Ireland v Portugal will kick off at 19:45 on Thursday 11th November in the Aviva Stadium.

Most of the tickets for this game were sold out within minutes of them being on sale online. For those who could not claim a ticket, the match will also be shown live on RTE 2 and RTE player with coverage starting at 19:00.

Stephen Kenny has changed Ireland’s fortunes in recent months. After a poor start to his campaign, they are now unbeaten four games and have shown real promise in front of goal.

The Boys in Green still sit in fourth place in the group behind Luxembourg and are unable to qualify from the group. After this tie with Portugal, they will travel to the small nation of Luxembourg for what seems like a more important game for Kenny’s regime.

If Kenny thought Ireland’s form was good then Fernando Santos has been making a monstrous squad out of Portugal. Since being knocked out of Euro 2020 to Belgium, they have won five games on the bounce, keeping three clean sheets.

The World number eight-country currently sit in second place in the World Cup qualification group. They only sit one point off Serbia but have a single game in hand. Even though the Portuguese will want to win against Ireland, they will keep one eye on their fixture against the Serbians this Sunday in Lisbon.

Ireland have very few opportunities to play Ronaldo and Portugal, having only faced them twice in the last 10 years. Both times, the Portuguese squad came out on top, first 5-1 in 2014, and most recently they made a 2-1 comeback at the start of September.

The amazing sequence of passes that led to Callum Robinson's hattrick goal

The Irish evolution #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/OCLWaUp70R

— Kenny's Kids (@KennysKids) October 14, 2021

Ireland v Portugal Probable Starting Teams

Ireland

Formation

5-3-2

Probable Starting 11

Bazunu (GK), Doherty, Egan, Duffy, Omobamidele, Coleman, Hendrick, Cullen, Knight, Idah, Robinson.

Injuries / Suspensions

Collins (Muscle injury), O’Shea (Knee), Connolly (Heel)

Portugal

Formation

4-3-3

Probable Starting 11

Patricio (GK), Mendes, Dias, Pepe, Semedo, Palhinha, Neves, Fernandes, Rafa, Silva, Ronaldo.

Injuries / Suspensions

Mario (Back)

Matija Nastasic (Serbia player):

Cristiano Ronaldo in our next match against Portugal? "Honestly, I don't expect Cristiano Ronaldo to be more or less excited. He's one of those players who always gets excited in every match, so I think he's no different in this match." pic.twitter.com/xF1JtMKRsf

— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) November 10, 2021

Ireland v Portugal Match Betting

Ireland to win: 9/1

Draw: 15/4

Portugal to win: 3/10

Score Prediction

It would feel blasphemous to bet against the Boys in Green but it would be a major shock to see Kenny’s young men overcome the world-class side aiming to top this qualifying group. Recent form at least shows that Ireland will be spirited and give Ronaldo’s team a real go for it.

Expect the game to end 2-1 to Portugal.

Only two days until Cristiano Ronaldo plays in the Aviva Stadium How can Stephen Kenny's team stop the Portugal captain? pic.twitter.com/mPbYYaDj2S

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 9, 2021

To read more from this writer, click here.

And to read more in-depth and up-to-date Ireland and international football news, click here.

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The 26-year-old has made 23 appearances for Ireland since being handed his debut by former manager Martin O’Neill in May 2016 in a 2-1 defeat to Belarus.

The Oxford-born Republic of Ireland player has yet to complete the full 90 minutes under Kenny and has only played for the side five times under their current boss.

O’Dowda is line to make his first appearance for the national side in a year – the Bristol City winger has featured for Stephen Kenny’s team since the 1-0 defeat to Wales in the UEFA Nations League last November.

Cardiff City forward James Collins will miss out on a 15th appearance for the national team and an 11th since Stephen Kenny took the reins.

O’Dowda has been a bit-part player for Bristol City so far this season, making only seven appearances in the EFL Championship and playing for only 278 minutes – 90 of which came in his most recent game for the Robins against Coventry.

Ireland Squad v Portugal and Luxembourg

Goalkeepers: Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Gavin Bazunu (Portsmouth, on loan from Manchester City), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth).
Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Manning (Swansea City), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), James McClean (Wigan Athletic), Shane Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion), John Egan (Sheffield United), Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City), Nathan Collins (Burnley).
Midfielders: Conor Hourihane (Sheffield United, on loan from Aston Villa), Josh Cullen (Anderlecht), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Jason Knight (Derby County), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Jamie McGrath (St. Mirren).
Forwards: Callum Robinson (West Bromwich Albion), Troy Parrott (MK Dons, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), Will Keane (Wigan Athletic), Chiedozie Ogbene (Rotherham United), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers).

Fixtures – FIFA 2022 World Cup Qualifying

11/11 – Republic of Ireland v Portugal – Aviva Stadium, 7.45 pm
14/11 – Luxembourg v Republic of Ireland – Stade de Luxembourg, 7.45pm

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Their win came less than 24 hours after the senior side defeated Australia in front of over 3,000 fans at Tallaght Stadium.

With time ticking down in Lisbon, Cork City defender Heidi Macken popped up to score the winning goal for the Irish.

The youngster made the most telling impact at the most crucial time as referee Sofia Gamas blew the final whistle moments after that to allow Ireland to extend their celebrations.

Head Coach James Scott made some changes to his line-up following last Monday’s 3-1 loss to the same opponent and there was a freshness about their play in the Portuguese heat.

It was the hosts who struck first with a shot from distance rattling the Irish crossbar before Claudia Keenan was called on to make a vital save on 18 minutes.

However, Ireland did produce some neat passages of play – a characteristic of Scott’s teams – with Lia O’Leary shooting just wide of the target and also registering a second effort at goal.

Abby Larkin tested the alertness of the Portuguese goalkeeper, Eve Dossen headed wide when meeting a free-kick delivery, and Michaela Lawrence clipped the top of the crossbar with a shot.

While Portugal did have some chances, it was Ireland who looked the most likely to score with Larkin again going close.

However, luck seemed to be evading them until Macken changed that for them.

The watch had gone past the 90th minute when Macken got the goal that ends this trip to Portugal on a high and should give Ireland plenty of confidence going into their UEFA Women’s Under-17 European Championship qualifiers.

Republic of Ireland: Keenan; Thompson, Dossen (Fleming 68), Macken, O’Hanlon; O’Mahony (O’Brien 80), Lawrence (O’Riley 68); Long (Kelly 56), Loughrey (McCarn 80), O’Leary (Ralph 80); Larkin.

Portugal: Faria; Ramos, Vinhas, Cardoso, Pinto, Francisca; Ferreira, Martins, Joao, Simas, Doce.

Referee: Sofia Gama (Portugal).

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The Republic of Ireland had the lion’s share of possession throughout the game but a 25-yard strike from Azerbaijani midfielder Emin Makhmudov forced Stephen Kenny’s side to chase the game in the second half.

The ever-reliable Shane Duffy headed home with three minutes to spare in normal time to share the spoils with the visitors but Ireland failed to deliver on the promise they showed on Wednesday against Portugal.

Duffy and co. started out as the better side, applying pressure on a three-man defence that appeared as if holes could be exposed in it.

However, as the half went on, Ireland’s history under Stephen Kenny of being wasteful in front of goal had another chapter added to it as the side failed to take the lead despite having several strong chances to do so.

Ireland’s 3-4-3 formation failed to impact their play positively with a midfield who struggled to keep possession and an overreliance on creativity down the right flank.

Azerbaijan got to grips with the game and started pushing back and applying pressure on the hosts’ back five.

Ireland weathered much of the storm but not without some alarming amounts of space being afforded to the opponents on the ball at times.

The half looked to be ending without a goal before Makhmudov rifled the ball past Gavin Bazunu, shocking the Aviva and putting Giovanni De Biasi’s side ahead.

De Biasi’s defensive tactics shone in the second half as the Republic of Ireland were frustrated time and time again.

The game followed the trend Azerbaijan have showcased in recent history of allowing at least twice as many shots against themselves as they took.

However, the Azerbaijani defence, namely a narrow back three and goalkeeper Sahruddin Mehemmedeliyev, held firm.

Wycombe Wanderers striker Daryl Horgan came on in place of Aaron Connolly and injected some much-needed urgency into the side.

Troy Parrott was taken off 17 minutes into the second half with Jayson Molumby on in his place.

Parrott struggled throughout the game after being placed in a deeper role than usual – it was not uncommon to see Idah centrally and Parrott behind him with no presence on the right-hand side in the final third.

Ireland got their goal with minutes to spare courtesy of Shane Duffy, who became the side’s joint top-scorer under Stephen Kenny with his equaliser – Duffy and Parrott have both scored two since Kenny’s first game in charge.

The team pushed for a winner but could not find it and come out of their first half of World Cup Qualifier fixtures with just a point to show for it.

The Republic of Ireland host Serbia on Tuesday, September 7 in the first of their reverse fixtures against their Group A opponents.

Serbia smacked Luxembourg 4-1 in the Red Star Stadium in Belgrade and have given Ireland a mountain to climb to get out of the group – although it does not seem like Stephen Kenny’s side have a chance.

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The Group A showdown means one of the sides will finally get points on the board after both teams suffered losses to Portugal, Serbia and Luxembourg.

Stephen Kenny’s Republic of Ireland side came close in their last match against Portugal after two disappointing opening games against Serbia and Luxembourg but it was not to be.

Our match report detailed an Ireland that had cohesion in defence and offered threats up top via the vision of their midfield.

More of the same will be expected against an Azerbaijan side who have given up at least twice as many shots as they have taken in each of their three other qualifying games.

They will hope to get their second win under the former Dundalk and Ireland U21 boss against the side ranked 112th in the world.

Ireland have announced their team for today’s game, which sees Ronan Curtis, Alan Browne and Callum Robinson all make a return to the matchday 23.

Ireland’s full-backs will once again be crucial to their performance – the duo of Seamus Coleman and Matt Doherty will retain their spots after the Portugal match.

Norwich City’s Andrew Omibamidele made his debut for the national side after he came on in Dara O’Shea’s place after the latter centre-half was forced off through injury.

Omibamidele impressed and will appear again on the bench for the Republic of Ireland as the formation shifts from a 3-5-2 to a 4-4-2.

Giovanni De Biasi’s side tends to set up defensively but do deploy wing-backs and can offer a threat in the final third if given the chance.

Lineups

Republic of Ireland (4-4-2): Bazunu; Coleman, Duffy, Egan, Doherty; Connolly, Cullen, Molumby, McClean; Idah, Parrott.

Subs: Kelleher, Talbot, Manning, Hourihane, Robinson, Hendrick, Browne, Horgan, McGrath, Collins, Curtis, Omibamidele.

Azerbaijan (4-3-3): Mahammadaliyev; Medvedev (C), Haghverdi, Camalov, Kryvotsiuk; Mahmudov, Qarayev, Bayramov; Alasgarov, Emreli, Ozobic.

Subs: Salahli, Mustafayev, Ahmadzada, Seydayev, Cannatov, Huseynov, Mustafazada, Nuriyev, Khalilzada, Ibrahimli, Sadykhov, Bayramov.

Odds

Republic of Ireland 1/2

Draw 11/4

Azerbaijan 6/1

TV Coverage 

Kick-off for the match is at 5:00 pm with RTÉ 2 broadcasting the game – their coverage begins at 4 pm.

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Ronaldo’s two goals put him clear of Iran’s Ali Daei on the international goalscoring charts as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner became the all-time leading goalscorer at international level in front of a home crowd.

The Manchester United star had a 15th-minute penalty saved by Irish goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu at the Estadio Algarve after the referee decided to stick with his on-field following a lengthy VAR check.

Yet, it was Ireland who took the lead after a 45th-minute header of their own courtesy of newly-crowned Ireland Men’s Senior International Player of the Year John Egan when he connected well with a Jamie McGrath corner.

Stephen Kenny’s side put in their best performance yet under his guidance with a clear identity present throughout a game in which Ireland frustrated their opponents.

Forwards Adam Idah and Aaron Connolly were often given the ball on counter-attacks with the pair of them using it to varying success.

Idah often used the channels to create space for himself and others while Connolly found it hard to shrug defenders off and missed several opportunities to play in teammates in better positions and shots on goal.

Seamus Coleman impressed throughout the game at right wing-back in Ireland’s 3-5-2 setup and ran up and down the right flank throughout the match, whether it be to offer support for Idah or create a chance in the box.

Coleman survived losing his wing-back spot after centre-half Dara O’Shea went off following a tackle gone wrong.

The West Bromwich Albion man was replaced by Norwich City’s Andrew Omibamidele, who performed well on his international debut.

On the opposite flank, Matt Doherty also impressed and put in a strong shift defensively to prove any doubters wrong about his selection in the team.

The Tottenham Hotspur defender was forced off the pitch momentarily in the second half but carried on to finish the game.

Josh Cullen was the fulcrum of the side, changing defence to attack with well-weighted passes and good vision.

The spaces left by midfielders Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, as well as full-backs Joao Cancelo and Raphael Guerreiro were exposed when Ireland went forward.

Kenny’s side were still able to fashion attacks as the game grew tenser and tenser in the second half but nothing came of them

Portugal’s open setup allowed them to pile on the pressure in the second-half and after several heroics from various members of the Ireland team, the gates were finally breached when Ronaldo rose high to head home past Gavin Bazunu, who had denied Portugal multiple times before.

Bazunu’s fantastic saves and calm presence inside his six-yard box had put Irish minds at ease many times previous in the game.

His penalty save in the first half gave his side some much-needed inspiration that pushed them on to give the UEFA Nations League holders a competitive game.

James McClean almost added a second while the Portuguese were still resetting their shape but couldn’t convert via the angle he shot from.

Six minutes into the five minutes of added time, Cristiano Ronaldo rose high once again and added his second of the game to steal all three points in the dying moments of the game.

The loss leaves Ireland without a point in Group A of the 2022 Fifa World Cup Qualifiers and seven points off second.

The side are six points behind third-placed Luxembourg and level with Azerbaijan.

They now must look towards Saturday’s game against Serbia, to whom they lost 3-2 in the reverse fixture.

Their performance against Portugal on Wednesday night can motivate Kenny and his squad if they can look past the manner in which the result slipped out of their hands.

If not, a bright performance in Faro could be forever disguised by a negative result.

Man of the Match: Gavin Bazunu (Republic of Ireland)

Portugal: Rui Patrício; Joao Cancelo (Goncalo Guedes 82), Pepe, Rúben Dias, Raphaël Guerreiro (Nuno Mendes 62); Joao Palhinha (Joao Moutinho 73), Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes (Joao Mario 62), Rafa Silva (Andre Silva HT), Diogo Jota, Cristiano Ronaldo (C).

Republic of Ireland: Gavin Bazunu; Shane Duffy, John Egan, Dara O’Shea (Andrew Omobamidele 35); Seamus Coleman (C), Matt Doherty, Josh Cullen, Jeff Hendrick, Jamie McGrath (Jayson Molumby 90); Adam Idah (James Collins 90), Aaron Connolly (James McClean 72).

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The game will kick off at 7:45 pm and will take place at the Estadio Algarve – no away fans are permitted to attend, under UEFA rules.

The Republic of Ireland have had a rough start to their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, with losses to Serbia and Luxembourg putting them on the back foot after only two games.

Portugal, on the other hand, are top of Group A after three games after two wins and one draw – the draw being against Serbia.

Ireland called up a 25-man squad for the international break and a strong eleven is expected to be crafted from it tonight.

Caoimhin Kelleher and Gavin Bazunu are both available for selection between the sticks and head coach Stephen Kenny could choose either one of them.

Norwich City defender Andrew Omobamidele could be in line to make his senior international debut tonight, potentially in a three-man defence.

Shane Duffy, John Egan and Ryan Manning are also available for selection for tonight’s fixture.

West from loanee Jayson Molumby and Anderlecht’s Josh Cullen are expected to appear in midfield for the side.

Kenny could opt for a young frontline with three forwards aged 21 and under called up for international duty.

Joao Felix and Renato Sanches were named in the Portugal squad for the September international break but are currently sidelined through injury.

Captain Cristiano Ronaldo will be fit and looking to score the goal that will make him the stand-alone top goalscorer in international football – he is currently tied with Iran’s Ali Daei on 109.

Fellow Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes will also be available for tonight’s World Cup qualification clash.

It’s impossible to look past the quality of the Portuguese squad when considering the outcome of this encounter – it is unlikely Ireland will come away with a result.

Lineups
Portugal have wheeled out the artillery: Rui Patricio; Cancelo, Pepe, Dias, Guerreiro; Joao Paulinha, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes; Diogo Jota, Andre Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo

Odds

Portugal 1/7

Draw 11/2

Republic of Ireland 17/1

Where To Watch

The match will kick-off at 7:45 pm Irish Standard Time. It will be available to watch on RTÉ 2 with coverage starting at 7 pm. It will also be available to watch on Sky Sports Premier League at 7:30 pm.

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Ireland will travel to Faro to take on Portugal at the Estádio Algarve on Wednesday, September 1 before returning to Ireland to take on Azerbaijan on Saturday, September 4 and Serbia on Tuesday, September 7 at the Aviva Stadium.

Enda Stevens, Callum O’Dowda, Jason Knight and Chiedozie Ogbene have all been ruled out through injury whilst West Bromwich Albion striker Callum Robinson tested positive for COVID-19 this week, and is currently in isolation.

Burnley defender Nathan Collins receives his first call-up to the senior squad whilst Jamie McGrath and Andrew Omobamidele keep their place in the squad after impressing in the summer camp in Andorra and Hungary.

Brighton and Hove Albion striker Aaron Connolly and Newcastle United midfielder Jeff Hendrick return to the squad having missed the summer international friendlies, with the squad set to fly out to Portugal on Sunday.

Republic of Ireland Squad

Goalkeepers: Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Gavin Bazunu (Portsmouth, on loan from Manchester City), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth)

Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Shane Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion), John Egan (Sheffield United), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Ryan Manning (Swansea City), James McClean (Wigan Athletic), Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City), Nathan Collins (Burnley).

Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Anderlecht), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Harry Arter (Nottingham Forest), Jamie McGrath (St. Mirren), Jayson Molumby (Brighton and Hove Albion)

Attackers: Aaron Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion), James Collins (Cardiff City), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Troy Parrott (MK Dons, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Shane Long (Southampton), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth).

Fixtures

01/09 – Portugal v Republic of Ireland, Estádio Algarve, 7:45pm
04/09 – Republic of Ireland v Azerbaijan, Aviva Stadium, 5 pm
07/09 – Republic of Ireland v Serbia, Aviva Stadium, 7:45 pm

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Oranje Crush: Czechs Kick Netherlands Out

The Czech Republic won the five o’clock kick-off, upsetting Frank de Boer’s Netherlands in the process.

Dutch defender Matthijs De Ligt was shown a red card for deliberately handling the ball in the fifty-fifth minute.

De Ligt pinned all the blame on himself pic.twitter.com/NtjqCsapSI

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 27, 2021

The Netherlands had dominated the first but had nothing to show for it and the momentum swung in the second half.

Slavia Prague right-back Tomas Holes scored the opening goal in the sixty-eighth minute to give his country the advantage over the 10-man Netherlands.

Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg came off his line and left it open for Holes to put his side ahead.

Frank de Boer’s selections and substitutions proved ineffective in the Netherlands’ first European Championship knockout game since 2008.

Tournament star Patrik Schick finished off the helpless Dutch with the second of the game and his fourth of the tournament coming in the 80th minute.

The Czech Republic will face Denmark in the quarter-finals on Saturday at 5 pm.

Belgium Down Portugal To Keep Euro 2020 Hopes Alive

Later on, the Belgians beat reigning European champions Portugal to earn themselves a date with Italy.

A Thorgan Hazard wondergoal lit up an otherwise dull first half and forced the Portuguese to attack Roberto Martinez’s side in the second half.

Fernando Santos’ selection of Renato Sanches and Joao Palhinha did not pay off as the Portuguese side failed to break down the Belgians.

Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to score his 110th international goal against Belgium, which would have put him out on his own in the all-time international scoring charts.

Belgium (0.23) 1-0 (1.56) Portugal

— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) June 27, 2021

Santos’ side failed to take advantage of the opportunities they had, registering 1.53 expected goals on the night without finding the net.

The 101-year-old defence of Jan Vertonghen, Thomas Vermaelen and Toby Alderweireld kept a clean sheet and helped their side progress to the quarter-finals.

Belgium will play Italy in their quarter-final on Friday at 5 pm.

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France, Germany, Hungary, and Portugal will lock horns over the course of the group stage to determine who goes through.

There is a very high possibility that three from this group go through – which three it will be is a tougher question to answer.

FRANCE

France is the reigning World champion and will enter the tournament as favourites for the European crown.

The Euro 2016 runners-up are trying out a new formation currently which accommodates Karim Benzema.

Benzema made his first appearance for France after five years and seven months in exile against Wales.

The 4-3-1-2 formation can accommodate Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kanté and Adrien Rabiot in the centre of the pitch.

Ina addition to this, Antoine Griezmann can play as a number 10 behind Kylian Mbappé and Benzema.

This allows Benzema to play the way he does at Real Madrid.

The striker can hold up the ball for Mbappé and move into spaces to receive passes.

It was trialled in the tournament warm-up matches but we will not know how impactful it is for Les Bleus until the Euros.

Manager Didier Deschamps could lead France to a second major trophy in three years if his tinkering pays off, but they must get through this group before they even think of that.

GERMANY

Germany has been on the decline since their abysmal World Cup defence in Russia.

Head coach Joachim Löw is will leave his role after Germany’s Euro 2020 concludes.

The World Cup-winning coach has yet to fix the problems that have plagued Germany for several years.

Antonio Rüdiger has earned a starting spot for the Euros alongside Mats Hummels and Emre Can, who Löw plays often.

The Germans’ midfield is stacked but in a negative way – will Kimmich and Goretska play alongside each other or will Kroos take the latter’s place and Germany play with two 6s? It is hard to tell.

Thomas Müller and Ilkay Gündogan could also start, and their presence would provide the link between defence and attack that a double 6 midfield would need.

Serge Gnabry, Timo Werner and Kevin Volland are all candidates to lead the line for Die Mannschaft but it is unclear whether they will be isolated or provided adequate support to do their job.

Germany is the team that is the hardest to read going into Euro 2020 and, with home advantage for all three group games, may return to form or could go out in a blaze of glory.

They are suspect to an upset based on recent form, but they could also come out guns blazing with Thomas Müller and company back in the squad.

HUNGARY

Hungary will be looking to have another impressive European Championship after winning their group in 2016, which also included Portugal.

RB Leipzig’s Péter Gulácsi, his clubmate Willi Orban and Attila Szalai will provide Marco Rossi’s team with a solid defence.

Bristol City’s Ádám Nagy will patrol the space in front of them.

Winger Roland Sallai and captain Ádám Szalai will do what they can in the attacking third.

The side is without their best player through injury, RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai, and will struggle in attack.

What they do have, though, is a home advantage against France and Portugal.

It is unlikely that Marco Rossi’s side qualifies for the Round of 16, but it is far from impossible.

PORTUGAL

Portugal, in contrast, has their star man and have all positions covered with top-notch depth except centre-back as only three are part of the squad.

Those three in question are Ruben Dias, Pepe, and José Fonte though, so that evens it out.

However, Pepe and Fonte were born in 1983.

Selecting a fourth centre-back would have been high on any other manager’s list.

Portugal under-21-star Diogo Leite would have been an ideal inclusion, but Portugal boss Fernando Santos opted against it.

Defensive midfielder Danilo can play there if needed.

Their midfield is packed with defensive-minded players.

Fullbacks João Cancelo and Raphaël Guerreiro will play high and wide, the former acting as a playmaker when needed.

Sergio Oliveira and Renato Sanches can add attacking ability to the midfield if needed.

João Felix will cut inside from his wide role and either move through the middle or create space for Cristiano Ronaldo or Guerreiro.

Ronaldo will look to get the ball in any position in the final third and do his thing, as he so usually does.

Diogo Jota and Andre Silva provide options for the forward line if a Ronaldo-led attack is deemed to need them.

Santos’ Portugal will play defensive against fellow favourites France but may choose to be more attacking against those with weaker defences.

Ronaldo and the rest should not have a problem, much like France, unless Germany or Hungary can change their tune.

Group F Fixtures:

Hungary v Portugal Tuesday, 15th June 17:00.

France v Germany Tuesday, 15th June 20:00.

Hungary v France Saturday 19th June 14:00.

Portugal v Germany Saturday, 19th June 17:00.

Portugal v France Wednesday, 23rd June 20:00.

Germany v Hungary Wednesday, 23rd June 20:00.

Betting Group F Winner

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