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UEFA Nations League EXPLAINED: What is it? When are England matches? How does it work?
UEFA Nations League explained - Express Sport is on hand to make sense of the new format in European international football.
The UEFA Nations League got underway during the September international break and this week we’re back for another dose of fixtures.
The idea of the UEFA Nations League is to create a competition between the major tournaments for countries to compete against like-for-like opponents. In this effect, it is a four-tiered league, with promotion and relegation part of the structure to enable movement between the divisions.
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England are in the top division and faced drew 0-0 with World Cup runners-up Croatia in an empty Stadion HNK in Rijeka on Friday night.
The Three Lions are on one point having lost their opening game against Spain, who they face on Monday evening having won both of their two games so far. But here’s how the complex Nations League works…
How the UEFA Nations League works
UEFA’s 55 football associations have been split into four leagues, from A to D.
The are four groups, from 1 to 4, in each league.
England are in League A, Group 4 - the top tier of the competition.
Their group consists of themselves, Spain and Croatia.
The winners of each League A group qualify for the UEFA Nations League Finals next summer.
The losers are relegated and replaced by the winners of the four Group winners from League B.
The same relegation-promotion principle moves all the way down to League D.
UEFA Nations League explained
It will therefore take a League D side four UEFA Nations League tournaments to reach the Finals.
Where are England in the UEFA Nations League?
England sit second in Group D of League A. Both them and Croatia lost to Spain in their opening UEFA Nations League fixtures, but England are second on goal difference with Croatia having lost their game 6-0.
Spain have six points and will remain top regardless of their result at home to England.
England UEFA Nations League fixtures
After their draw with Croatia, England are looking to avenge their defeat to Spain on Monday night.
The Three Lions travel to Seville looking for a first win over Spain since November 2011.
Other Home Nations playing
Wales and Ireland are both in League B, Group 4, along with Denmark.
Ireland drew 0-0 at home to the Danes on Saturday while Wales visit Dublin for a crunch tie on Tuesday.
Northern Ireland are in League B, Group 3. They lost away at Austria on Friday ahead of another away game against Bosnia & Herzegovina next week.
As for Scotland, they top League C, Group A but lost to Israel.