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Portugal and Switzerland renew their quest to become the first champions as they square off in the first of two semi-final games of the UEFA Nations League Final at Estadio do Dragao in Porto.
Portugal
Portugal is one of the soccer betting favorites in this tournament and they enter this competition as the defending European Champions. They made it to the semifinals despite playing without Cristiano Ronaldo during the qualifying tournament as the world’s most popular football player took an international leave after the World Cup. Luckily for them, Portugal was in a weak Group A where they faced Italy and Poland in the preliminary games.
Here are the members of Portugal’s Nation’s League Finals squad:
- Goalkeepers: Yvon Mvogo, Jonas Omlin, Yann Sommer
- Defenders: Manuel Akanji, Loris Benito, Nico Elvedi, Michael Lang, Kevin Mbabu, Francois Moubandje, Ricardo Rodriguez, Fabian Schar
- Midfielders: Edimilson Fernandes, Remo Freuler, Xherdan Shaqiri, Djibril Sow, Renato Steffen, Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria, Steven Zuber
- Forwards: Albian Ajeti, Josip Drmic, Breel Embolo, Haris Seferovic
Switzerland
Switzerland faced FIFA world #1 ranked Belgium in their final group stage matchup and they came from 0-2 down to upset Eden Hazard and the Belgians 5-2 and book their seat in the Nations League Final. The manner in which they won that game should give them plenty of confidence heading to their showdown against the hosts. This is a team that isn’t superstar-laden but is an opponent that cannot be taken for granted.
Here are the members of Switzerland’s Nations League Finals squad:
- Goalkeepers: Yvon Mvogo, Jonas Omlin, Yann Sommer
- Defenders: Manuel Akanji, Loris Benito, Nico Elvedi, Michael Lang, Kevin Mbabu, Francois Moubandje, Ricardo Rodriguez, Fabian Schar
- Midfielders: Edimilson Fernandes, Remo Freuler, Xherdan Shaqiri, Djibril Sow, Renato Steffen, Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria, Steven Zuber
- Forwards: Albian Ajeti, Josip Drmic, Breel Embolo, Haris Seferovic
Who Wins?
Head to head, these two sides have played a total of 22 times with Switzerland winning 10 times and Portugal 7. They have figured in a draw in five head to head matchups. Portugal and Switzerland traded 2-0 wins during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
Switzerland’s Haris Seferovic was the top goalscorer in the Nations League Tournament with five goals scored in League A. His hat trick last November was what helped Switzerland overcome a 0-2 deficit to produce a shocking 5-2 upset of FIFA #1-ranked team Belgium in their final game of the tournament. The win not only put the Swiss on top of their group but put them through to the semifinals against Portugal.
Seferovic is also coming off a very successful campaign with his club. The Benfica striker netted 23 goals for the Eagles during the last term, making him the only Swiss footballer since Alexander Frei to accomplish that feat outside Switzerland. La Nati will be counting on him to deliver the goals needed to topple their opponents and betting favorites Portugal.
Another key player for Switzerland is Xherdan Shaqiri. Although he has found it difficult to get a consistent starting spot in Liverpool’s first XI, he has provided impact for Jurgen Klopp’s squad whenever he was called upon to play this season. Remember that his brace helped the Reds beat rivals Manchester United last November and when playing for Switzerland, he’s scored some important goals for his nation. He hasn’t played for the National side since March after an injury suffered during a friendly tie with Georgia. But he’s returned to his club recently and should be in good health when the Nations League Finals begin.
Portugal is the host of this tournament so they are getting an advantage that the other teams don’t have. Playing in front of their countrymen works both ways. The pressure to win could cook this team and get inside their nerves. But it could also help give them the needed push to overcome tough times and rough games.
But not only does Portugal have the advantage of playing at home, but they will also parade the best football player in the Nations League Finals in Cristiano Ronaldo. The Juventus forward had missed six international games after the 2018 World Cup, including the qualifying tournament for this event. He returned to play for Portugal in the Euro 2020 qualifiers last March. Ronaldo has scored 85 goals in a total of 156 international appearances during his career.
The Portuguese player to watch could be talented teenager Joao Felix who got his first call to represent Portugal in the Nations League Final. The Benfica footballer has been called one of the best young players in Europe and he’s scored a total of 15 goals in 26 league appearances this season. The 19-year old Felix became the youngest player to score a hat trick in Europa League competition since Sergio Aguero in 2007
Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva also made the squad as well as the Wolverhampton quartet of Rui Patricio, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves, and Diogo Jota. Likewise, the highly rated center-back Ruben Dias and veteran defenders Jose Fonte and Pepe are in the squad as are Barcelona’s Nelson Semedo and Juventus’ Joao Cancelo.
No question, Portugal has the better team on paper plus have the crowd behind them. But Switzerland isn’t to be taken for granted because while they lack the star power of their opponents, they have players who fill the different roles and do their jobs well. Their ability to keep the ball and deny their opponents any room to operate should give the hosts a test. In the end, though, I think Ronaldo and company edge out a hard-earned win here. Prediction: Portugal
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