Portugal and the Czech Republic, which lead Group 2 of League A on Thursday, will face off in the first shock of Day 3 of the League of Nations.
After two days, the balance sheet of both the Czechs (and the Portuguese) is identical: 4 points each (1 draw, 1 win), thus the obvious interest in Thursday’s match.
Portugal has one trump card, however: Cristiano Ronaldo (37), captain and mentor to the new generation. He holds a world record of 188 caps for scoring 117 goals. He isn’t satisfied as shown by his double against Switzerland (4-0).
The same group includes Switzerland. Despite not scoring any points in the first two matches, Switzerland has no margin for error against Spain. The rout against CR7, and company has added weight to the goal difference of -5.
The arrival of Spain could be a blessing in disguise. Luis Enrique’s Roja is unconvincing and remains at two draws against Portugal (1-1), the other against the Czechs (2-2) in Prague.
Spain will thus pass the Geneva test, especially for its young players like Gavi (17), the attacking midfielder from FC Barcelona and now the youngest scorer of any Spanish selection.
The Scandinavian countries will also be featured on two other posters, both of which are in League B (Group 4), where the Swedes host the Serbs and Norway hosts the Slovenians.
