Scotland had to deal with more heartbreak on Thursday as they lost 3-2 in the last minute against Poland at Hampden. This Sunday, they face the might of Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.
The two teams are in a group alongside Poland and Croatia.
Match Preview
Portugal recent form
Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 on Thursday in a game that saw Ronaldo score the 900th career goal.
At the Euros, they progressed from a group that included Czechia, Türkiye and Georgia and then had to rely on penalties to get beyond Slovenia in the Round of 16.
They were involved in one of the worst games of the tournament – a 0-0 draw with France – that ultimately led to Les Bleus winning on penalties.
Portugal injury news
There has been speculation that Ronaldo may be rested for this one but that’s never going to happen, so he’ll start again up top.
Francisco Trincao and Pedro Goncalves are recent additions to the squad and could feature on the wings at some point, though Rafael Leao and Pedro Neto are poised to start again even if they were taken off at half-time a few days ago.
The changes came after Roberto Martinez opted to change from a back four to a back three at the break.
Scotland recent form
Scotland actually put in a good performance against Poland. They found themselves 2-0 down but battled back to 2-2 and looked the more likely team to win the game until Grant Hanley stupidly flung himself into a tackle inside the box in the 97th minute, resulting in a penalty to Poland and a 3-2 loss.
It was further disappointment for Steve Clarke and his men, who were one of the worst teams at the Euros, with just one point and two goals to their name at the tournament.
Scotland injury news
Clarke will have to make do without influential midfielder Callum McGregor, who opted to retire from international football.
The Scotland squad has received an injection of fresh blood and indeed the likes of Ben Doak and Ryan Gauld both featured in the Poland game.
But, Clarke will probably go with a similar team to…
Source link : https://www.footballcritic.com/news/portugal-vs-scotland-uefa-nations-league-prediction/5690
Author : editors@footballcritic.com (Martin Macdonald)
Publish date : 2024-09-06 10:34:00
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