Portugal vs Spain Predictions
Portugal and Spain renew their rivalry in Arlington, with another tense Iberian derby expected at the World Cup.
Spain are worthy favourites, but Portuguese experience cannot be discounted in what should prove a fascinating matchup.
I have my money on BTTS, while we could see the spoils shared in 90 minutes.
Goals Expected in Arlington
- Portugal have seen BTTS in 4 of their last 6 matches
- Portugal scored 1+ goals in 14 of their last 17 matches
- Portugal have seen BTTS in 3 of their last 4 matches against Spain
- Spain scored 1+ goals in 21 of their last 23 matches
Iberian Rivals Meet Again
Portugal and Spain have met ten times since 2004. Both nations claimed two wins, while six matches finished level. Six of the last seven encounters, including a 2-2 Nations League clash last summer, ended in draws.
Their most famous recent World Cup meeting came in 2018, when Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw in Russia.
Portugal Leave it Late Against Croats
Portugal arrive in Arlington for Monday's round-of-16 tie in confident mood after a dramatic late win against Croatia in the round of 32.
Roberto Martinez's men had to recover from a goal down after Ivan Perisic put Croatia ahead early in the second half. Cristiano Ronaldo was unlucky to have a superb equaliser ruled out for offside, before the 41-year-old later levelled from the penalty spot.
Substitute Goncalo Ramos would seal the contest with an excellent stoppage-time header in Toronto.
Four goals were disallowed in the same game for the first time in tournament history. Croatia saw three efforts chalked off, including Josko Gvardiol's 103rd-minute equaliser, while Ronaldo also had a goal ruled out.
Portugal have been far from their best this summer, but remain a tough side to beat. Martinez's men are unbeaten in 24 of their last 26 fixtures.
Spain Rediscover Swagger
Spain booked their place in the last 16 with an impressive 3-0 victory against Austria. Luis De La Fuente's men were at their fluent best as Mikel Oyarzabal bagged twice, either side of a fine Pedro Porro header.
Austria failed to register a shot on target as La Roja effortlessly moved into the next round. Spain finished the contest with 24 efforts on goal and a final xG of 2.8.
After a shock goalless draw against Cape Verde in their first fixture this summer, Spain have responded well, picking up three successive wins against Saudi Arabia (4-0), Uruguay (1-0) and Austria.
Over a longer period, De La Fuente's side are unbeaten in their last 34 internationals (excluding penalty shootouts) over the past two years.
Past results against Portugal will give De La Fuente plenty to ponder, though. Spain failed to beat their Iberian rivals in seven of eight encounters since 2010.
Portugal vs Spain Squads and Team News
Portugal Squad
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Jose Sa, Rui Silva
Defenders: Nelson Semedo, Ruben Dias, Tomas Araujo, Diogo Dalot, Renato Veiga, Goncalo Inacio, Joao Cancelo, Nuno Mendes
Midfielders: Matheus Nunes, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Joao Neves, Ruben Neves, Vitinha, Samu Costa
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, Francisco Trincao, Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto, Goncalo Guedes, Francisco Conceicao
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has no major fresh injury concerns reported after the dramatic win against Croatia.
Goncalo Ramos is pushing for a start after scoring the stoppage-time winner in Toronto, but Cristiano Ronaldo should continue to lead the attack.
Four goals were disallowed in the same game for the first time in tournament history. Croatia saw three efforts chalked off, including Josko Gvardiol's 103rd-minute equaliser, while Ronaldo also had a goal ruled out.
Speaking after the win against the Croats, Martinez denied luck had played a part in the Portuguese victory.
“I have incredible admiration for Croatia, and I admire their sporting nature,” Martinez said.
“But the balls now have a chip in them, and it is clear why VAR intervened. The decisions were all correct today; the penalty [for Portugal] was clear.
“It’s a shame that one of the two teams had to lose, but there was no bad decision or lucky call.”
Spain Squad
Goalkeepers: David Raya, Joan Garcia, Unai Simon
Defenders: Marc Pubill, Alex Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Marcos Llorente, Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella
Midfielders: Mikel Merino, Fabian Ruiz, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Yeremy Pino, Alex Baena, Rodri, Martin Zubimendi, Pedri
Forwards: Ferran Torres, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Victor Munoz, Borja Iglesias
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente is expected to keep faith with the side that cruised past Austria.
La Roja have two injury worries this week, with Yeremy Pino (shoulder) and Nico Williams (adductor), both expected to miss the last-16 clash.
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal will start after an impressive showing against the Austrians.
Head coach De La Fuente spoke of his satisfaction following last week's comfortable victory.
"I have many reasons to be happy today. First, because of the victory, we won significantly, and the image of the team was fabulous," De la Fuente told reporters.
"But there is still room for improvement. Perhaps you think you have seen the best of us, but this team has not yet reached its capabilities. There is more to do."