Spain vs France
Spain are bidding to become the first-ever repeat champions in the UEFA Nations League. La Roja advanced to the semifinals by topping Group A4 in League A and beating the Netherlands in a thrilling quarterfinals tie.
Up next for Luis de la Fuente’s men are Didier Deschamps’ France, who also qualified for the semifinals by topping Group A2 in League A and defeating Croatia in the semifinals. Their Final Four match is this Thursday at MHPArena, home of Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart.
The winner of this tie will face the winner of the other semifinal contest between Germany and Portugal. Like Spain and France, Portugal also aim to win the UEFA Nations League trophy for the second time after doing it first in the inaugural 2018-19 campaign.
Learn more about these two proud countries via today’s SBOTOP match preview.
Talking Points
Spain’s kids will lead the way again
Luis de la Fuente is likely to maintain his core players during the March international break, with going young being the recurring theme. Unai Simon will man between the sticks, with Dean Huijsen, Robin Le Normand, Marc Cucurella, and Pedro Porro as the team’s back four. Pedri, Martin Zubimendi, and Dani Olmo will operate in the middle of the park. Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, and Alvaro Morata will handle the scoring duties in the final third.
Pau Cubarsi, Mikel Merino, Gavi, Fabian Ruiz, Alex Baena, David Raya, Alejandro Grimaldo, and Mikel Oyarzabal are going to be notable off-the-bench options. Meanwhile, Ferran Torres, Raul Asencio, Dani Carvajal, Marc Casado, and Rodri are left out of the roster.
All eyes are going to be on Lamine Yamal again, who is coming off a solid 2024-25 campaign with Barcelona. The 17-year-old was one of the Blaugrana’s most productive players, notching 14 goals and 16 assists. Yamal has since agreed on a new contract, which can be signed when he turns 18 next month.
Believe it or not, Yamal is one of the top candidates for this year’s Ballon d’Or award, and he can strengthen his case by guiding Luis de la Fuente’s side to another European trophy.
France are stacked up front
Les Bleus will be compromised at the back. France will miss the services of William Saliba, Jules Kounde, Ferland Mendy, and Eduardo Camavinga due to injuries. Meanwhile, they have called up Pierre Kalulu, Loic Bade, Rayan Cherki, Malo Gusto, and Lucas Chevalier.
The biggest task for Didier Deschamps is to find the right combination up front since they’re stacked with world-class attackers. Kylian Mbappe is a lock to start after winning the Pichichi trophy in his first full season with Real Madrid. Ousmane Dembele could join Mbappe in the final third after guiding PSG to their first Champions League title. Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram, Bradley Barcola, and Randal Kolo Muani are also viable options.
History
After going winless in the first three games under head coach Luis de la Fuente in the 2022-23 edition of the tournament, La Roja turned things around by topping Group A2, eventually defeating Italy and Croatia during the knockout phase. This was de la Fuente’s first major title with the national team.
France won the UEFA Nations League for the first time in 2020-21. Les Bleus dominated Group A3 and won against Italy and Spain in the knockout phase. Spain and France plan to become the first-ever two-time titlists in the UEFA Nations League.
Spain won 2-1 against France in their most recent encounter during Euro 2024, as Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo found the back of the net for La Roja to overturn a one-goal deficit created by Randal Kolo Muani in the ninth minute. Spain eventually won the showpiece European football competition, beating England 2-1 in the final.
Betting Tip
The UEFA Nations League 2025 odds expect an entertaining battle between La Roja and Les Bleus. As the defending champions, Spain have a slight edge at 2.38, whereas France aren’t far behind at 2.77, and a draw is at 2.93 in the 1X2 market.
Choosing between Spain and France is difficult because they are evenly matched on paper. However, we’re sure that football fans will get their fair share of UEFA Nations League 2025 highlights, hence our recommended bet. Over 2.00 at 1.68, Over 2.25 at 1.86, and Over 2.50 at 2.13 are also worth considering. Meanwhile, a Correct Score of 2-1 in favor of Spain – the result of their last meeting – could yield a robust payday of 9.20 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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