie relegate). There is still a question for one relegated team from League A, doesn't appear Switzerland-Ukraine will be made up, the match will likely be awarded to one of these teams, however there is some controversy, Ukraine was willing to play despite all their absences and had the 13 players required by UEFA while Swiss government forced the match to be cancelled, I fear politics will be involved with this especially with the nations involved

Anyway...

League A
Final Four: Italy, Belgium, France, Spain
Relegated to B: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iceland, Sweden, Switzerland/Ukraine

League B
Promoted to A: Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Wales
Relegated to C: Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Turkey, Bulgaria

League C
Promoted to B: Montenegro, Armenia, Albania, Slovenia
Relegated to D: Moldova/Kazakhstan, Estonia/Cyprus

League D
Promoted to C: Faroe Islands, Gibraltar

 

[cgf]

Austria's talent pool is really interesting, but I feel like they are so unique that they'd need a club schedule for any coach to be able to make proper use of them. Laimer, Sabitzer & Alaba are three of the most unique players around and two of their top young talents are showing some excellent versatility this season; Baumgartner featuring for Hoffenheim as an attacker as well as as a wingback & Wolf getting in all across Gladbach's front 4.

If their young defenders & Demir came through that could be a really interesting club team.

 

[Name Nameless]

Austria's talent pool is really interesting, but I feel like they are so unique that they'd need a club schedule for any coach to be able to make proper use of them. Laimer, Sabitzer & Alaba are three of the most unique players around and two of their top young talents are showing some excellent versatility this season; Baumgartner featuring for Hoffenheim as an attacker as well as as a wingback & Wolf getting in all across Gladbach's front 4.

If their young defenders & Demir came through that could be a really interesting club team.

Also, Austria only managed to be promoted due to covid-luck. Wasn't very impressed with them against Norway. They had a lucky game against Norway in Norway, and now Norway had to win 2-0, so kept on attacking on 1-0, making it 1-1.

 

[czechcanadian]

Czechs end up winning the group, which is kind of crazy with effectively tossing a game against Scotland with a Covid "C" team.

Israel avoids relegation, which you can argue was the worst result, given that dropping a league would give them a great avenue for the Euros.

Czechs dropped 2 games to Scotland. 1st one being a C team and the second a B team for the most part.

 

[Savi]

SF draw: Belgium V France, Italy v Spain

 

[N o o d l e s]

Was looking for this thread since it really is the next chance we have to hopefully see some quality international football (Olympics excluded).

Really interested to see how these semis plays out now with what happened in the Euros. Italy-Spain again after that awesome game a few weeks ago and on the other side two teams who had a massively disappointing Euro.

I think the Euro results make these games better quality.

 

[koyvoo]

Italy vs Spain later on today. France vs Belgium tomorrow.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

SA qualifiers .

Yeah thats the only footy that matters.

 

[Savi]

Gavi starting for Spain. That's crazy

 

[KlausJopling]

Post saved Italy from being down 2.

 

[Savi]

That cross from Oyarzabal was fantastic

 

[KlausJopling]

Bonucci off for a 2nd yellow. Italy was just starting to look better.

 

[cgf]

That was pretty.

 

[KlausJopling]

This game is over. Before going down a man I was disappointed in Italy for going up against Alonso and Azpilcueta as full backs in a back 4 and never really challenging them. Not sure if an area of the field where Spain hasn’t been winning the battle.

 

[cgf]

Gavi starting for Spain. That's crazy

Spanish-Rhein is legit. He & Pedri are going to be a lot of fun to watch together...at least for neutrals lol

 

[Brunkmeister]

La Liga are a shambles at the moment, but here we are with Spain being 2-0 up away against the European champions.

With that said, the EPL-players did everything in the first half.

 

[Savi]

Busquets and Gavi are getting overrun when coached by Koeman yet Luis Enrique has them dominating a Verratti-led Italian midfield

 

[spintheblackcircle]

 

[cgf]

Man, he's just on a roll.

 

[Evilo]

He's doing what Milan fans are expecting to.

 

[KlausJopling]

Amazing save by Lloris

 

[KlausJopling]

Belgium up 2. They’ve had all of the ball for the last 15 minutes. Great goal by Lukaku

 

[Evilo]

Or terrible goaltending. Never should be beaten on that Lukaku shot in that angle.
Carrasco goal is difference because Pavard sucked as usual.

I'd be fine with a loss, and hopefully a HUGE one. Like a 5-0 thrashing or something. Some things need to change and DD making minor changes isn't going to cut it in the next WC. This could be a wake up call, so yes please.
Bye bye to Pavard, Lucas and co. We have better options.

 

[Live in the Now]

It has been time to replace Lloris with Maignan. No real surprise there.

 

[Savi]

Neither team are playing very well, we've got plenty of possession but a lot of that is horizontal instead of vertical. Hazard still looks washed, Witsel has been nonchalant and Lukaku apart from his goal is having trouble with the ball again. However 2 goals on about 3 chances is pretty damn efficient and it could have easily been 3 because that Lloris save on KDB was world class.

France..I just don't understand the tactics, then again I almost never do with them.