La Roja face Italy tomorrow evening at San Siro in Milan in the first semi-final of the Nations League. Belgium take on France the following evening at Juventus Stadium in Turin in the other semi-final, meaning that this edition of the Final Four boasts the reigning World Cup winners and European Championship winners.
France emerged victorious in the former in 2018 in Russia, when they beat Croatia to lift the sport’s most prestigious prize. Italy lifted Euro 2020 just this past summer when they beat England in the final at Wembley Stadium in London. Roberto Mancini’s side got there by beating Luis Enrique’s Spain in the semi-final.
Spain come into the game in a delicate moment following their exploits in the September international break. La Roja beat Georgia and Kosovo with relative ease but crucially fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Sweden, meaning that even though they’re four points clear at the top of their World Cup qualifying group they’re under pressure; Sweden have two games in hand.
Predicting Luis Enrique’s lineups is never easy, but Diario AS have given a go at anticipating what the Asturian will pick tomorrow. They think he’s going to opt to start Unai Simon in goal behind a back four of Cesar Azpilicueta, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Torres and Sergio Reguilon. Sergio Busquets will sit in midfield, with Koke and Mikel Merino either side of him. Ferran Torres will start as a false nine, flanked by Pablo Sarabia and Mikel Oyarzabal.
