The UEFA Nations League is bringing exciting matches to football fans. This tournament gives international games a competitive edge. Instead of just friendly matches, European teams fight for promotion and avoid relegation. The top teams in League A also get to play in a knockout stage. The quarter-finals of the current season start tonight.
Four matches will kick off at the same time tonight, Thursday (March 20th), at 1:45 AM Bangladesh time.
One of the big matches tonight is between Italy and Germany. Italy will play at their home stadium. However, Italy has received some bad news before the game. Their forward player, Mateo Retegui, is injured. He will not be able to play in either of the two matches against Germany. The Italy Football Association has confirmed that he has a thigh injury. This is good news for Germany. Retegui has been in great form, scoring 22 goals for Atalanta. Germany is also playing well. They have not lost any of their last five games. Germany, led by their coach Julian Nagelsmann, will try their best to win tonight to have a better chance of reaching the semi-finals.
In another quarter-final match, the Netherlands will face Spain. There has been a lot of talk about Muslim players playing football while fasting during Ramadan. But Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, has no problem with young player Lamine Yamal playing. The coach, who has won the Euros and the Nations League with Spain, said that they respect all religions. Yamal has previously played and even scored and assisted in a Champions League match against Benfica while fasting.
The other two quarter-final matches tonight are Croatia against France and Denmark against Portugal. Portugal is feeling confident because Cristiano Ronaldo is in the team. The 2016 Euro champions want to win their first match against Denmark to get closer to the semi-finals.
It is important to note that the second leg of the quarter-finals will be played on March 23rd. The two semi-final matches are scheduled for June 4th and 5th. The final match of the UEFA Nations League will be played on June 8th. Football fans in Bangladesh can look forward to some thrilling matches in the coming weeks.