The 2024/2025 UEFA Nations League quarter-final lineup was completed on Monday night, as Croatia and Denmark both did just enough to qualify.
They join the UEFA Nations League 2024 betting odds favourites Spain, along with Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal in a stellar lineup of Europe’s finest.
Only England, promoted back to the top league, are missing from that list, and the draw for the quarter-finals will be made in Nyon on Friday 22nd November.
Croatia made it through to the knockouts thanks to a 1-1 draw with Portugal, as Manchester City centre-back Josko Gvardiol scored his third international goal and his first in two years.
Portugal were already through to the last eight, and they rested Cristiano Ronaldo for the clash with Croatia. The 1-1 draw in Split ensured Croatia went through in second place with eight points, while the Selecao coasted through on 14.
Portugal went ahead thanks to a brilliant goal from Joao Felix, who beat Croatia stopper Dominik Livakovic with a clinical strike. Gvardiol had a chance to level, but his header was weak, and then Andrej Kramaric crashed a shot against the post.
But the City man finally broke through, midway through the second half when he converted a Kristijan Jakic cross as the back post.
There was still work to do, and when Livakovic made a brilliant point blank save to deny Nuno Mendes, the Croats celebrated like they had won the competition.
Brian Riemer’s Denmark made it through to the knockouts too thanks to a goalless draw away to Serbia, who would have gone through with a win.
Spain won the group on 16 points and the Danes followed, albeit eight points behind, as they withstood an onslaught from their hosts, who rained 22 shots down on the Danish goal and six on target.
With 10 minutes left on the clock, Dusan Vlahovic missed a golden opportunity when he blasted the ball over the bar with the goal at his mercy and, as tempers flared, Strahinja Pavlovic was sent off when he picked up a second yellow card.
Rabiot gives France the bragging rights
In other UEFA Nations League 2024 news, the battle for top spot in Group A2 eventually went the way of Didier Deschamps’ France after they beat Italy 3-1 to pip the Azzurri to the post.
It was an excellent display from Les Bleus, who have blown hot and cold in this campaign and entered the November fixtures without captain Kylian Mbappe. And it was Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot who won the game with a well-taken brace to celebrate his 50th international cap.
This was a beautiful revenge on Italy who had already beaten France in the competition and, with both teams already qualified, the prize on offer was the bragging rights and top spot.
Italy needed to avoid defeat by two goals to stay in front, but they bottled it and were two down just after the half hour. Rabiot headed home in the second minute, and then Guglielmo Vicario diverted a Lucas Digne cross into his own net.
Italy halved the deficit before half time when Andrea Cambiaso produced a fine finish, but it was Rabiot again who made it 3-1, heading in from another pinpoint Digne cross.
In the dying seconds, France keeper Mike Maignan preserved first place in Group A2 when he made a world class save to keep Moise Kean out, and Les Bleus left Milan as top dogs.
England and Norway back among the elite
Thanks to two resounding 5-0 wins, England and Norway are both back in the A League, and they look likely to be joined by Turkey and the Czech Republic.
England went into halftime in their home match against the Republic of Ireland at 0-0 but Harry Kane, who has just seen a statue of himself unveiled in North London, set the Three Lions on their way with a 55th-minute penalty after Ireland went down to 10 men.
Anthony Gordon, Conor Gallagher, Jarrod Bowen, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis all scored their first international goals after Liam Scales had seen his marching orders.
Norway topped Group B3 after they whacked Kazakhstan 5-0, as Erling Haaland plundered a hat-trick, with Alexander Sorloth and Antonio Nusa also on the scoresheet.
On Tuesday, the Czechs are at home to second-placed Georgia needing to win to be sure of finishing top, while Albania can still finish at the summit if they beat Ukraine and the other Group B1 game ends in a draw. Meanwhile, a Turkey win away to Montenegro in Group B4, at SBOTOP odds of 1.45, will see them through to the A League as well.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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