Here’s a match that promises a lot of excitement. Uruguay, the winners of the Group A, take on Portugal, who finished behind Spain in the Group B. The clash between these two heavyweights will take place at the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi on Saturday evening. So, who’s gonna be the happier side when the Mexican ref Cesar Arturo Ramos blows the final whistle? Find out in this match preview!
Uruguay
They did start their World Cup campaign rather slowly, beating both Egypt and Saudi Arabia by only 1:0. But then, Uruguay simply destroyed Russia in the third round, which must’ve gave their players a whole lot of confidence before the Round of 16.
Still, to be true, Russia isn’t as strong team as Portugal, meaning that this match is going to be their most difficult challenge so far. But, Uruguay have some sensational players in the squad. This team’s strongest point seems to be their defense, where they have Atletico Madrid’s duo of center-backs, Gimenez and Godin. Unfortunately, Gimenez is struggling with an injury, but he’ll probably be fit for this match.
Uruguay are also superb in attack, where they have Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, two players considered to be the cream of the crop of world’s football. Of course, strikers can’t do much unless midfielders supply them with useful balls. That said, you can be sure that the center of the pitch is where we’re going to see a big battle between Uruguay and Portugal. Whichever team wins this battle is going to win the war as well.
Portugal
The champions of Europe have set their goal high. They want to win a medal on this tournament and considering how many top-class players they have in the team, it won’t be a big surprise if they manage it. Of course, their biggest star is their captain Cristiano Ronaldo. The CR7 is in the competition for the top scorer of the tournament and if his team reaches the later stages of the tournament, he has every right to hope to win the Best Player award.
Apart from Ronaldo, this team has many other great players in the team. Actually, it seems that they’re strong almost in all positions on the pitch. I say “almost” because their center backs seem to be sluggish at certain moments. That’s not a surprise, considering that Pepe has 35 years and his center-back partner Fonte is turning 35 later this year.
But, to be frank, it seems that the experience is going to play a bigger role in this duel than speed. Uruguay’s attackers aren’t too pacey, but they’re very skillful, so Pepe and Fonte will have to use their brains to outsmart them.
The midfielders of Portugal are those who will have a crucial role in the game against Uruguay. Carvalho is out due to an injury, which is going to be a big handicap for them. But, they do have many other midfielders who can step up – Adrien Silva, Joao Mario, Bruno Fernandes, etc. All of these guys seem capable of doing better than Uruguay in the middle of the pitch.
Possible Lineups
Uruguay:
Muslera – Godin, Gimenez, Pereira, Caceres – Vecino, Bentancur, Carlos Sanchez, Laxalt – Suarez, Cavani
Portugal:
Rui Patricio – Pepe, Fonte, Cedric, Guerreiro – Moutinho, Adrien Silva, Mario – Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Guedes
Uruguay vs. Portugal Match Prediction
Uruguay did very well against Russia, but they still haven’t faced such a strong opponent as Portugal. The team led by Cristiano Ronaldo seems destined to reach the quarter-finals. But, there’s no doubt this is going to be a big challenge for them. Scoring against Uruguay is going to be very difficult, so it won’t be a surprise if the match goes to the extra time, or even penalties.
Uruguay vs. Portugal Betting Tips
- Under 2.5 Goals @1.40 (Bet365)
- Portugal to Qualify @1.92 (Unibet)