Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. The September/October international break comes to a conclusion tonight.
Tuesday’s Nations League ACCA
- Spain -1 (v Croatia)
- England win to nil (v Czechia)
- Scotland to win (v Slovenia)
- Switzerland win to nil (v North Macedonia)
- Odds: 13/2
Tuesday’s UNL Anytime Goalscorers Treble
- Harry Kane (England)
- Kieron Bowie (Scotland)
- Zeki Amdouni (Switzerland)
- Odds: 5.48/1
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Croatia v Spain, Tue, 19:45
The last thing Croatia needs after Saturday’s 7-0 hammering at the hands of England is the visit of a rampant Spain side, who show little signs of laying up off the back of their World Cup win in the summer. La Roja are now on an unbeaten run over 90 minutes of 41 matches and sit top of their League A Nations League group with three wins from three. That run of form includes a win at Wembley against England.
As for Croatia, their only win in the competition so far came against the group’s whipping boys, Czechia, who are almost certain to be automatically relegated to League B. With Spain and England looking set to battle it out for top honours in this group, Croatia may already be mentally preparing for a relegation play-off next year.
Croatia have now conceded 11 times across their last two matches and as a result, they may view avoiding another hammering here as something of a small victory.
BEST BET: Spain -1 (8/11)
England v Czechia, Tue, 19:45
The last time the Czech Republic visited Wembley, they were on the wrong end of a 5-0 hammering, and fears of a similar scoreline must be high given the form of both sides going into Tuesday’s latest encounter.
England recorded their biggest ever UNL win at the weekend in Croatia (7-0), yet despite that stunning scoreline, the Three Lions are playing catch-up in the group after their defeat at this venue against Spain. As a result, Thomas Tuchel’s men have no room for further error if they want to win the group.
Czechia’s poor start to the Nations League has come off the back of a tame World Cup effort, and as a result, the Czech Republic now find themselves winless in six matches, suffering defeat in five of those. Even remaining competitive in League A of the UNL has proved a challenge for Czechia, who have conceded 2+ goals in eight successive League A matches. With six of England’s last seven UNL games featuring over 2.5 goals, another cricket score could be on the cards here.
England are not only seeking a third consecutive win in the group but also a third straight clean sheet against a side who have notched just two goals from their three matches. History is also on England’s side, with the Three Lions winning to nil in three of their last four meetings against Czechia.
BEST BET: England win to nil (7/10)
Scotland v Slovenia, Tue, 19:45
Following a slow start to the Sébastien Pocognoli era, the Belgian boss finally claimed his first win in charge of Scotland thanks to a 0-2 victory in North Macedonia over the weekend. Now the Tartan Army have the opportunity to take charge in the race for League A promotion with a home win against the side that currently sits second in the group, Slovenia.
These two nations played out a scoreless draw in the opening game of this mammoth international window last month, and since then, Switzerland have very much taken charge of the group and look set to claim automatic promotion to the top flight.
Scotland did appear to have the better of that scoreless draw, with the Scots winning the shot count 17 to four on the day, while the Tartan Army had an XG of 2.16 to Slovenia’s lowly figure of 0.47. Scotland’s inefficiency in front of goal is not a new phenomenon; they have lacked a killer frontman for a long time, so the emergence of Kieron Bowie, who is currently on loan at Sassuolo, has got Scottish fans excited.
The former Hibs man scored four times in just 14 Serie A appearances for Verona in the second half of last season, but he was unable to keep them in the top flight, leading to a loan move to Sassuolo. Bowie opened the scoring against North Macedonia in what was only his fifth senior Scottish cap. Serie A has been good to Scottish players in recent years, with Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour excelling on the continent, so perhaps Bowie can be the latest Scottish player to benefit from a move away from the rough and tumble of British football.
With so much on the line, this is likely to be a cagey encounter. Slovenia had to dig deep last time out against Switzerland but eventually came up short, whereas Scotland were very comfortable winners in Skopje. With home advantage on their side, Scotland may just edge this, with Bowie holding the potential to be the point of difference at Hampden Park.
BEST BET: Scotland (4/5)
Next Best: Kieron Bowie to score (39/20)
Switzerland v North Macedonia, Tue, 19:45
Switzerland can take a huge step towards an immediate return to League A of the UEFA Nations League when they welcome a North Macedonia side staring down the barrel of relegation.
The Swiss have made a perfect start to their League B campaign, collecting maximum points from their first three matches. Their latest victory came against Slovenia, with a 2-1 triumph extending their excellent international record to just one defeat in their last 12 matches (W8, D3). Switzerland have also found the net at least twice in seven of those eight victories, underlining their attacking consistency.
History offers further encouragement for the hosts. Switzerland have avoided defeat in their last 19 meetings with nations ranked outside FIFA’s top 20 (W12, D7), and their formidable home record in competitive internationals is another major positive. Since 2014, only Spain, on two separate occasions, have managed to leave Switzerland with a competitive victory (W26, D10).
North Macedonia, meanwhile, are enduring a miserable campaign. The Lynxes have failed to win any of their last 11 internationals (D5, L6), with three of those defeats arriving during a disastrous Nations League campaign that has left them rooted to the foot of the group.
Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Scotland was their fourth consecutive defeat and their longest losing streak in 10 years. Their problems have been particularly severe in attack, with new head coach Goce Sedloski still waiting for his team to score since taking charge in January. His record currently stands at two draws and five defeats.
The two nations have met only once, with Switzerland cruising to a 3-0 win in the reverse fixture earlier in this Nations League campaign.
There is little to suggest North Macedonia will suddenly solve their attacking problems here. Switzerland have registered 26 shots on target in the competition so far, the highest tally in the Nations League heading into this round.
With the hosts flying high and the visitors struggling badly for goals, Switzerland to win to nil looks an appealing option.
BEST BET: Switzerland win to nil (21/50)
Tuesday’s Nations League ACCA
- Spain -1 (v Croatia)
- England win to nil (v Czechia)
- Scotland to win (v Slovenia)
- Switzerland win to nil (v North Macedonia)
- Odds: 13/2
Tuesday’s UNL Anytime Goalscorers Treble
- Harry Kane (England)
- Kieron Bowie (Scotland)
- Zeki Amdouni (Switzerland)
- Odds: 5.48/1
