Euro 2020: Can Portugal Get That Elusive Win?

Serbia vs Portugal

Portugal has yet to win in the Euro 2020 Qualifiers and they would love to finally get one at the expense of a familiar foe in Serbia.

The game will be held at the Stadion Rajko Mitic in Belgrade, Serbia where the hosts are looking to get a victory in their home pitch.

With ten points on the board, Ukraine currently has the top spot and they appear to be the favourite in Group B while Luxembourg and Serbia are drawn level with four points each. Portugal and Lithuania are at the bottom having two points and one point respectively.

The Orlovi are looking to gain the upper hand against the Navigators to where they drew level the last time they faced each other in the tournament.

On the other hand, the star-studded cast of Portugal is going to be hell-bent to live up to expectations in order to get an outright spot for next year’s prestigious tournament.

SBOBET gives you a quick overview on what’s ahead on Saturday.

Talking Points

Can Portugal bring back their dangerous form?

Despite being dubbed as one of the best teams on the planet coming into the tournament, Portugal struggled to find their footing in two games so far at the group phase. After winning the inaugural UEFA Nations League few months ago, the Fernando Santos-coached squad was held to a goalless stalemate against Ukraine and then a 1-1 draw in their reverse match against the Serbians at home.

Portugal will have the daunting task of catching up against the leaders of Group B. But having played only in two matches so far, perhaps there’s still time to catch up especially with their world class talent at their disposal.

Joao Felix have to prove himself in Euro 2020 as he is expected to be the cornerstone of Portugal in the future — Joao Felix during his training

Joao Felix will be a household name for years to come in Portugal of course. And big things are expected for the 19-year-old striker as he will be the cornerstone not only for the national team, but for the Atletico Madrid as well in the La Liga.

Cristiano Ronaldo will continue to take the star billing as he looks to add to his 158 caps and 88 goals in international play. Even with his advancing age — barring any health issues – the Juventus forward is expected to produce some of the best Euro 2020 Qualifiers highlights in this game.

The team will also be bolstered by their young guns in Diogo Jota, Bernardo Silva, Daniel Podence, and Ruben Dias, while Jose Fonte will provide veteran leadership and experience at the defence considering Pepe’s absence.

Coach Fernando Santos will have all the necessary tools at his disposal which is why we can definitely expect a much better showing from his team this time around.

How will Serbia’s new coach fare?

Ljubisa Tumbakovic was hired to become Serbia’s new boss after sacking Mladen Krstajic last month with their disappointing 5-0 loss against Ukraine in their previous fixture.

The 66-year-old manager has won six Serbian league titles with Partizan Belgrade and he had a short stint as Montenegro’s team manager back in 2016.

Tumbakovic will have the task of steering the Serbians to the cusp of qualifying for next year and he will inherit a roster filled with top-notch players.

Guys like Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Luka Milivojevic, Sasa Lukic, and even Nemanja Matic will compete for midfield positions while Real Madrid skipper Luka Jovic and Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic are going to carry the team in terms of their attack.

Nemanja Maksimovic and Aleksandar Kolarov are to bring in a unique mix of youth and experience as they’ll hold the backline for the Eagles, and for sure they’ll have their work cut out for them against a loaded Portuguese team.

Serbia are currently tied with Luxembourg in Group B with four points each. A win here, obviously, would be big especially for Tumbakovic who is more than eager to prove his worth to the national program.

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UEFA EURO 2020

History

Serbia and Portugal have mostly found themselves in a tight affair. All in all, these two squads have faced each five times.

The home team has yet to win in their head-to-head against Portugal — who got to win two while three of their five matches ended in a draw — including their encounter last March.

Betting Tip

	Serbia vs Portugal	Portugal Asian Handicap 0.00 @1.58
	September 8, 02:45 (GMT+8)

Per Euro 2020 Qualifiers odds, Portugal are placed at 2.15 to win while Serbia are at 3.20. There are 3.30 odds for a draw in what will be a highly-intense affair.

Expect these teams to put on a great show in this fixture. However, with most of their players cancelling each out, you might not see a lot of goals in this one.

Initially, I had this at a 1-1 draw just like before. However, the lethal duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix might give the Navigators the slight edge here for a 1-0 victory.