Portugal face Poland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 at Marseille’s Stade Vélodrome. Both teams have been far from impressive so far, each managing only to barely scrape through to the final eight.
The White Eagles will count themselves lucky as they saw an impressive Switzerland side off via a penalties. Portugal themselves barely managed to prevent a dreaded shootout against Croatia, thanks to a late winner in extra-time by Ricardo Quaresma. Whether deserving or not, both sides have worked hard to get to where they are now and with the semi-finals looming, one can expect a tight encounter.
Key Battle –Cristiano Ronaldo vs Michał Pazdan
It is difficult to predict Selecção’s strength at the moment. Their defence has shown signs of frailties while their attack has been far from best. No single player has shined for the Portuguese yet, which comes as a surprise considering Cristiano Ronaldo is in the side. Apart from his two vital goals against Hungary, the skipper has not lived up to expectations. A disappointing display against Croatia saw elation for the 31-year-old, as he ended up assisting the winning goal. Despite not playing to his high standards, there is no doubt that Ronaldo has the ability to change a game at any moment.
Poland will be well aware of that and will undoubtedly be extra prepared to deal with the Real Madrid forward. Adam Nawałka’s men have only conceded one goal so far in the tournament and boast of one of the meanest defences of Euro 2016. Pazdan has played every minute for his side so far, putting in some noteworthy performances along the way. His next obstacle will be a lot more challenging. Not only will he have to keep the dangerous Ronaldo quiet, but will also have to be wary of a hungry Portugal side who are keen on making their third Euro semi-final appearance in their last four attempts.
Team News
Łukasz Fabianski was outstanding against Switzerland and Wojciech Szczesny’s injury worries will guarantee the Swansea goalkeeper a starting place. They are set to remain unchanged from the last game.
Fernando Santos made a number of changes against Croatia, changing three of the back four and it looks like it paid off. With André Gomes and João Moutinho shaking off injuries, Santos will be tempted to stick with majority of the players who started against Croatia.
Head-to-head
It will only be the 11th time that the two sides will meet. The Portuguese have a slight advantage, winning four and drawing three. The White Eagles have gotten the rewards on only three occasions.
Previous Meeting
The sides last met in 2012, during an international friendly. The game ended scoreless after the 90 minutes.
Prediction
Poland looked the better drilled side, but Portugal possess the raw power and strong attitude. The White Eagles have been disappointing upfront so far and it will be a fantastic time for Robert Lewandowski to show what he is capable of. It will be a tight encounter for sure with few goals in it, but fancy Poland to get a crucial win.
Poland 1 Portugal 0
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
