Alba’s return for Spain fortifies title ambition
June 14 – Spain oozed confidence ahead of their semi-final against Italy with Champions League winner Rodri reinforcing the squad and Jordi Alba returning.
UEFA Nations League
Netherlands chase home title, Croatia hunt first major championship
By Samindra Kunti in Rotterdam
June 13 – On Wednesday, hosts the Netherlands will take on Croatia in the first semi-final of the Nations League Final Four,.
Modric ready for more Croatian big nights but Real Madrid future in the balance
June 13 – Luka Modric, the 37-year-old Croatian footballer, has expressed his commitment to continue playing for Croatia as long as he remains valuable to the team. His future at Real Madrid remains up in the air.
Van Dijk says he is fit and ready as Dutch confident ahead of Nations League opener
June 13 – Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk has dismissed fitness concerns ahead of the Nations League final four as the Dutch go in search of a first international prize since Euro 88.
Netherlands
How they qualified
The Dutch topped Group 4 in the A-League with sixteen points, outplaying neighbours Belgium as well as World Cup finalists Wales and Poland. Oranje showcased their dominance with a commanding 4-1 victory over Belgium, revealing the vulnerabilities of the Red Devils, who subsequently struggled in the World Cup. However, they laboured to a 1-1 draw against Poland, but, ultimately, the Dutch secured their place in the Final Four with a 1-0 triumph over Belgium in Amsterdam.
Croatia
How they qualified
The Croatians did not qualify the easy way for the finals. In a tough group, they struggled with an opening defeat at home to Austria, 3-0. A 1-1 draw with France kept the East Europeans in the race and with perseverance two wins against Denmark as well as a victory in Paris proved to be decisive. They edged the team of Kasper Hjulmand Danish team for the top spot by a single point.
Spain
How they qualified
Like the other finalists, Spain were inconsistent in the group stage with a home defeat to Switzerland and a draw against the Czech Republic. Alvaro Morata got his team across the finish line with a late strike in a 1-0 win away to Portugal.
Tournament record
Spain didn’t make the finals in 2019, finishing runners-up behind England in their group, but they came close in the last edition.
Italy
How they qualified
En route to the Netherlands, they were beaten 5-2 by Germany, but Roberto Mancini’s came good with back-to-back wins against England and Hungary to top Group 3 on 11 points, one more than the Eastern Europeans.
Tournament record
Italy staged the last edition of the final four in Torino and Milano and suffered defeat at the hands of Spain in the semi-finals 2-1.