Top 5 matches to watch in the international break

Reigning world champions France will take on Germany in a mouth-watering tie on 6th September.

The first international break of the season is upon us, as club football takes a back seat and the players adorn their national colorus. Apart from the usual friendlies, this hiatus will mark the beginning of the much-anticipated UEFA Nations League. The league tournament is essentially contested by senior men’s national teams of the member associations of UEFA.

The competition came into being as a step to replace the friendly matches and instil a level of competition during the break. Not only that, there are some mouth-watering clashes lined up away from the European limelight as well.

Therefore, we take a look at the top five matches to watch during the international break:

5. India Vs Maldives - 9 September 2018

The Blue Tigers will be aiming to finish at the top of their group

The SAFF Suzuki Cup 2018 has begun, where the defending champions, India, will kick-off their title defense against Sri Lanka at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka.

The Blue Tigers are entering the competition with their U-23 squad, as it serves the purpose of providing the young players with much-needed experience and an opportunity to represent their country.

The second match against Maldives will be an interesting one as they are the favorites to qualify into the semi-finals along with the Blue Tigers. The Indian gaffer, Stephen Constantine, has however, quashed any talk of his team being the favorites to win the tournament. In order to finish on top of their group, India must win their second match against Maldives who are a tough team to beat.

4. Colombia Vs Argentina - 12 September 2018

Argentina will be looking to use their youth after a dissapointing World Cup campaign

This is a friendly on paper, but the game that features two powerhouses of South American football will be high on drama and attacking football. Both nations have exceptional individual talents that are unplayable on their day and will be raring to go post their disappointing World Cup exits.

While Argentina will be spearheaded by their legendary captain Lionel Messi, players like Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Pablo Dybala will further add to their attacking options. It will also be interesting to see how their new interim head coach Lionel Scaloni, fares in his first big outing.

As for Colombia, they have parted ways with their manager, Jose Pekerman. The Argentine had not been offered a renewal to his contract due to the disappointing World Cup outing and various off-field issues. Now without a head coach, Colombia are staring at an uncertain future. 

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3. Portugal Vs Croatia - 6 September 2018

Runners-up in Russia, Croatia will be looking to continue their momentum

Runners-up in Russia, Croatia will look to maintain their impressive run and pick up from where they left off when they meet Portugal in a friendly on Thursday. The tie has an air of tension to it due to the recent controversy regarding Luka Modric pipping Cristiano Ronaldo to the UEFA Player of the Year award; something that didn’t go down well with the Portuguese superstar.

Captains of their respective national teams, Modric and Ronaldo, were part of the Real Madrid team that won a sensational third consecutive UEFA Champions League title last season. Thus, Ronaldo, who is now a Juventus player will look to upstage Modric when these two European football giants meet on the field.

2. England Vs Spain - 8 September 2018

The Three Lions will be entering the tournament high on confidence

As part of the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League, the match between England and Spain has a competitive edge to it, as both nations will look to begin on a positive note.

England had an impressive run at the World Cup in Russia, finishing fourth much to the shock of their own fans and football pundits. Buoyed by a young squad full of positivity and comradery, The Three Lions look favourites to be the victors.

As for La Roja, their World Cup exit at the hands of hosts Russia came as a rude shock. Spain now begin anew, with former FC Barcelona manager, Luis Enrique at the helm.

1. Germany Vs France - 6 September 2018

The reigning world champions will face the 2014 winners

The UEFA Nations League will mark its inception with the very first match featuring the last two World Cup winners going head-to-head. 2014 winners Germany will face reigning champions France in Munich at the Allianz Arena.

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While the Germans are trying to recover from a group stage exit in the World Cup, a feat that last happened back in 1938, Les Bleus will take the field for the first time as world champions.

However, France’s World Cup winning captain, Hugo Lloris will not feature in the tie owing to a thigh injury. Whereas Die Mannschaft will be without the services of Mesut Ozil, who recently announced his retirement from international football in controversial circumstances.