Portugal and Netherlands face off in Porto on Sunday for the right to get their hands on the inaugural UEFA Nations League trophy.
A sensational Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick fired the reigning European champions into the final at the expense of Switzerland, while the Dutch defeated England in extra-time in the other semi-final.
Ronald Koeman’s side will hope to shake off the weight of history – having lost three of their last four major finals and never beaten Portugal in Portugal – as they look to continue their upswing in fortunes.
Portugal hold a historical advantage over the Oranje as well as the backing of home support, but a 3-0 loss to the same opposition in March 2018 will still be fresh in their minds.
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Football and it can be streamed live online using Sky Go.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Football | Sky Go |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Portugal squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | R. Patricio, Beto, Sa |
| Defenders | Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro, Cancelo, Dias, Semedo, Rui |
| Midfielders | Moutinho, Carvalho, B. Silva, D. Pereira, Pizzi, B. Fernandes, Neves |
| Forwards | Ronaldo, Felix, Guedes, Sousa, R. Silva, Jota |
The major issue for Portugal is the news that centre-back Pepe will miss the game after picking up an injury in the semi-final. The Porto defender will be replaced by Jose Fonte.
Other than that Fernando Santos is not expected to tinker much with his team or tactics.
Probable Portugal starting XI: Patricio; Semedo, Fonte, Dias, Guerreiro; Neves, Carvalhi, B. Fernandes; Silva, Felix, Ronaldo.
| Position | Netherlands squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Cillessen, Vermeer, Bizot |
| Defenders | Hateboer, De Ligt, van Dijk, Ake, van Aanholt, de Vrij, Blind, Dumfries |
| Midfielders | Propper, Wijnaldum, de Roon, Strootman, Vilhena, van de Beek, F. de Jong |
| Forwards | Bergwijn, Babel, Depay, Promes, L. de Jong |
Koeman has no fresh injury concerns coming into the match, but the former Everton boss may opt to make some changes after second-half alterations helped his side defeat England.
Donny van de Beek had a positive impact when introduced in place of Marten de Roon and may be given a chance to shine from the start alongside Frenkie de Jong, while Quincy Promes may have done enough to earn a place in the starting XI ahead of Ryan Babel.
Probable Netherlands starting XI: Cillessen; Dumfries, De Ligt, Van Dijk, Blind; F. de Jong, Van de Beek, Wijnaldum; Bergwijn, Promes, Depay.
Betting & Match Odds
Portugal are at home and strong favourites to win this match with bet365, who give odds of 27/20 on the Selecao to come out on top.
Netherlands are priced at 12/5 to triumph and a draw in regulation time is available at 9/4.
Match Preview
Sunday’s Nations League final between Portugal and Netherlands has been touted as a battle of the captains: Virgil van Dijk on the Dutch side and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portuguese corner.
That, of course, is a simplistic depiction of the game that will play out at Estadio do Dragao, with plenty of distinguished stars – Frenkie de Jong, Bernardo Silva, Memphis Depay and Ruben Neves to name a few – littered throughout both sides.
Koeman’s men have restored some of the confidence that abandoned them in the past two qualification cycles, but it was notable that they struggled for large swathes of the semi-final against England. Indeed, were it not for England’s recklessness in defence, they may not have made their way into the decider at all.
In a season which saw Ajax mesmerise Europe and the world with their dazzling brand of attacking football, the national team fell well short. They will have to improve on that display significantly in the final if they wish to pick up their first title since 1988.
Portugal, on the other hand, were firing on all cylinders in their semi-final against Switzerland, with Ronaldo rolling back the years to score three vintage goals in an all-action display.
Netherlands may have to rely on their cohesiveness as a team to pull off a result on Sunday, but Portugal will be more than happy to let the Juventus star drag them to glory. However, the 34-year-old has a capable supporting cast too.
“When I pull on the shirt of the national team, it’s a huge honour for me and it’s a different feeling than it is playing for clubs,” Ronaldo told UEFA.com.
“We are positive; we are playing at home. I hope the stadium will be great, that there will be good energy, that this energy will be transmitted to us, and that everyone can be confident, because we will try to give our best. Together, we can become champions.”
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