Reigning champions Portugal survived the Group of Death scare and progressed through to the next round of the EURO 2020 competition. They are the best third-placed team among those who qualified but have to undergo a tricky test against Belgium on Sunday night. The FIFA number 1 ranked side won all three of their group stage encounters and are determined to progress further to conquer their first-ever silverware.
Portugal suffered a 3-0 defeat against the Red Devils back in 1989 but have stayed unbeaten since then with 3 wins and 2 draws. This is the first time these two heavyweights are locking horns in a major tournament and the fans across the globe are expecting a cracking contest at Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla.
Predicted 4-1-4-1 Portugal Lineup To Face Belgium
Defence
Rui Patricio was majestic against France as he made an incredible double save to deny Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann. The Wolves keeper ensured a result once again as he has been doing for years and should keep on producing his mastery between the sticks in the upcoming fixture.
The backline, however, remains vulnerable with Ruben Dias struggling to meet his Manchester City standards. Pepe is still going strong at 38, whereas left-back Raphaël Guerreiro exhibited more maturity versus Les Bleus while performing his defensive duties. Joao Cancelo is ruled out of the competition after testing positive for COVID-19 and the gaffer Fernando Santos might rely on Nelson Semedo once more despite his frailty at the back time and again.
Midfield
Danilo Pereira and William Carvalho were positioned as the double pivots and lacked the mobility and pace in the centre of the pitch. The decision of dropping Carvalho and Bruno Fernandes against the world champions worked in favour of Portugal and the excellence of Renato Sanches alongside Joao Moutinho restored the stability in the middle of the park.
Sanches, in particular, has been stupendous so far and his operation as the chief ball carrier must be utilized by the attackers. Diogo Jota and Bernardo Silva did well down the wide to balance their game between defence and attack. Santos, therefore, must not alter the midfield set-up from the Wednesday night outing. João Palhinha had an impressive cameo since coming on as Danilo’s replacement at half-time.
Attack
Portugal is blessed to have the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo spearheading the attack. The 36-year-old is the leading scorer with 5 goals and his second-half spot-kick against France saw him equalling Ali Daei’s record (109) for most international goals in men’s football.
