The Schedule for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals
The first semi-final match will be played on the 14th of June at 20:45 Central European Time. It will feature the host nation Netherlands play against Croatia. The second semi-final match will be played on the 15th of June at 20:45 CET between Spain and Italy.
The losers of the semi-final matches will play against each other in the third-place play-off three days later on the 18th of June. The match is scheduled to play at 15:00 CET.
The two semi-final winners will face off in the final on the 18th of June at 20:45 CET. It will see one of the national teams crowned as the winner of the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League.
The Venues for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals
The Netherlands will host the Nations League for the first time in their history. The two grounds that have been selected are De Kuip and De Grolsh Veste.
De Kuip
De Kuip, also known as Stadion Feijenoord, is the official stadium of Feyenoord Rotterdam. It is located in Rotterdam and has a capacity of 51,117. The semi-final match between the Netherlands and Croatia will be played at De Kuip. The final will also play at the venue.
De Grolsh Veste
De Grolsh Veste, also known as the Arke Stadion, is the official grounds of FC Twente. It is located in Enschede and has a capacity of 30,205. The second semi-final match between Spain and Italy will be played at the stadium. It will also host of the third-place play-off match.
2023 UEFA Nations League Finals Predictions
The four teams to compete in the UEFA Nations League Finals all have a great chance of winning the competition. Regardless of which team wins the tournament, it will be a first-time winner as none of these teams have won the previous editions. However, three of the four teams have come close, having previously qualified through the group stage.
The Netherlands
Although it is a close call, the bookies have branded the Netherlands as the marginal favourites to win the 2023 UEFA Nations League. Perhaps the reasoning behind this is that the Netherlands is the host country. Alternatively, it may have something to do with the fact that the Netherlands was the most successful team in the group phase, winning five of their six matches and drawing once.
The Netherlands, also known as ‘Oranje’, could become the second host nation to win the UEFA Nations League. In 2019, Portugal hosted the Finals and managed to win the competition. The Portuguese national team defeated the Netherlands in the final. This meant that the Netherlands would finish as runner-up in the first edition of the competition.
Four years on, the Netherlands find themselves one win away from reaching the final for the second time. In recent years, Oranje have performed well at international tournaments. The Dutch national team finished as runner-up in the 2010 World Cup, third place at the 2014 World Cup, runner-up at the 2019 UEFA Nations League and eliminated in the quarterfinals at last year’s 2022 Qatar World Cup. The team had come back from 2-0 down to take the quarterfinals clash with Argentina to penalties. Unfortunately for Oranje, they could not defeat the champions-elect on penalties.
Spain
Many bookies believe Spain have the next best chance of winning the UEFA Nations League. The Spanish side qualified to the Finals by defeating Portugal in their final group stage match, courtesy of an 88th minute winner from Álvaro Morata. The qualification to the latter stages of the tournament represents the second time Spain have reached this stage, having qualified in the 2020-2021 season.
Spain, or more colloquially known as ‘La Roja’, have reached the UEFA Nations League final before. Much like the Netherlands, they were defeated in the final of the competition. In the 2021 UEFA Nations League final in the San Siro stadium, Spain took the lead against 2018 World Cup winners, France. However, the French national team scored two unanswered goals to win the match 2-1. The result meant Spain missed out on winning silverware for the first time since their 2012 Euros triumph.
In recent years, La Roja have not yet replicated the same success as they previously displayed between 2008 and 2012. Their most recent World Cup campaigns in 2018 and 2022 saw the Spanish side dumped out of the tournament in the Round of 16. The 2023 UEFA Nations League may be one of La Roja’s best chances of winning a trophy for the first time in ages, having come close only during the 2021 edition of the tournament.
Italy
The third favourite to win the UEFA Nations League is 2021 Euros winners, Italy. The Italian national team were unfortunate to miss out on the 2021 UEFA Nations League, particularly as they were the host nation for the tournament. They were defeated by Spain at the San Siro Stadium, before winning the third-place play-off against Belgium in Turin. The semi-final clash in Enschede will be a third semi-final match between Spain and Italy in three years.
Italy, or more locally known as ‘Azzurri’, have a chance of revenge against the Spanish side in a repeat of the semi-final that took place two years before. A few months before, Italy played against Spain in the semi-finals phase of the 2021 Euros, defeating La Roja on penalties. In the Euros final, Italy again won on penalties after drawing 1-1 with England after 120 minutes.
If Italy manage to take the match between Spain to penalties, history suggests Azzurri will come out on top. The Italian national side has a mix of hungry young talent and more experienced veterans. We may also see their star player, Gianluigi Donnarumma produce magnificent saves to secure a spot in the final for the Italian national team.
Croatia
Making a first ever appearance in the UEFA Nations League Finals, Croatia is the dark horse of the competition that could cause upsets all-round. The Croatian national team secured a spot in the Finals, defeating defending champions France in the group stage and amass a total of 13 points.
Croatia, locally known as ‘Vatreni’, have arguably been the most successful team of the four, despite not winning a trophy. The Croatian national team reached the World Cup final in 2018 and finished third place at last year’s 2022 World Cup. Vatreni are unfortunate not to have any silverware to their name but could potentially change that in the Netherlands. The Croatian team won all of their away matches, including impressive wins over 2018 World Cup champions France and 2021 Euros semi-finalists Denmark. At 37 years of age, captain Luka Modrić could be the key for Croatia to achieve history at the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals.
Top Players to Watch
Memphis Depay– Memphis Depay finished the Nations League group stage as the joint-top scorer with three goals. He has 44 international goals in 88 appearances for the Netherlands. Depay is one of the most influential players on the pitch whenever the Netherlands play.
Gavi– Gavi is FC Barcelona’s prodigy and could become a legend for club and country. When the Nations League Finals start, he will still be only 18 years old, but the Spaniard has already achieved so much in his career. Less than six months ago, he became the third youngest goal scorer ever at a World Cup tournament.
Gianluigi Donnarumma– Gianluigi Donnarumma will be the player of the tournament if Italy win the Nations League. He had guided his team to victory at the 2021 Euros, saving penalties for his side in the semi-finals and the final. It is rare that a goalkeeper is the best player of the team, but in case of Italy, this is nothing short of the truth.
Luka Modrić– Luka Modrić is the best player in the Croatian national team without a shadow of a doubt. If captain Modić is having a good game, Croatia is playing well. If not, the side lack any other players to take the game by the scruff of the neck. The form of Modrić will determine the outcome of Croatia’s UEFA Nations League Finals campaign.
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