On Tuesday, two European rivals who know one another very properly conflict with the prize being a spot within the remaining eight of the 2022 World Cup.
This would be the twenty sixth time Portugal and Switzerland have crossed swords and the third time in 2022. They have been in the identical Nations League group, and their video games have been performed over a 10-day interval in June, with Portugal profitable the primary sport simply 4-0, earlier than Switzerland gained revenge with a 1-0 victory. On the Lusail Stadium (the venue for the World Cup Remaining), it will likely be clear these two have only a few secrets and techniques from one another. It needs to be a tense and cagey affair.
With Ronaldo in certainly his remaining Main finals, Portugal is right here after profitable Group H, regardless of a shock remaining sport defeat to South Korea 2-1 because the favorites with them -110 to win in common time and -300 to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Veteran Portuguese Coach Fernando Santos rested key gamers within the South Korea fixture, understanding his staff had certified and might be extra irritated than involved by that defeat. Portugal’s first two fixtures noticed a hard-fought 3-2 defeat of Ghana and a cushty 2-0 defeat of Uruguay. Of their three video games to date, Portugal has averaged 60% of possession, and their world-class midfielders, led by Manchester Metropolis’s Bernardo Silva, will look to have nearly all of possession right here.
Swiss coach Murat Yakin and his staff arrive right here stuffed with confidence after qualifying in second place behind Brazil in Group G. They got here out on high 3-2 in a bad-tempered conflict with Serbia in one of many video games of the tournament.
Their first two video games have been an assured 1-0 defeat of Cameroon adopted by a 1-0 loss to Brazil, and judging by what we have now simply seen from the event favorites, that appears like an excellent consequence.
The Swiss received’t roll over on this one. They’re a tough facet to interrupt down because of their good group. Switzerland has gone ahead, when attainable, in these finals. In opposition to Serbia, they racked up 14 photographs with 50% heading in the right direction. They’ve averaged lower than 50% of possession, and with Portugal’s midfield power, they’ll doubtless have loads of sport time with out the ball right here. Their Arsenal star Granit Xhaka might be key in countering the opposition’s midfield and is having a superb event.
Of the 2 coaches, Santos has extra beginning lineup issues as Nuno Mendes is out of the event with an harm, and there are extreme doubts over midfielder Otávio.
Switzerland has no harm worries and can welcome again their high goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who missed the ultimate group sport because of sickness, and that might be an enormous enhance for them.
Let’s be clear, Portugal has world-class stars comparable to Ronaldo, Pepe and Silva who’ve been there and performed it, and they’ll look to attract on their expertise to see them by means of to the ultimate eight and a probable encounter with Spain. However this can be a powerful and warranted Switzerland facet who got here by means of a brutal sport with Serbia to get right here. In addition they knocked out World Cup holders France to make the quarterfinals of the Euros not too long ago, so they won’t be in awe.
As I started the article explaining, these sides know one another very properly, and in a decent encounter, I believe the choose is to play Switzerland on the Asian Handicap +0.50. This implies the choose cashes if the Swiss attracts in additional time or wins and solely loses if Portugal wins.