Uruguay vs Portugal Match Preview and Prediction

Aron Wright - June 28, 2018

Uruguay vs Portugal
2018 World Cup Round of 16
Date: Saturday, 30 June 2018
Kick-Off at 19:00 UK / 20:00 CET
Venue: Olimpiyskiy Stadion Fisht, Sochi.

Uruguay defeated a 10-man Russia on Monday in Samara to win the Group A in style in spite of lame performances in the first couple of rounds. They kept the 100 per cent winning each of three group phase game without conceding at all along the way. Can La Celeste maintain such form in the last 16 round when they are to take on the European champions Portugal?

• Uruguay woke up after a poor pair of performances against the likes of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
• Led by the rock-solid defense, La Celeste topped the Group A with the maximum nine points and a fine 5-0 goal difference.
• Portugal barely clinched the second round after surviving a late scare against Iran on Monday evening.
• The two sides are about to face each other for the first time ever.

Uruguay vs Portugal Match Preview

Portugal had a much more complicated day in the last round facing the brink of a group stage exit when Iran’s Mehdi Taremi sent the ball into the side net at the death of the stoppage time in Saransk. They had prospects of winning the group and getting the hosts Russia as more favourable counterparts at this stage of the competition, but they ended up fighting for the mere survival after conceding the stoppage-time penalty from Olympiacos’ striker Karim Ansarifard.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a night he’ll wish to forget as soon as possible since he missed a huge chance to double the Portuguese lead from the penalty-spot halfway through the second half. He later in got lucky not to have been sent off for hitting Iran’s centre-back with his arm, unintentionally, though, as VAR judged the yellow card had been enough of punishment for the Real Madrid star.

In such night, it was Ricardo Quaresma who inspired Selecao das Quinas sending a beautiful shot with outside of his foot into the top right corner of Beiranvand’s goal to push Portugal ahead early in the second half against Iran. Besiktas’ winger, who is enjoying his first ever World Cup with the national team, at the age of 34, thus likely earned a place in the starting line-up for the huge tie with the South American heavyweights in the last 16 round.

Uruguay vs Portugal Team News and Predicted Line-ups

Uruguay Team News

• Tabarez only has one concern caused by injury here as Godin’s teammate Jose Maria Gimenez is reported injured and his start will be a game-time decision.
• Sebastian Coates will take his place at the heart of the defensive line if Gimenez is to skip the match.
• Nandez, Torreira and Laxalt replaced Sanchez, Rodriguez and Varela in the starting XI for the match against Russia.
• They did well in Samara, meaning we should not be surprised to see them in the starting line-up once again.

Uruguay Predicted Starting Eleven (4-3-1-2)

Muslera – Caceres, Gimenez (Coates), Godin, Laxalt – Nandez, Torreira, Vecino – Bentancur – Suarez, Cavani.

Portugal Team News

• Joao Moutinho skipped the final game of the group stage due to illness, but is expected to find his place in the midfield here, meaning Adrien Silva will return to bench most likely.
• Andre Silva got the chance to start replacing Goncalo Guedes in the starting XI, but he did not do much against Iran.
• Fernando Santos should not change the 4-4-2 formation.

Portugal Predicted Starting Eleven (4-4-2)

Rui Patricio – Soares, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro – Quaresma, Moutinho, Carvalho, Mario – Guedes, Ronaldo.

Uruguay vs Portugal Head-to-head

Interestingly, this will be the first ever head to head affair between Uruguay and Portugal.

Uruguay vs Portugal Predictions

Portugal do have one of world’s best players in their ranks, but we are afraid they rely a bit too much on Cristiano Ronaldo’s inspiration.

The Portuguese showed rather sloppy displays against both Morocco and Iran and there is truly not much about their game that actually promises a prospect of a deep run in Russia.

They will be up against the rock-solid defensive line of Uruguay’s, while their aging defense will have to deal with world-class predators Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez who have both already been on the score sheet so far in the tournament.

Oscar Tabarez’s defense is indeed very tough to break down as La Celeste did not concede a single goal in last six matches, including three here in Russia.

We can thus hardly ignore the 2.50 odds offered for Uruguay to keep a clean sheet on the day. Alternatively, La Celeste are well worth backing to win the match at the 2.80 odds.

Predicted Full-Time Result is Uruguay maintaining their superb defensive record and winning the match in Sochi to nil.

Uruguay vs Portugal Betting Tips

• Uruguay to win @ 2.80.

• Uruguay to keep a clean sheet @ 2.50.

• Correct FT Score: 2-0 Uruguay @ 13.00.