Nations League Guide: Spain favourites ahead of quarter-final knockout ties

• European champions Spain to follow up with Nations League success

• Winners of Italy v Germany to host Nations League finals

• Two-legged quarter-finals taking place this international break

The state of play in the Nations League 

You may have forgotten all about it, but the Nations League is back with an expanded finals section this year that involves eight teams taking part in four quarter-finals with the hope of making it through to the finals in Germany or Italy this summer.

The League A winners and runners-up face off in two-legged ties acros this international break, with extra-time and penalties scheduled after the second leg if they ended all square on aggregate.

The four winners then progress to the finals which will be held by the winner of the Italy v Germany quarter-final tie. The winners will get home advantage for the one-off semi-finals to be played on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June 2025.

Winners of those semis will play in the Nations League final on Sunday 8 June with losers contesting the third place play-off game earlier on the same date.

Nations League quarter-finals

First legs: Thursday 20 March
Italy vs Germany
Netherlands vs Spain
Croatia vs France
Denmark vs Portugal

Second legs: Sunday 23 March
Germany vs Italy
Spain vs Netherlands 
France vs Croatia 
Portugal vs Denmark 

Kick-off times all 19:45 GMT

Semi-final draw

Italy/Germany vs Denmark/Portugal
Netherlands/Spain vs Croatia/France

Nations League outright odds

• 3/14.00 - Spain
• 7/24.50 - Germany
• 4/15.00 - France
• 9/25.50 - Portugal
• 7/18.00 - Italy
• 12/113.00 - Netherlands
• 14/115.00 - Croatia
• 16/117.00 - Denmark

Italy vs Germany

Match Odds: Home 17/102.70 Draw 17/102.70 Away 17/102.70

Nothing between these two at the San Siro as the odds tell you. Italy finished second behind France in their group but lost just one game, but they've made the finals of the last two Nations League runnings.

Germany are unbeaten in the past six games against the Azzurri (W3 D3) although they've not won in Italy since 1986. Surprisingly this is the first time Germany have emerged from the Nations League group stages.

Julian Nagelsmann has them on a great run though and indeed their only loss in the last 15 games was against Spain in last year's Euros (W10 D4).   

Netherlands vs Spain

Match Odds: Home 2/13.00 Draw 2/13.00 Away 5/42.25

The defending Nations League and Euros champions Spain are favourites even in the hostile atmosphere of Feyenoord's De Kuip stadium, facing a Dutch side that finished second in the group stage behind Germany.

The Oranje have a good recent record agaonst Spain though with just one defeat in seven meetings (W3 D1) - even though that defeat was the 2010 World Cup final in extra-time.

Spain are on a remarkable run of form though as they're unbeaten in their last 21 competitive internationals, with just one 90-minute draw and two penalty shootout victories. Their last defeat remains their 2023 humbling at Hampden Park against Scotland. 

Croatia vs France

Match Odds: Home 11/43.75 Draw 2/13.00 Away [6/5

Croatia rather limped into these quarter-finals with just two points from their last three group games being just enough to get them through in second behind Portugal.

Zlatko Dalic's side did take four points off France when paired in the same Nations League group in 2022/23, where they made it all the way to the final before losing on penalties to Spain.

Didier Deschamps' Les Bleus won the Nations League in 2021 but failed to get out the group last year, so they're hoping their bounce back includes going all the way again.

Denmark vs Portugal

Match Odds: Home 2/13.00 Draw 13/82.63 Away 1/12.00

Denmark haven't won in four heading into their bid to make the Nations League finals for the first time, facing Portugal for the first time in a decade.

Portugal won the first Nations League title in 2019 and were unbeaten and impressive in their group (W4 D2) in what again could be a swansong for Cristiano Ronaldo although he shows no signs of calling it a day.

Ronaldo should make his 218th international appearance off the back of being the top scorer in League A of the Nations League with five.

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