UEFA Nations League Preview: Top Teams, Fixtures & SAST Times

🏆 Nations League Preview

This UEFA Nations League preview covers the big League A fixtures from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November, which is Matchday 5 plus the first Matchday 6 games, with every kick-off in SAST. France lead Group A1 on 10 points ahead of Italy on 7, Spain and Portugal have won all four of their games, and England, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Croatia and Norway are all in action. We have focused on the matches involving League A’s biggest sides, which gives 11 games.

UEFA Nations League Preview: Fixtures & SAST Kick-Off Times

South Africa is one hour ahead of Central European Time (CET) at this time of year. UEFA lists most matches at 20:45 CET, which is 21:45 SAST. The SAST times above come from SuperSport and match UEFA’s CET times, but check your operator’s listing closer to kick-off, since broadcast schedules can shift.

What’s at Stake in Each Match

These are the League A tables after four of the six matchdays. The top two in each group reach the quarter-finals, according to ESPN and Flashscore, and the knockout stage and play-off draw is on Friday 20 November. The points maths in the last column is our own calculation from the UEFA results, and it counts only points, so it does not rely on goal difference or other tie-breakers.

Matchday 5, Thursday 12 November: Italy vs France and England vs Croatia

Italy vs France (21:45 SAST). France lead Group A1 on 10 points and Italy are three behind on 7. Italy are the only side to take points off Zinedine Zidane’s France, a 1-1 draw in Saint-Denis in October, when Michael Olise scored for France and Alessandro Bastoni replied. France then beat Belgium 4-1 from a goal down, with Olise scoring twice, and he leads Les Bleus with four goals. Kylian Mbappé returns to the squad after a knee injury in September, while Ousmane Dembélé and Maghnes Akliouche are out, and Pablo Pagis has a first call-up. Italy beat Türkiye 3-1 last time out, with Pio Esposito on seven goals in his first 13 appearances.

England vs Croatia (21:45 SAST). England are second in Group A3 on 9 points, six clear of Croatia, after beating them 7-0 in October. Harry Kane will become England’s all-time men’s appearance leader, passing Peter Shilton, if he plays. Jude Bellingham is joined in the squad by his younger brother Jobe for the first time, and Cole Palmer has been left out. Croatia are under Slaven Bilić in his second spell, and Luka Modrić became the oldest scorer in Nations League history in September.

Also on Thursday. Türkiye vs Belgium is at 19:00 SAST. Türkiye are pointless and have a new coach in Sergen Yalçin, while Belgium are third in the group on 6 points. Kevin De Bruyne is available again after his suspension, and Roméo Lavia is banned. Czechia vs Spain is at 21:45 SAST. Spain are the world champions, are unbeaten in their last 43 competitive matches and have won all four group games, but Lamine Yamal is expected to miss the match through injury. Czechia have no points under Santi Denia.

Matchday 5, Friday 13 November: Serbia vs Germany and Netherlands vs Greece

Serbia vs Germany (21:45 SAST). Germany are third in Group A2 on 5 points, three behind the Netherlands and Greece, with one win, two draws and one defeat from four games. Their only win under Jürgen Klopp so far was a 2-0 victory against Serbia in October, with Florian Wirtz starring. Serbia have lost all four games, but Aleksandar Mitrović is back from injury.

Netherlands vs Greece (21:45 SAST). The Netherlands and Greece are both on 8 points, level on goal difference. They drew 2-2 in Thessaloniki in October. Xavi has recalled Frenkie de Jong and Donyell Malen to the Netherlands squad, and Brian Brobbey is back after injury, though Ryan Gravenberch, Jeremie Frimpong, Jorrel Hato and Nathan Aké are absent. Greece are unbeaten in the group under Ivan Jovanović, and forward Tasos Douvikas scored a hat-trick for Como in the Champions League last week. The Netherlands then travel to Germany on Monday.

Matchday 5, Saturday 14 November: Portugal vs Denmark and Norway vs Wales

Portugal vs Denmark (21:45 SAST). Portugal have won all four games and need just a point to clinch top spot in Group A4. This is their first match since Cristiano Ronaldo announced his international retirement earlier this month, and coach Jorge Jesus made seven changes to the squad. Gonçalo Ramos and João Félix each have three goals, and both scored in the 4-2 win in Copenhagen in October. Denmark are on 6 points, and Rasmus Højlund has scored three of their seven goals.

Norway vs Wales (19:00 SAST). The two sides are level on 3 points. Wales won 2-1 in Cardiff in October for their first League A win, with goals from Daniel James and Neco Williams, and Harry Wilson returns for Craig Bellamy’s side. Erling Haaland is the Nations League’s all-time top scorer, and Martin Ødegaard is level with Jude Bellingham for most assists in this season’s competition.

Matchday 6, Sunday 15 November: Belgium vs Italy, France vs Türkiye and Spain vs England

• Belgium vs Italy (21:45 SAST), King Baudouin Stadium. Belgium beat Italy 2-0 in September, and the Brussels game comes three days after both play Thursday. Belgium have Jeremy Doku back in the squad, while Thibaut Courtois remains on leave from the squad
• France vs Türkiye (21:45 SAST), Bordeaux. Mbappé scored the winner in Zidane’s first game in charge, a 1-0 win away to Türkiye in September, and the final group game for France comes three days after Italy
• Spain vs England (21:45 SAST), Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Spain won 3-2 away to England on the opening matchday in September, and England have won their other three group games

What Comes Next in Matchday 6

• Monday 16 November, Germany vs Netherlands, 21:45 SAST, which could decide Group A2
• Tuesday 17 November, Wales vs Portugal and Denmark vs Norway, both 21:45 SAST
• Friday 20 November, the knockout stage and play-off draw, 13:00 SAST, after the league phase ends on Tuesday

How to Watch the Nations League in South Africa

SuperSport lists every UEFA Nations League match on its fixtures page, with times in SAST. We could not confirm which channel each of these matches will be on, so check the DStv guide or the SuperSport site on the day.

Where to Bet on the Nations League in South Africa

Which markets are offered for each match depends on the operator. See our South African sportsbook comparison to find an operator that suits you, or check individual operator reviews for licensing, bonus and payment details before you sign up.