Nations League crunch time

Eight teams are bidding for a spot in June's UEFA Nations League finals, while several other countries are fighting for promotion or relegation

- NICK BIDWELL

The record books suggest that Germany will have a tough time seeing off bogey side Italy when the two giants of the European game go head-to-head in the last eight of the Nations League in late March. In nine clashes with the Italians in major finals, Germany (or West Germany in days of yore) have only triumphed once and even that was on penalties at the quarter-final stage of Euro 2016.

Over the years, Italy have proved time and time again that they know how to stifle the Germans tactically; no doubt Azzurri boss Luciano Spalletti will have a few chess moves up his sleeve in this prestigious, high-stakes rendezvous, both in the first leg at Milan's San Siro and for the return in Dortmund three days later.

The great Franz Beckenbauer always referred to his country's games with Italy as "Der Klassiker" and Spalletti sees the tie as the ideal stage to make a loud and proud mission statement: "A Nazionale coach who does not have the chance to be involved in an Italy-Germany game is like a Milan or Inter coach who does not take part in a derby. Italy v Germany is a vital part of football history."

On current form, Germany will start as favourites, unbeaten in their six Nations League group games and losing only one of their 15 matches in 2024. Under the astute stewardship of Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann, the Germans are very much on the up again, the resurgence personified by brilliant young attacking midfielders Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala.

Italy's back three of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Alessandro Bastoni and Riccardo Calafiori or Alessandro Buongiorno form an extremely strong unit. But can they keep the free-flowing Germans at bay?

Whoever prevails in the Germany-Italy tie will host the UEFA Nations League final four in June, where they will face the winners of the Denmark-Portugal quarter-final, a match-up featuring coaches who still have much to prove to their respective audiences and stakeholders.