UEFA Nations League Matchday 3 preview: Players to watch, storylines to follow

Jürgen Klopp is still looking for his first win as Germany coach after his side were beaten by Greece in Augsburg. "We're a football team who have to find ourselves," said Klopp, who retains plenty of confidence. "Believe me, we'll get there."

Serbia are yet to get off the mark in Group A2 after suffering successive 2-1 losses at home. Goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić was nonetheless optimistic after the most recent of those, a Mexx Meerdink-inspired Netherlands victory, saying: "Everyone was up to the task, but against a team like Netherlands you need to produce something extraordinary to win."

Greece made history with their first-ever win over Germany on Matchday 2 and have sights set on another landmark win in Thessaloniki, having beaten Netherlands only once previously. "Two victories in the first two games is very important for the development of the group," coach Ivan Jovanović says of the strong start.

Netherlands sealed their first win under Xavi Hernández and moved to four points in Group A2 thanks to a double from first-time starter Mexx Meerdink in Belgrade. "He played with confidence and took his chances," captain Virgil van Dijk said of the AZ Alkmaar striker, though he described the overall team performance as "not our best."

Denmark dispatched Wales in the second half to get off the mark in Group A4 and want to build on that momentum on their return to Parken. "Now we face Portugal on Thursday, and there's no better opportunity to show that we’re a really good team," said goalscorer Gustav Isaksen.

Portugal have won both of their matches under new coach Jorge Jesus and are getting the best out of João Félix, who followed up his winner against Wales with the opener against Norway. "The team dynamic is there, we're responding well to the manager's ideas and he's pleased," says the Portugal forward as they try to make it three from three.

For Wales' Sorba Thomas, the lesson of a 2-0 defeat in Denmark was clear: "We need to start punishing teams when we're on top; that's what they did." As the attack zeroes in on a clinical edge, improved set-piece defending is the goal at the other end. "Usually we pride ourselves on being good at them," said captain Ben Davies after conceding two such goals.

Erling Haaland extended his record tally of UEFA Nations League goals on Matchday 2, a reflection of his extraordinary nose for goal and the creative talents that surround him. Martin Ødegaard and Antonio Nusa were both impressive despite defeat against Portugal, full-back Fredrik Aursnes concluding: "It wouldn't have been surprising if we'd scored another two or three goals."

Mark van Bommel has made an impressive start as Belgium coach, leading the side to a 2-0 win in Italy before coming two minutes and a moment of Michael Olise magic from picking up a point against France. "I cannot fault my players," he said after that late defeat. "So much intensity, so much quality. We're making progress."

Belgium's next staging post comes in Liege with a home game against a Türkiye side seeking their first points in Group A1. "Two and a half years ago this team was in League C," coach Vincenzo Montella said after Monday's 4-1 home loss to Italy. "Now we're in League A and playing opponents of this level in successive matches is hard. We have to quickly get used to it."

Zinédine Zidane has a bit of history with Italy: five seasons at Juventus, the pleasure of 1998 and 2000, the pain of 2006. So who but the Azzurri to mark his first home game as France coach? The 54-year-old has overseen back-to-back 1-0 away wins so far, and there are early signs of the direction he wants to go in. "We were brave," he said after seeing off Belgium. "We were not afraid of getting into the opposition half."

Michael Kayode reached for different superlatives as Italy bounced back from a 2-0 loss to Belgium with a slick 4-1 triumph in Türki̇ye on Monday. "Fantastic simplicity and determination," said the defender following a memorable debut, as the Roberto Mancini revolution truly got up and running. Another victory, at Stade de France, would be a huge statement.

Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon have scored in both of England's games so far, and will look to keep the goals flowing in Rijeka. "It was good; quite dominant," said Gordon of his side's 2-0 win against ten-man Czechia on Tuesday. Croatia won 2-1 in Czechia on Matchday 1, but a 4-1 defeat in Spain has left them level on three points with Thomas Tuchel's side.

England beat Croatia 4-2 at this summer's World Cup, and 1-0 at UEFA EURO 2020, but members of both sides will remember well the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup, when Croatia beat England 2-1 to book their first-ever final place. The sides drew 0-0 in a Nations League game Rijeka later that year, the venue for this encounter.

Lamine Yamal was the star of the show as Spain beat Croatia 4-1 on Tuesday, and Nico Williams (who hit Spain's fourth) said "when Lamine smiles, he plays better", adding: "He's a special player." Czechia lost their first two games but will look to become the first side to deny Yamal a goal in Group A3.

Czechia twice took the lead the last time these sides met in Prague, in a 2022 Nations League qualifier, and it took a late Iñigo Martínez finish to earn Spain a 2-2 draw. That result means that La Roja come into this game unbeaten in seven meetings with their opponents (W5 D2).