Last season's runners-up kick off the new campaign with a clash against Cristiano and Co. in what should be a thrilling 90 minutes of football.

Preview

The 2022/23 UEFA Nations League campaign has gotten underway, with two of the favorites for the title set to lock horns in a highly-anticipated Thursday showdown. They are Spain and Portugal, two of the biggest footballing nations in Europe, as they prepare to face off at the Estadio Benito Villamarín.

La Furia Roja could not ask for a better test in their opening game of the new UEFA Nations League season. Luis Enrique's side, who have turned a corner since his appointment, have one eye on the FIFA World Cup but will look to go a step further in this competition, having suffered heartbreak in the recent edition.

The three-time European champions nearly got their hands on the Nations League title last year, with Ferran Torres and Co. going all the way to the final in the second edition of this competition. The Spaniards beat out Germany and Switzerland in their group to make the knockout round before ending Italy's record unbeaten run in the semifinals to book a showdown with France in the ultimate game.

Oyarzabal gave La Furia Roja the lead in and around the hour mark, but unfortunately for them, Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe stole the show from then on, with the Real Madrid and PSG superstars scoring a goal each in the final 25 minutes to pull off a comeback victory for Les Bleus.

Will Enrique get his hands on the trophy this time around? They will first have to overcome tough opposition before making the finals, with Portugal, Czech Republic, and Switzerland standing in their way in Group B. The 2010 World Cup winners will face Czech Republic twice and Switzerland once this month after their showdown with Fernando Santos' men, which will also be the perfect preparation for Qatar 2022 later this year.

The home side have suffered three defeats in their last 13 games, one of which was their Euro 2020 semifinal loss on penalties to Italy. As mentioned earlier, one was the UEFA Nations League final against France while the other was a World Cup qualifier against Sweden, who pushed the Spaniards all the way in the race to make it to Qatar. Nonetheless, it was the nation of tiki-taka football that ultimately qualified, beating out the Scandinavians on the final day to make it to the FIFA World Cup group stage, where they will face Germany, Japan, and one of Costa Rica and New Zealand.

Portugal, on the other hand, had a tougher path to Qatar 2022. The Euro 2016 winners were destined for automatic qualification up until the final day when Serbia beat Cristiano and Co. 2-1 to steal that ticket. As a result, Fernando Santos' side dropped into the playoffs, with many calling for the manager to be sacked as a result.

Once the draw was held, things appeared gloomy for A Seleção as they were placed in the same Path as Italy. However, the Azzurri never made it past North Macedonia, meaning Portugal were awarded a better route to Qatar 2022, which they seized, than initially expected.

However, their campaign in the recent edition of the UEFA Nations League did not go down well. Portugal, who won the inaugural title, failed to top their group in 2020/21, instead losing out to World Cup holders France by three points. As a result, they could only watch on as Les Bleus snatched the trophy away from them.

However, FIFA's eighth highest-ranked country remains one of the most blessed nations in the beautiful game as the likes of Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Renato Sanches, Joao Felix, and Diogo Jota look to aid the legendary Cristiano in their title hunt. Beating Spain would be the best possible start to this campaign, and with Qatar 2022 fast approaching, it is a necessity for anyone hoping to lift FIFA's prestigious trophy this winter.

Team news

Spain: Enrique has a few notable absentees as Man City defender Aymeric Laporte and Barcelona wonderkid Pedri are both injured. This means Eric Garcia could start alongside Pau Torres while Gavi could get another nod. Unai Simon remains the preferred keeper while Brighton's Robert Sanchez and Brentford's David Raya continue to keep David de Gea out of the national team.

Portugal: Just as Spain are missing a Man City center-back, so are Santos' side, as Ruben Dias remains sidelined, meaning Danilo could start alongside Pepe. Cristiano Ronaldo is unlikely to be rested as this is a crucial competitive match, with Diogo Jota hoping to play alongside the 37-year-old after being benched for the UEFA Champions League final.

Key stats

  • The last three clashes between Spain and Portugal have all ended in draws.

  • Nonetheless, La Furia Roja boast the superior head-to-head record, winning 17 out of their 38 encounters while losing only six.

  • Enrique's men have won their last four games across all competitions in a row.

  • A Seleção, on the other hand, have triumphed in seven out of their last nine outings.

Broadcast listings

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Spain 1 - 1 Portugal

June 2, 2022 2:45pmEstadio Benito Villamarín (Sevilla)

This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.

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