UEFA Nations League returns to action this weekend with two headline fixtures: England vs Belgium and France vs Portugal
The next seven days will be all about the international break and with it comes the resumption of the UEFA Nations League. Two rounds have been played for the 2020-22 campaign, with the weekend ushering in another round of fixtures. Two games stand out above the rest, one being France vs Portugal.
ESPN and UniMás, alongside TUDN's several platforms, will bring the clash between the UEFA Nations League title-holders and the world champions to the screens in the US. This is one of the most exciting clashes for the ongoing international break as France and Portugal are two of the hottest nations in world football at the moment. Both sides won their opening two games in Group C of League A but it is Cristiano and Co. that sit in the top spot, having outscored their opponent by a goal and having conceded one less.
Form favors Deschamps' men as they boast a five-game winning streak. Portugal, meanwhile, have lost once and drawn once in their last six outings, the most recent being a goalless stalemate against Spain. However, that was a friendly. Expect Fernando Santos' side to pick it up a gear against Les Bleus. The other standout tie is England vs Belgium in what is a repeat of the 2018 FIFA World Cup third-place playoff match.
France head into this tie on the back of a 7-1 win over Ukraine
The Three Lions haven't begun the tournament well, narrowly beating Iceland 1-0 before drawing 0-0 with Denmark on Matchday 2. However, one thing going well for Gareth Southgate is the number of in-form Englishmen at his disposal. The likes of Jack Grealish, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Danny Ings have all been impressive lately and offer him different options for his lineup. This game will be aired live on ESPN+ as well as TUDN's many platforms for fans in the United States.
Should Calvert-Lewin lead the line vs Belgium?
Elsewhere, Italy and Netherlands will lock horns on Wednesday in another highly-anticipated UEFA Nations League tie. Frank De Boer kicked off his tenure with the Oranje with a 1-0 defeat to Mexico and will thus be keen on a victory over the Azzurri. Do not miss this showdown.
2022 World Cup qualifiers continue in CONMEBOL and Brazil and Colombia kick off campaign to qualify for Qatar
The 2022 World Cup qualifiers have kicked off in CONMEBOL, with the likes of Argentina and Uruguay earning crucial wins in the very first round of fixtures. Fellow South American powerhouses Brazil and Colombia get their campaigns underway on Friday as they take on Bolivia and Venezuela respectively.
The Selecao must win their opening fixture, which will be aired live on Fanatiz USA and FITE for the US audience. After witnessing La Albiceleste and La Celeste secure victories over Ecuador and Chile respectively, Tite's men must avoid an early slip-up. The five-time World Cup champions have won 21 of their 30 encounters with Bolivia, losing only five, and will thus be confident. It should be noted that Neymar could miss this fixture but Brazil did well in the recent Copa America in his absence, lifting the coveted trophy. As for Colombia, they will be led by an in-form James Rodriguez as they aim to kick things off with a win, which would be crucial, as their next qualifier is a tricky trip to Chile. Alexis Sanchez and Co. suffered defeat to Uruguay in their opening game and will strive to bounce back when they welcome Los Cafeteros on Tuesday.
Messi celebrates his winning goal vs Ecuador
Messi and Co. will return to action on Tuesday as well when they take on Bolivia. Their 1-0 victory over Ecuador was a hard-fought one but Scaloni should be hopeful of a more commanding performance next time around. Leo scored the only goal of that game and will look to continue this when they visit La Verde. This match will also be broadcasted live by FITE and Fanatiz USA for fans in the United States.
Top headlines from the world of football
EPL giants Chelsea and Arsenal suffer international break scare as Mendy and Aubameyang pick up knocks
The international break is always a worrisome moment for club managers as key players tend to succumb to injury while on international duty. Two players who have now picked up knocks with their national teams are Edouard Mendy and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, suffering a thigh injury and an ankle sprain respectively. For Arsenal, it does not appear to be serious as their captain should be available once the league resumes. However, uncertainty lingers over the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Mendy suffers injury while on international duty
Suarez opens up about his treatment at Barcelona before his Atletico switch
Luis Suarez has opened up about his treatment at Barcelona in his final months at the club, revealing more about the heartbreak he suffered after being forced out of the Camp Nou. Additionally, he spoke about Lionel Messi after the Blaugrana captain blasted the Catalan giants for their treatment of their third all-time leading goalscorer.
"I was not surprised about Messi because I know him too well, I knew the pain he felt, as I did," Suarez said after Uruguay's win over Chile.
He later added: "Those kinds of things made me bad and my family saw me affected, so they encouraged me to take the opportunity. When Atletico came looking for me, I didn't hesitate for a single moment."
Top 16 live matches to watch on October 9-15, 2020
Friday, October 9
7:30 PM ET
Colombia vs Venezuela (World Cup Qualifying)
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8:30 PM ET
Brazil vs Bolivia (World Cup Qualifying)
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Saturday, October 10
2:45 PM ET
Spain vs Switzerland (UEFA Nations League)
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2:45 PM ET
Ukraine vs Germany (UEFA Nations League)
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Sunday, October 11
12:00 PM ET
England vs Belgium (UEFA Nations League)
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2:45 PM ET
France vs Portugal (UEFA Nations League)
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Tuesday, October 13
2:45 PM ET
Germany vs Switzerland (UEFA Nations League)
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2:45 PM ET
Ukraine vs Spain (UEFA Nations League)
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4:00 PM ET
Bolivia vs Argentina (World Cup Qualifying)
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5:00 PM ET
Ecuador vs Uruguay (World Cup Qualifying)
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8:00 PM ET
Peru vs Brazil (World Cup Qualifying)
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8:30 PM ET
Chile vs Colombia (World Cup Qualifying)
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Chile 2 - 2 Colombia
October 13, 2020 8:30pmEstadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos (Santiago de Chile)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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Wednesday, October 14
2:45 PM ET
Croatia vs France (UEFA Nations League)
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2:45 PM ET
Portugal vs Sweden (UEFA Nations League)
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2:45 PM ET
Italy vs Netherlands (UEFA Nations League)
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Thursday, October 15
2:45 PM ET
Düren Merzenich vs Bayern München (DFB Pokal)
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