Football betting tips: Nations League
2.5pts Lamine Yamal to score or assist at 2/1 (William Hill)
0.5pts Lamine Yamal to score from outside the area at 18/1 (Sky Bet)
The Nations League’s two most recent winners square off in Stuttgart for a mouthwatering semi-final.
Spain and last met in the semi-finals of Euro 2024. Spain won 2-1 and went on to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy. Their hot-streak has bled into this competition, going unbeaten in eight (W6 D2) en route to the semi-finals.
That’s not to say La Roja’s Nations League campaign has been faultless. It began with a stalemate in Serbia and Luis de la Fuente’s men needed penalties to edge past the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
Mikel Merino’s strike in the 90+3rd minute.
Pedri’s deceive penalty won the shootout.
Like Spain, needed penalties in their quarter-final clash with Croatia.
Les Bleus clawed back a two goal deficit from the first leg before winning the shootout 5-4 with Dayot Upamecano grabbing the clincher.
Now Didier Deschamps’ side seek revenge on Spain but it won’t be easy.
Spain are 13/10 favourites to win the game with Sky Bet and have made the final in the last two editions of this competition.
Deschamps may also be hindered by his squads involvement in the Champions League final as seven players were present (Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaire-Emery, Marcus Thuram and Benjamin Pavard).
What are the best bets?
The bets centre around LAMINE YAMAL.
The mercurial winger has had a hand in 35 goals in 60 appearances this term. That is 19 goals and 16 assists for club and country.
For Barcelona this season, Yamal has a goal involvement (G+A) per 90 average of 1.05 and for the Spanish national team it is 0.83 across 19 caps. So, his price of 2/1 with William Hill TO SCORE OR ASSIST appeals on Thursday.
Yamal’s shot map is also very interesting - he clearly doesn’t mind taking a pop from range.
In La Liga, 67 of his 144 shots have come from outside the box, as have five of his nine goals. In the Champions League, 30 of his 53 shots and two of his five goals have come from range.
For Spain at the Euro’s and in the Nations League, 16 of his 34 shots have been from outside the box and one of his two goals have come beyond the 18-yard line.
Annoyingly, bet365 have him to have a shot on target from outside the box at 4/6 which is too short. Sky Bet are more obliging though and have piqued my interest with quotes of 18/1 for YAMAL TO SCORE FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX.
Odds correct at 1610 BST (02/06/25)
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