The Nations League final takes place in Milan on Sunday, with Spain and France battling it out for the title. Jake Osgathorpe previews the game, selecting his best bets.
Football betting tips: Nations League final
1.5pts Both Teams to Score in 90 minutes at 20/23 (Betfair)
1pt Spain to win DRAW NO BET in 90 minutes at 11/10 (BetVictor)
Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook
The second ever Nations League final takes place in Milan on Sunday with Spain and France doing battle, and given what we were treated to in the semi-finals earlier this week, we should anticipate another entertaining game.
Both teams beat two of the best sides in World football, showing a propensity for attack-minded football, but the pair also looked very vulnerable defensively, so we can expect goals here.
Kick-off time: 19:45 BST, Sunday
TV channel: Sky Sports Football
Spain looked excellent in attack against a formidable Italy defence, with Luis Enrique's side arguably more than the sum of their parts.
On paper their starting XI doesn't scream 'top quality side', but as with their performances in Euro 2020, they dominate games in many different ways.
Defence looks a weak point for them though, as if they set-up with the same left hand side of Marcos Alonso and Pau Torres then they could find themselves easily exposed.
Nonetheless, their strong attacking play will mean they create chances.
France were poor for 45 minutes against Belgium, with the sides of their back three having a really tough time dealing with Belgium's inside forwards.
They have looked defensively vulnerable for some time though, keeping just one clean sheet in their last seven matches as Didier Dechamps looks to find a balance between attack and defence.
Fortunately, their attack has been looking incredibly dangerous at times over that period, with Karim Benzema's re-introduction meaning their front three of him, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe is hard to keep quiet.
With all that in mind then, and the attacking nature of the Nations League matches in Milan, BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE looks an obvious play.
Both have question marks defensively while boasting attacks that can score at will, so BTTS appeals. This bet has landed in six of Spain's last nine internationals, and six of France's last seven.
As for the result, I don't think there is as much between these two teams.
I agree that France should be favourites to win the game at a neutral venue, but 7/5 seems a tad short. I make them 8/5.
The 2/1 about Spain is a bigger price than I would expect, but instead of backing La Furia Roja on the nose, backing SPAIN TO WIN DRAW NO BET is the sensible play.
This means that in the case the game ends all-square, we get our money back, so we have added security that backing Spain in the W-D-L market doesn't allow us.
The pair are evenly matched, so chancing the Spaniards to edge proceedings over 90 minutes with money back if it ends level appears a good bet.
Nations League final best bets
- 1.5pts Both Teams to Score in 90 minutes at 20/23 (Betfair)
- 1pt Spain to win DRAW NO BET in 90 minutes at 11/10 (BetVictor)
Odds correct at 1410 BST (08/10/21)
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