UEFA Nations League Predictions > Sep 21st - 27th

[StevieDay1983]

Check out the odds for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches during this next window of the competition. I'll get a few previews up before I head out to Brussels for the Belgium versus Wales game later this week. Looking forward to it! Got a feeling Wales are going to suffer a pasting given our long list of absentees!  Give us your predictions below! 

[ALEXXXXXXXX]

Scotland FC vs Ukraine FC

With one point separating them, the two teams are vying for first place. Since Ukraine had the psychological advantage because they defeated Scotland 1-3 in their previous match, it is expected that Ukraine will triumph once more.

Ukraine @3.2

[StevieDay1983]

Scotland vs Ukraine

The UEFA Nations League is back this week and the first preview is the clash between League B Group 1 rivals Scotland and Ukraine in a 7:45pm BST kick-off on Wednesday night from Hampden Park. These two teams are yet to meet in this edition of this competition but both are vying for that top spot and promotion to League A. Can either team get the win to boost their hopes?

Scotland fans will still be suffering heartache after their World Cup play-off semi-final 3-1 home defeat to Ukraine back in June but this is a chance for revenge on the besieged nation. It's been a mixed bag of results since that demoralising loss with Steve Clarke's men seeing a 3-0 loss away to Republic of Ireland sandwiched by a 2-0 home win over Armenia and a 4-1 away victory over a 10-man Armenia. The loss to Ukraine earlier this year was a single defeat from their last 6 home matches. The Tartan Army have a strong squad available for this game and will be hoping they can get a win to leapfrog Ukraine at the top of the group heading into the final 2 group games.

Ukraine will also be licking their wounds after the 1-0 loss to Wales in the World Cup play-off final but as the war at home shows a morale-boosting shift in momentum there is an enthusiasm to transfer that momentum onto the pitch. Head coach OIeksandr Petrakov has seen his team lose just 1 of their last 15 matches and it just so happens that Wales games was that single defeat. It's been two wins and a draw in the UEFA Nations League since then with the team topping the group and 1 point ahead of their opponents for this game. The Blue and Yellow have won 5 of their last 7 away games so will be full of confidence heading into this game after winning 3-1 on their last visit to this venue just under 4 months ago.

It's probably fair to say that if Ukraine manage to take all 3 points here then they should go on to seal promotion to League A. There is no denying that this Ukrainian team are a dangerous unit right now and still play with the passion and patriotism that is heightened by events on the home front. Scotland feel like a team that might well have gone past their peak with Clarke now. There have been worrying signs in the previous matches in this competition and even though the reaction to the hammering at the hands of Republic of Ireland was positive against Armenia, it was a result gifted to them by ill-discipline by their opposition. I feel that Ukraine will take at least a draw here but fancy them for the win.

Ukraine Draw No Bet @ 2.02 with Unibet

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.62 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Belgium vs Wales

Two teams that have become very familiar with each other over the last decade meet once again in this League A Group 4 clash between Belgium and Wales in a 7:45pm BST kick-off on Thursday night from the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. The home team need a win to keep up the pressure on group leaders Netherlands where as the visitors need a victory to simply keep their realistic survival hopes in top league alive.

Belgium remain one of the top ranked teams in world football but there's still the feeling they are not fulfilling their potential under the management of head coach Roberto Martinez. Failure to deliver glory at the European Championship last summer saw another major tournament pass this golden generation by and the fact they are 2nd in this group having dropped points in 50% of their matches so far suggests things aren't getting any better. The Red Devils started the campaign with a shocking 4-1 loss at home to Netherlands but it's been 3 matches without defeat since. The 6-1 win over Poland in their second group game showed what this squad is capable of but they have largely flattered to deceive. Madness when you think that this current squad includes the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Axel Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Youri Tielemans. Romelu Lukaku is a stand-out absentee through injury.

Wales are still celebrating the fact that they'll be appearing in their first World Cup since 1958 after beating Ukraine 1-0 in the play-off final back in June but the team has still delivered a number of assured displays in this League A group with the results just failing to match what the performances warranted. Robert Page earned a contract extension earlier this month but he has a number of selection issues ahead of this window with his injury list including Aaron Ramsey, Ben Davies, Joe Allen, Harry Wilson, and David Brooks. Gareth Bale has also been confirmed as a likely doubt. The Dragons come into this game bottom of the group with just 1 point from their 4 matches so far but they have lost 3 games all by a single goal with the team conceding after the 85th minute in all three of those losses. So near, yet so far.

The Welsh still fondly remember the historic 3-1 win over Belgium at the 2016 European Championship Quarter-Final and it's been just 1 win for Belgium in the last 7 meetings but this is a Belgium side that have only lost 1 home game since 2009 and have won 4 of their last 6 matches in all competitions. Wales are very threadbare and even though no matter what starting XI Page seems to send out they put in a performance full of effort and courage it just feels like the quality is lacking. This could be the game where Belgium dish out a bit of a hiding. I'm heading out to Brussels for this one on the day of the game and I'm just focusing on where the best places to drown my sorrows in Brussels will be!  

Belgium HT/FT @ 2.10 with Sporting Index

Belgium -1 @ 2.10 with Betfred

 

[StevieDay1983]

Italy vs England

The focus of attention turns to League A Group 3 on Friday night when European football giants Italy and England go head-to-head in a 7:45pm BST clash at the San Siro in Milan. These two nations are in a battle for their lives to avoid relegation to League B but the pressure is certainly more on the away team to get a win than the home side. Which way will this one go?

Italy were kings of Europe just over a year ago as they stormed to the European Championship crown but it's not all been plain sailing since then. Head coach Roberto Mancini has witnessed his team slip into a spell of inconsistency since their major tournament win with the team winning just 4 of their 14 matches played since that victory on penalties at Wembley against England. The Azzurri are 3rd in this group having managed just 1 win from their 4 group games thus far. It's also just 1 win from their last 4 home matches played which is disappointing form for a team that prided itself on their home record not so long ago. It will also be a concern for Mancini that his team have conceded 7 goals in their UEFA Nations League matches so far.

England know that nothing less than a win here will do. It's been a very poor UEFA Nations League campaign for Gareth Southgate's men so far. The Three Lions sit bottom of the group with just 2 points from their 4 group games. They are 3 points adrift of their opponents who occupy 3rd position so even a draw would be problematic due to England's inferior goal difference. It's 4 matches without a win for England and the team have failed to even score in 3 of those games. The last outing was a terrible 4-0 home defeat to Hungary. It's a big slump in form for a team that stormed to the European Championship final in 2021 and to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018. If England fail to win this one then it piles a lot of pressure on Southgate to deliver at the World Cup this winter.

It's just 1 win from the last 10 meetings for England against Italy and that record is even worse across competitive action with the English not beating the Italians in competitive games since a 2-0 win in the 1978 World Cup qualification campaign. England haven't experienced a win on Italian soil, even taking friendlies into consideration, since 1961 when a Gerry Hitchens brace and a goal from Jimmy Greaves helped them to a 3-2 friendly win. Both teams come into this game out of sorts and I'm not sure I can separate them. I wouldn't be surprised if they played out a bore draw that emanates a total lack of self confidence from both sides.

Draw @ 3.30 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.67 with William Hill 

[harry_rag]

On 9/20/2022 at 4:11 PM, StevieDay1983 said:

It's just 1 win from the last 10 meetings for England against Italy and that record is even worse across competitive action with the English not beating the Italians in competitive games since a 2-0 win in the 1978 World Cup qualification campaign. England haven't experienced a win on Italian soil, even taking friendlies into consideration, since 1961 when a Gerry Hitchens brace and a goal from Jimmy Greaves helped them to a 3-2 friendly win. Both teams come into this game out of sorts and I'm not sure I can separate them. I wouldn't be surprised if they played out a bore draw that emanates a total lack of self confidence from both sides.

Draw @ 3.30 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.67 with William Hill 

I wouldn't put anything approaching the mortgage on it but might as well take the evens Hills offer for England to score to the allowed tenner. Definitely value but not a shock if it loses.

Also can't pass up Kane to score at 4.2 on BF, if only for the sheer novelty of getting such inflated odds about him. Would've been a system bet for me at 3.25 or better but for the change I decided on yesterday.

[vikki37]

England dropping down to League B??