UEFA Nations League Preview: One question for each team in quarterfinals

The UEFA Nations League returns as players get a break from their club teams and look to help their countries reach the final four of the international tournament.

The quarterfinals provide four high-powered matchups involving some of Europe's top teams.

Thursday marks the first legs of the quarterfinals, where teams will be looking to book their ticket to the semifinals in June.

Defending European champion Spain will get a tough test against the Netherlands, while Italy and Germany will renew their historic rivalry. Portugal and Denmark go head-to-head in a match that is expected to bring some fireworks. Finally, Croatia aims to capture an international trophy, with powerhouse France standing in its way.

Each matchup has its own set of storylines to watch, so here is a look at the question marks we have for each team playing in Thursday's high-stakes games.

Italy: What version of the Azzurri will we see?

Projected lineup: Donnarumma (GK): Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori, Politano, Barella, Rovella, Tonali, Udogie, Raspadori, Kean

No international squad has been through highs and lows quite like Italy.

Failing to qualify for two World Cups with a Euro championship in between, Italy is trying to find some consistency under Luciano Spalletti.

After a painful 2-0 loss to Switzerland in Euro 2024 led to question marks for the team and a call for a major shakeup, Spalletti has seen a bit of improvement as Italy slowly looks to rebuild its reputation.

Italy finished second in Group 2 behind France, with a 3-1 loss to Les Blues as their only blemish so far in UEFA Nations League play.

Federico Dimarco's absence will be a tough blow for this Italian squad, which will likely have to adjust their formation without the Inter defender. Meanwhile, things won't get any easier for Spalletti who also won't have Mateo Retegui available against Germany after the forward suffered a muscle strain in his right thigh on Wednesday, putting more pressure on Moise Kean — who's tallied 15 goals in 26 games with Fiorentina — to try and lead the way offensively.

Spalletti will likely need his midfield of Samuele Ricci, Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Barella to set the tone in this matchup.

The Italian manager has also been willing to give new players like Matteo Ruggeri, Cesare Casadei, and Pietro Comuzzo opportunities to gain experience, but it will be tough to expect them to be key contributors.

Italy will hope to show that it is heading in the right direction even if it can't pick up a win. However, a final-four appearance in Nations League play would give this group some much-needed confidence toward World Cup qualifying, which has been no guarantee for the four-time champions.

Germany: Can they overcome injuries?

Projected lineup: Nubel (GK): Kimmich, Rudiger, Schlotterbeck, Mittelstadt; Andrich, Gross; Sane, Musiala, Adeyemi; Kleindienst

A trip to San Siro will already provide challenges for Germany, but a few key injuries will make their matchup against Italy even tougher.

Florian Wirtz suffered an ankle injury in Bundesliga play, which leaves a big hole in the lineup, especially with Niclas Fullkrug and Kai Havertz sidelined.

Fortunately for Julian Nagelsmann's squad, Joshua Kimmich has been in fine form with Bayern Munich and will bring his veteran experience against the Azzurri.

Karim Adeyemi earned his first call-up since 2022 with Wirtz and Havertz sidelined and will look to find some chemistry with Bayern duo Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sané. The 23-year-old Adeyemi brings a lot of speed to the lineup, which could be problematic for an Italian defence that isn't as good as past versions.

Germany went unbeaten in the group stage to finish at the top of their table but will have their hands full with one of their top rivals.

In their last 11 matches against Italy, Germany only has two wins, with one coming on penalties and five draws.

Netherlands: Will history be on their side?

Projected lineup: Verbruggen (GK): Frimpong, De Ligt, Van Dijk, J. Timber; Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders, Simons, Brobbey, Gakpo

There aren't many clubs that have had a relative amount of success against a powerhouse like Spain, as the Netherlands have.

The last time they lost to Spain was back in 2010, in a memorable 1-0 match in the World Cup final in South Africa.

The Dutch have conceded just three goals over the last five matches against Spain, winning three of them.

Being at home also provides some advantages for the Netherlands, who have an unbeaten run over its last seven games, outscoring their opponents 24-4 over that stretch.

One area of concern for Ronald Koeman's side is the seven goals allowed during the group stage, which is not something normally seen from his club.

Spain: Can they continue their dominant run?

Projected lineup: Simon (GK): Porro, Cubarsi, Le Normand, Cucurella, Ruiz, Zubimendi, Pedri, Yamal, Morata, N. Williams

It's hard not to be impressed with what we've seen from Spain over the last few years. La Roja earned 16 of a possible 18 points to finish at the top of League A Group 4 and look poised to add another trophy to their collection in international competition.

We almost saw Spain and the Netherlands run it back for a head-to-head in the Euro 2024 final, but England prevailed over the Oranje in their semifinal matchup.

Since Luis de la Fuente took over as manager back in December 2022, Spain owns a 23-3-2 record. Even more impressive is their run over the last 15 international matches, where they have 14 wins and one draw.

The last time Spain earned a victory over the Netherlands within 90 minutes was back in 1983 during Euro qualifying.

The No. 2 ranked nation will look to the prodigal Lamine Yamal, who, at just 17 years old, is about to earn his 18th appearance with Spain. He, alongside captain Alvaro Morata and Nico Williams, will ensure the Netherlands have their hands full.

Portugal: Will offence find a way through disciplined defence?

Costa; Dalot, A. Silva, Dias, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves; Neto, Fernandes, Leao; Ronaldo

Roberto Martinez will once again rely on a star-studded squad that includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, Vitinha, and Pedro Neto.

The team scored 13 goals in six matches during the group stage. Martinez has also been able to get younger talent like Leao and Joao Felix to gel with an experienced Ronaldo, who continues to show his reliability.

In 24 games with Al Nassr, Ronaldo has 19 goals, so he is proving to be a top-end scorer even at 40.

Portugal will have to be ready for a stingy test from Denmark's defence in this match. In its six matches, Denmark has only conceded four goals.

Denmark: Is Christensen's injury too much to overcome?

Projected lineup: Schmeichel (GK), Kristensen, Andersen, Vestergaard, Maehle, Hjulmand, Norgaard, Eriksen, Skov Olsen, Biereth, Damsgaard

Three key injuries will make a tough matchup look almost impossible for Denmark with Andreas Christensen, Kasper Dolberg and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg not able to suit up.

Christensen is the most notable absence, with the Barcelona defender struggling for most of the season.

The Danish footballer received a lot of praise for his performance against Slovenia at Euro 2024 finishing the match with a 100 per cent pass accuracy rate after completing 89 passes.

Unfortunately for Denmark, this is a team that has struggled to produce offensively, especially in its last match against Spain, recording just three shots.

The best chance Denmark has in this match is that the defence is able to pick up the slack, and top-end players like Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund can find a way to be difference-makers.

Croatia: How much does Modric have left in the tank?

Projected lineup: Livakovic (GK): Juranovic, Caleta-Car, Sutalo, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Modric, P. Sucic, Perisic, Kramaric, Baturina

The home side will be in tough against a formidable French squad even without Marcus Thuram available.

At 39 years old, Luka Modric has been a staple for Croatia's squad, but he is considered past his prime, albeit while still looking to prove to Real Madrid that he's worthy of a contract renewal.

What better opportunity than showing his domestic club that he still has a lot of football left in him against France?

Croatia has been looking to rebound from a disappointing Euro 2024 result but is winless over its last three matches, doing just enough to reach the knockout round.

It's tough to expect Modric to be counted on to lead the charge for Croatia, which has lost nine of its last 10 meetings against France. Fortunately for the Vatreni, in their last match against France back in 2022, Modric scored the lone goal on a penalty for a big victory for his team.

France: What can we expect in Mbappe's return to the squad?

Projected lineup: Maignan (GK): Kounde, Konate, Saliba, Hernandez, Tchouameni, Rabiot, Dembele, Olise, Mbappe; Kolo Muani

Kylian Mbappe was not included in France's lineup last November, with Didier Deschamps deciding to leave him out with the captain not being in his best form due to fitness concerns and issues off the pitch.

With 31 goals this season in all competitions, Mbappe has overcome his slow start with his new club, Real Madrid and is looking to show Deschamps that he is back to his dominant ways.

Back in the fold, Mbappe will look to lead a squad that also includes Desire Doue, who is getting his first call-up and is viewed as the next star for France.

One notable omission in the lineup is N'Golo Kante, who isn't able to play because of an injury.