Scotland are holding all the aces in Nations League Group B1 after beating Ukraine and can get the better of Ireland in Glasgow. That was some compensation for a World Cup play-offs defeat and now Steve Clarke’s side will seek revenge for a June thumping in Dublin.
Hungary were expected to be out of their depth in Nations League Group A3 but instead top the table ahead of Germany following four rounds of fixtures. The Magyars can now afford to give it a real go when visiting Leipzig, before entertaining Italy in Budapest on Monday.
Wales have a decent record against Belgium but Thursday’s Nations League clash in Brussels looks set to be a tough test for the Dragons. They are bottom of Group A4 and struggling to avoid relegation, whereas the Red Devils will be looking to challenge Holland for top spot.
Netherlands are leading the way in Nations League Group A4 but Poland will also be pumped up as they are battling to stay in the top tier. The Eagles managed to hold the Dutch to a draw in Rotterdam over the summer and will again be hard to beat in the return fixture in Warsaw.
France are involved in a Nations League relegation battle and desperately need to beat Austria in Paris to ease fears of dropping down. Les Bleus have picked up just two points from four fixtures and are a couple behind their next opponents, so this is a must-win match.
Croatia can put themselves in pole position to win Nations League Group A1 if getting the better of current table toppers Denmark in Zagreb. The Blazers usually perform at a higher level when something is at stake and have already beaten the Danes in Copenhagen.
England could do with a win to ease any Nations League relegation fears but there is little to suggest Hungary will roll over. The Magyars prevailed 1-0 when these teams met in Budapest recently and held the Three Lions to a draw in last October’s Wembley World Cup qualifier.
The last three encounters between Germany and Italy have ended in stalemate and another tight tussle is on the cards in Monchengladbach. Die Mannschaft and the Azzurri shared the spoils in Bologna earlier this month and both teams are unbeaten in Nations League Group A3.
Netherlands will be looking to strengthen their position at the top of Nations League Group A4 when entertaining basement dwellers Wales. The Dutch claimed a dramatic 2-1 win when these teams met in Cardiff last week and another entertaining encounter is anticipated.
Poland were put to the sword by Belgium last week but may have the chance to gain revenge in the return Nations League fixture. The Red Devils have since been rocked by a number of withdrawals and this could just be a case of one match too many after a long season.
Scotland need a win to get their Nations League campaign back on track but they will have to improve on their most recent showing after they were booed off the pitch against the Republic of Ireland. Steve Clarke’s side were all over the place in Dublin at the weekend.
Ireland laid to rest their Nations League hoodoo in emphatic fashion when beating Scotland and can build on that by avoiding defeat versus Ukraine. The men in green were edged out 1-0 by the same opponents in Dublin last week but there was nothing between the sides.
France are languishing at the foot of the Nations League Group A1 table and will be determined to ease any relegation fears by beating Croatia. The visitors enjoyed a boost when winning in Denmark last time out, but that may lead to a drop in intensity for this Paris clash.
Denmark suffered a frustrating loss to Croatia but are still top of Nations League Group A1 and can get back on track by beating Austria. The Danes have won the last four meetings, including two Qatar World Cup qualifiers and last week’s Vienna success in this pool.