Portugal VS Luxembourg Match Prediction
2019-10-11
18:45:00
Portugal
VS
Luxembourg
Our Prediction Tip
Portugal will win this match.
2019-10-1118:45:00 Portugal will win this match.
In 13 matches prior, Portugal have 11 wins, a draw, and one loss against Luxembourg.
Here's a look at the last four results:
Nov 17, 2015: Luxembourg 0-2 Portugal (Fri)
Oct 15, 2013: Portugal 3-0 Luxembourg (WCQ)
Sep 7, 2012: Luxembourg 1-2 Portugal (WCQ)
Aug 10, 2011: Portugal 5-0 Luxembourg (Fri)
Bet365 have the following odds available for this match:
Portugal are at 1/20, a draw is at 12/1, and Luxembourg are at 28/1.
Group B is looking very interesting so far in qualification. Ukraine sit on top of the pile with 13 points from five matches played. Portugal are in second with eight, but they have played one fewer. They have won two in a row, but they still have a bit of pressure on them, even if it’s slight, to keep their foot down and clinch qualification. Luxembourg have four points and are in a real tough spot knowing they really can’t lose and realistically need to win.
Portugal have made a bit of a slow start to qualification, not counting the Nations League interruption, which hasn’t held them back all that much. With that said, it’s not altogether unusual for them. They have had to go to playoffs multiple times in the last decade to make major tournaments, yet when they eventually get there they are a contender to win it all anyway. In their past year of action, in which they did win the UNL, they have six wins and four draws- an unbeaten record. At home in the same time, they have three draws and two wins, with the latter two coming in the UNL Finals.
Luxembourg, meanwhile, are not in a very good way ahead of this tie. They know that they must not lose in order to have a chance of moving on, and it’s not going to be easy to do that. Even avoiding defeat isn’t likely to see them move on, realistically, either. This is going to be about experience and keeping it as tight as possible and just hoping they can nick a goal and hang on. In their last year of action, they have just two wins to go with three draws and six losses. On the road, they have three losses and two draws.
Betfair have Ronaldo scoring twice or more at 2.1 and a hat trick at 4.5.
Ladbrokes have no for both sides scoring at 2/7.
It’s bad enough to find yourself in a situation where you can’t afford to lose, but it’s even worse to do so at this stage of qualification when you are taking on Portugal… and doing so away from home. That spells disaster for Luxembourg.
Fernando Santos might would prefer to rotate here in a perfect world, but he doesn’t have much of an opportunity to do so given the current nature of the group. Expect much of the same side to feature here, though Joao Cancelo and Renato Sanches, among others have been left out this go around.
The last time Portugal took to the pitch, they were graced by the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo as he plundered four goals against helpless Lithuania. Three of them came raining down in a 15 minute spell, such is the danger he can represent out of the blue. Alongside him, he has the scary Bernardo Silva to create chances for him. The Manchester City man can be a threat from midfield or on the wing, with crosses, shots, or through balls, giving Luxembourg plenty to fret about.
Portugal have four wins and a draw in their last five matches:
1-5 win at Lithuania
2-4 win at Serbia
1-0 home win vs Netherlands (UNL)
3-1 home win vs Switzerland (UNL)
1-1 home draw vs Serbia
Luc Holtz has decided against calling in leading scorer Aurelien Joachim here for this fixture, while fellow forward Stefano Bensi and defenders Christopher Martins and Mathias Janisch also have missed out on the call.
The last time out, Luxembourg got their one goal from substitute David Turpel. That goal didn’t win them the match, but it may well have been enough to warrant a starting place for him as they seek to get a crucial and unexpected victory over the much bigger Portuguese side here. If they are to do that, they will need every bit of help they can get in defence, so that’s where Maxime Chanot will come into play. The center back is very experienced and will be asked to do his best job of his career in marking Ronaldo and co.
Luxembourg have three losses and two draws in their last five matches:
1-3 home loss vs Serbia
1-0 loss at Northern Ireland (Fri)
1-0 loss at Ukraine
1-1 draw at Lithuania
3-3 home draw vs Madagascar (Fri)
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