In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.
🌐 EURO 2024 Qualifying: Portugal vs. Slovakia
With Scotland missing the chance to become the first nation, other than hosts Germany, to qualify for next year’s European Championships on Thursday, we’re now looking to those countries who could do so in Friday’s qualifying games.
And the prime candidates are Portugal, who face Slovakia, on Matchday 7 in Group J. The Portuguese are one of only two nations with a 100% record in qualifying and their campaign has been impressive having won six, scored 24, and conceded zero. Granted, they are perhaps in a weak looking group, but you can only beat what’s in front of you.
Win number seven would put Portugal through regardless of other results. Should Slovakia end their unbeaten run, however, a point would still be enough should Luxembourg fail to beat Bosnia in their game (also this evening).
🌐 EURO 2024 Qualifying: Netherlands vs. France
There’s a heavyweight contest in Group B where France can also secure their spot at next year’s finals with a win away to the Netherlands.
France currently top the group and sit six points above their opponents in Amsterdam having won all five of their games to date. And despite only scoring 15 goals across those games, they, like Portugal, are yet to concede, with goalkeepers Mike Maignan and Brice Samba sharing five clean sheets between them.
The two nations met back on Matchday 1 in qualifying, with Kylian Mbappé inspiring France to a 4-0 victory, scoring twice and assisting another to rack up a 9.3 FotMob rating. That match was the first in Ronald Koeman’s current spell as Netherlands coach, and his record has been patchy with three wins and three defeats – the wins coming in their last few qualifiers, against Gibraltar, Greece, and Ireland.
🌐 EURO 2024 Qualifying: Austria vs. Belgium
A third place at next year’s finals in Germany can also be claimed, from Group F, on Friday night. And it’s a straight shoot-out, with the winners of the match between Austria and Belgium guaranteeing their place.
With a seven point lead on nearest rivals Sweden, and a further two games to go, a point does also heavily suit both nations. And draws have been the most common result between these two in recent years but let’s not dwell on that being a convenient result.
Instead, let’s look to the qualifying campaigns of each side – Belgium have conceded just once (to Austria) so far, while Austria impressed last time out with a 3-1 away win in Sweden. And should they produce a similar result tonight, they’ll have recorded their first win over Belgium since 1959!
🌐 EURO 2024 Qualifying: Wales vs. Croatia
Moving on to Sunday, and the start of Matchday 8, we have some more decisive action to look forward to.
In Group D, where Türkiye look almost home and dry after winning in Croatia on Thursday, attention turns to the battle for the other qualifying place. And the two most likely candidates for claiming that spot – Wales and Croatia – face each other in Cardiff, in what represents a game in hand for both nations.
Here, the equation is simple for Wales. They must beat Croatia to stay in contention for a top two finish. A home defeat, combined with a win, or draw for Türkiye, in their game against Latvia (also on Sunday) will see Rob Page’s side unable to overhaul either of the current top two in the group.
While Croatia toiled in defeat on Thursday night – their first in regulation time since last year’s World Cup semi-finals – Wales were in friendly action on Wednesday, strolling to a 4-0 win over Gibraltar in a game played at Wrexham’s Cae Ras.
🌐 EURO 2024 Qualifying: Norway vs. Spain
There will also be a lot of interest in the outcome of the game between Norway and Spain in Group A on Sunday night. Particularly for those watching on from Scotland, who do face France in a friendly on Tuesday, but aren’t otherwise involved in competitive action until the next international break.
After an indifferent start to their campaign Norway now need to beat Spain to stand any chance of ending their long wait for qualification to a major finals (23 years of hurt, and counting). A draw is not enough. Erling Haaland’s goals helped them to a 4-0 win in Cyprus on Thursday night but now FotMob’s home nation must back that up and put a run together!
Should Norway fail to beat Spain then Scotland will be guaranteed their place at the finals. And in the event of a Spainish victory in Oslo, they too will join Scotland in sewing up qualification.
Plus two hidden gems from a little deeper in your match feed…
🌐 International Friendly: England vs. Australia
Away from the competitive action taking place in a number of the world federations there are also a couple of high profile international friendlies that we know will interest plenty of FotMob users.
On Friday, there’s the clash between England’s Three Lions and the Socceroos at a sold out Wembley Stadium in London. It’s over 20 years since Australia recorded their one and only win over their former rulers but memories of that 3-1 victory live long in the memory for fans of both sides – perhaps because they’ve only met once since then, with England winning 2-1 back in 2016.
For Gareth Southgate’s side, this is a warm-up ahead of their big Euro qualifier against Italy, the side who beat them in the final of the last tournament, on Tuesday night. A game which could seal their place in the next finals.
For Australia, this game is one of two tour matches in England, with a friendly against New Zealand set to take place at Brentford, also on Tuesday. That’s ahead of their next competitive action – Asian World Cup qualifiers that begin in November, and the Asian Cup, which starts in January.
🌐 International Friendly: USA vs. Germany
On Saturday night, in Connecticut, the USMNT host Germany in a friendly game between two nations in a state of flux.
Germany, who are, of course, the hosts of next year’s European Championships have been on an awful run since their group stage exit at the last World Cup, losing four of six friendlies played in that period. That led to the appointment of former Leipzig, and Bayern coach, Julian Nagelsmann on a short term deal scheduled to last until the end of Euro 2024.
The US, famously, have reappointed coach Gregg Berhalter, the man who left the role in 2022 after having led them to the Round of 16 at the World Cup in Qatar. With seemingly no better options on the table, Berhalter returned on a contract to take them through the qualifying process for the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Most recently, the US have beaten Uzbekistan and Oman (3-0 and 4-0) in friendly games, but this match against the highly regarded tactician, Nagelsmann, should pose a much greater test for Berhalter’s side.
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Cover Image from IMAGO