Portugal into Nations League finals despite Italy impasse

Portugal has claimed the first of four spots in the Nations League finals.

Thanks to Saturday's 0-0 draw with Italy at the San Siro, the Iberian nation is now assured to finish atop the three-team group, regardless of Tuesday's result against Poland.

The Selecao will contest the competition's final four in June, where they will be matched against the three other group winners from League A. Portugal will have the advantage of playing at home, as the winner of Group 3 had already been predetermined as host for the finals.

Though the other groups are still to be decided, France, Belgium, and Spain currently sit top of their respective tables heading into the final matchday. The draw to determine the two semi-final matches will take place on Dec. 3.

Italy looked the more threatening side in the first half, registering two of its 10 shots on target and recording 73 percent of possession. The host failed to find a way past Rui Patricio. The Wolverhampton 'keeper pulled off a diving stop to deny Lorenzo Insigne's fierce fifth-minute strike from outside the box, and a half-hour later thwarted Ciro Immobile's golden chance after the forward was sprung loose on goal by Marco Verratti's needling pass.

Momentum slowly began to shift in the second half. Portugal nearly took the lead at the 76-minute mark, but Gianluigi Donnarumma's instinctive diving stop prevented William Carvalho's left-footed half-volley from finding the goal and kept the stalemate intact.

While Italy failed to usurp Portugal for the first place, the Azzurri can at least take solace in the fact that they won't be relegated for the next edition of the competition. That unfavorable distinction belongs to Poland, which was confirmed to drop to League B following its last-minute loss to the Italians last month.