Keystone
England are under pressure to succeed in the Nations League if they are not to jeopardize Thomas Tuchel’s future plans. The last games under Lee Carsley are crucial.
Thomas Tuchel will soon take over the England national team, but before he can tackle the “World Champions 2026” project, the Three Lions must succeed in the Nations League. Under the leadership of interim coach Lee Carsley, England must not allow themselves to slip up in the remaining games.
After the recent defeat against Greece, England’s return to the Nations League’s top division is in jeopardy. While Germany and Spain have already qualified for the quarter-finals, other top teams such as France, Italy and the Netherlands are still fighting for their place.
England’s decisive matches
England’s last matches under Carsley are scheduled for Thursday and Sunday. These games are not only important for the current coach, but also for Tuchel, who will have to adjust his plans if England remain in second place behind Greece. The defeat to Greece has left England three points behind Ivan Jovanovic’s side, who are unbeaten so far. If England fail to win, they could face a play-off in March instead of starting their World Cup qualifying campaign straight away.
The key match will be against Greece in Athens on Thursday, followed by a home game against Ireland in London. Carsley’s team will be without key players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish.
Italy and France on course
In Group 2, Italy, France and Belgium are battling it out for a place in the quarter-finals. Italy have the best chances and only need one win from their remaining games. Coach Luciano Spalletti can count on in-form strikers Mateo Retegui and Moise Kean. France, who will be without Kylian Mbappé, have a comfortable lead over Belgium and could already qualify with a win against Israel.
Netherlands and Croatia: opportunities and challenges
After a mixed start, the Netherlands still have a chance of qualifying. A home win against Hungary could silence the criticism of coach Ronald Koeman. Croatia have a lead over Poland in their group and face Scotland and Portugal. Portugal, unbeaten like Italy, Spain and Germany, are almost certain to reach the quarter-finals.
SDA
