Last year’s runners-up Spain begin their campaign in the UEFA Nations League with a Group A2 clash with former champions Portugal. This Iberian derby is tipped to be a tight affair with both teams evenly matched.
After finishing second in last year’s Nations League, the task for Spain this time will be to go one better. Playing in a potentially tricky group, manager Luis Enrique will be keen to make a fast start, especially with their opening fixture being played at home.
Although they were beaten in last year’s Nations League finale, Spain have generally been in good form lately. That defeat in the final is their only loss in the last eight matches having claimed seven wins in that run.
Spain have done some of their best work at home lately, winning their last four matches in front of their fans. Their last fixture on home soil was a 5-0 victory over Iceland in an international friendly back in March.
Having won the UEFA Nations League before, Portugal will know the importance of making a fast start in the competition. Beyond their rivalry with Spain, a victory in Thursday’s opener will set them on their way in the difficult Group A2.
Portugal have also been on a similar run of form with Spain, suffering just one defeat in their last 10 matches across all competitions. They have claimed eight wins in that run and beat North Macedonia 2-0 in their previous fixture back in March.
Fernando Santos’s men have also done some good work on their recent travels with just one defeat in their last five away matches. They have claimed three wins in that run but were held to a 0-0 draw by Republic of Ireland in their previous away fixture.
How the bookies view it
Spain have the edge among the bookies and are priced at 6/5 by Unibet to claim the win. A victory for Portugal is valued at 28/11 by SBK who are also offering odds of 12/5 on a draw.
Recent head to head
There has been nothing to separate Spain and Portugal in recent meetings with both teams battling to draws in their last four matches. The last fixture was a 0-0 scoreline in a friendly last June.
Players to watch
Alvaro Morata maintains a solid record for Spain and has scored three goals in his last three appearances for the national team. The striker will be the one to watch on Thursday and is priced at 11/8 by bet365 to score anytime.
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be influential for Portugal and will once again be tasked with providing the spark in attack. The Manchester United striker has nine goals in his last 10 international matches and is priced at 39/20 by Unibet to find the net on Thursday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Given the attacking quality expected to be on display, both teams could be backed to score on Thursday at 13/14 with SBK. A closely fought opening is expected and with the clash likely to come to life after the break, the second half could be tipped as the highest scoring half at 6/5 with Paddy Power.
Both teams have been level at the break in their last two meetings and could be set for a halftime draw at evens with BetVictor.
This UEFA Nations League match between Spain and Portugal will be played on Jun 2, 2022 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Spain vs Portugal prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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