Portugal vs Uruguay Prediction, Betting Odds & Preview

We have a Portugal vs Uruguay prediction for you as the two top-ranked sides in Group H go head-to-head this Monday evening at the World Cup.

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Game Details

Matchup: Portugal vs Uruguay

Venue: Lusail Stadium

Kick-Off: 7 pm, Mon, Nov 28th

What Channel? RTE 2 for viewers in Ireland. Viewers in the UK can catch the action on ITV.

Match Betting Odds

The Form – Portugal vs Uruguay

Portugal’s Form

Portugal come into this game off the back of a wild first game with Ghana. In the end, they prevailed for a 3-2 victory but they struggled at times. Portugal ‘keeper Diogo Costa almost gave the game away after a gaff in injury time but Ghana were unable to capitalise on their chance.

The Portuguese are the 9th ranked nation in the world but they didn’t play like that in their opening game. They won three of their five most recent games before the start of this World Cup. If Portugal play like they did against Ghana then Uruguay will have every chance of winning this game.

Uruguay’s Form

Uruguay started this tournament with a 0-0 draw against South Korea. The game was a pretty boring affair and this team would have been disappointed with the result and their performance.

The South American nation are ranked 14th in the FIFA World Rankings. They came into this World Cup in decent form with three wins, one draw and one loss in their previous five fixtures.

How The Two Teams Match Up – Portugal vs Uruguay Prediction

Portugal’s Attack

On paper Portugal have one of the most dangerous attacks in this World Cup. When you consider the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo up front along with Bernardo Silva of Man City, Man United’s Bruno Fernandes and young Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix, this team can put a lot of stress on opposing defences.

Although they did score three goals in their opening game against Ghana their attacking play didn’t look very fluid for most of the match. Portugal didn’t score until the 65th minute which came courtesy of a questionable penalty call.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see manager Fernando Santos drop Otavio to the bench for this game and start Rafael Leao who impressed with a goal when he came on against Ghana.

Uruguay’s Defence

Uruguay have traditionally been a very strong defensive team and this 2022 World Cup squad is no different. In their World Cup opener against South Korea they did not concede one shot on target against them. The Uruguayans have an incredible defensive record of only one goal conceded in their last five international fixtures.

The South Americans set up in a 4-3-3 in the South Korea game but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them switch to a 4-4-2 to make it more difficult for Portugal to control the ball around the middle of the field. I think at right back we might see Caceres drop to the bench and Varela take his spot.

Uruguay’s Attack

This team struggled in attack against South Korea as they failed to record a shot on target despite ten attempts at the opposition goal. Uruguay had 56% possession of the ball in that game which reflects that they controlled the pace of the game.

When you look at the team sheet you will see plenty of quality attacking options. Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez is the star of this team and he will start on either the wing or through the middle depending on the formation. Luis Suarez is not the player that he once was but he is still liable to pop up and score a goal at any time as this team’s striker.

Federico Valverde is a rising star in world football as he has cemented his place in Real Madrid’s starting team over the last couple of years. You will see Valverde constantly getting on the ball in midfield and driving this team forward.

Portugal’s Defence

Portugal were pretty disappointing in defence against Ghana in their opening game. That Ghana squad have very little attacking talent but they still managed to find the back of the Portuguese net on two occasions. They will face much better forwards in this game against Uruguay so they will need to improve defensively.

When you look at the talent that Portugal have available to them at the back then it’s hard to see why they don’t have one of the best defences in the tournament. Man City’s Ruben Dias and Joao Cancel are world class and they will take two of the starting spots. If Nuno Mendes is fit and healthy he will likely take the spot of Guerreiro as the starting right back.

Portugal vs Uruguay Prediction and Best Bet

I’m going with Cristiano Ronaldo to score and Portugal to win as the best bet here boosted to 9/4 from 2/1.

Ronaldo has been in great goal scoring form at international level and on paper Portugal look to have the advantage here over an aging Uruguay squad.

Portugal vs Uruguay Prediction – Goalscorer Betting Odds

Cristiano Ronaldo to score twice at 7/1 odds looks like an interesting bet given that he takes penalties for this team and how many goals he has scored for his country this year.

On the Uruguay side Darwin Nunez looks like a good value to score the game’s first goal at odds of 7/1 for the Liverpool forward.

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