Timetable | Monday 28th of November at 22:00 GMT |
Prediction | Portugal to Win! |
Odds | Portugal to Win @ 2.04 |
Bookmaker | TonyBet Sports |
18+ | New customers only. Min stake €10 | 30 days to qualify | Payment method restrictions exist | Play Responsibly | Terms and Conditions apply. | http://www.begambleaware.org
18+ | New players only | Min. deposit 20EUR | Max number of winnings using bonus funds is 10,000 EUR | Bonus validity 14 days from receipt | Free spins given within 5 days from bonus activation, Wagering req. : 6x bonus + deposit | Wagering, banking, terms & conditions apply | Play Responsibly
18+ | New players only | Min. deposit 10EUR | Max number of winnings using bonus funds is 10,000 EUR | Bonus validity 14 days from receipt | Wagering req. : 16x bonus | Wagering, banking, terms & conditions apply | Play Responsibly
The 32nd match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup (and the fourth scheduled for November 28th) pits Euro 2016 winners Portugal against South American side Uruguay.
The game will kick off at 10pm local time in the Lusail Stadium, while it will conclude the second round of Group H fixtures after South Korea take on Ghana earlier in the day.
Arguably, this is a contest between the two best sides in the group, but while Portugal won their opening game against Ghana, Uruguay were held by South Korea in a laboured, 0-0 stalemate. So, can the South Americans claim their first WC 2022 win against their UEFA rivals, or will Portugal emerge victorious and seal their place in the round of 16? It will be a tight match to call for FIFA World Cup Betting fans.
💯 Portugal vs Uruguay Betting Odds
This is a top match between two countries ranked in the top 15 by FIFA, so there are several exciting football betting markets on which you can wager.
We’ve explored these in a little more detail below while appraising the latest Portugal vs Uruguay odds from our recommended sportsbooks.
🏅 Portugal vs Uruguay: Match Winner Odds
The best Portugal vs Uruguay betting odds available on top Irish betting sites.
Portugal to Win | 2.08 | 2.05 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 1.93 | 2.00 | 2.15 |
Uruguay to Win | 3.57 | 3.50 | 4.20 | 4.00 | 3.90 | 4.00 | 3.50 |
Draw | 3.24 | 3.25 | 3.35 | 3.20 | 3.20 | 3.20 | 3.75 |
⚽ Portugal vs Uruguay: Both Teams to Score Odds
Yes | 1.99 | 1.95 | 2.07 | 1.95 | 1.91 | 2.00 | 1.91 |
No | 2.51 | 1.75 | 1.61 | 1.75 | 1.80 | 1.73 | 1.80 |
🥅 Portugal vs Uruguay : Over/Under 2.5 Goals Odds
Over 2.5 Goals | 2.21 | 2.20 | 2.35 | 2.20 | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.20 |
Under 2.5 Goals | 1.65 | 1.61 | 1.61 | 1.60 | 1.62 | 1.57 | 1.61 |
🏠 Portugal vs Uruguay World Cup Preview
Portugal is ranked ninth in the world by FIFA, which in turn makes them the seventh best European footballing nation. This ensured that they featured in Pot 1 at the 2022 World Cup draw in Doha, making them the first side to be drawn into Group H.
However, Portugal can still be backed at an average price of 15.00 to win the World Cup, which highlights many of their perceived vulnerabilities and the relatively inconsistent form they continued to showcase throughout WC qualifying and their recent UEFA Nations League A campaign.
The Portuguese were also unconvincing during their opening game of the FIFA 2022 World Cup, as despite leading Ghana twice, they looked defensively vulnerable throughout before ultimately claiming a tense 3-2 win.
They also struggled offensively during a goalless first half, and may struggle to break down an experienced and organised Uruguay side unless they make some personnel changes from the start in Lusail. The good news is that they should have the lion’s share of possession, affording creative players like Bruno Fernandes (who assisted two goals against Ghana) and Bernardo Silva the chance to be the difference makers.
📰 Latest Portugal World Cup News
Tweets by selecaoportugal✈️ Uruguay World Cup Preview
Uruguay boasts a similarly impressive FIFA ranking of 14th, while its status as the third best South American side is impressive when you consider that only Argentina and the mighty Brazil are ahead of them.
Last autumn, however, Uruguay were about to embark on a four-game losing streak, initially enduring heavy CONMEBOL WC qualification defeats to Argentina (3-0) and Brazil (4-1). Then came another 1-0 reversal to Argentina in Montevideo, before the nadir of a 3-0 thumping by Bolivia on November 16th.
This briefly put Uruguay’s qualification for the World Cup in doubt, but the side rallied to win its last four consecutive qualifiers and put an end to any uncertainty and claim their place in Qatar.
However, Uruguay looked tentative in their opening game against Korea, despite retaining 59% of possession, creating the superior chances and hitting the woodwork twice. Arguably, they’ll need to release the handbrake a little more if they’re to really trouble Portugal, and earn a win that could potentially put them in pole position for a place in the knockout phase.
📰 Latest Uruguay World Cup News
Tweets by Uruguay🟨 Portugal vs Uruguay: Latest Injury News and Suspensions
Portuguese utility player Danilo Pereira fractured his ribs during training this week following a freak collision, meaning that coach Fernando Santos will have to make a change at centre back. Veteran Pepe could therefore be in contention to start alongside Ruben Dias, while the coach is also considering making one or two other changes to his first 11 against Uruguay.
For example, the combative midfielder William Carvahlo could be poised to replace Otavio, with the former affording Portugal a greater semblance of control after being introduced early in the second half against Ghana.
Rafael Leao, who came off the bench with 13 minutes to go and scored Portugal’s third last time out, could also replace Joao Felix in attack, with the latter flattering to deceive despite a cool finish for his country’s second goal.
As for Uruguay, they have considerably less strength in depth and are likely to name an unchanged side for their second group stage game.
This is made all the more likely by the continued absence of imposing defender Ronald Araujo (the Barcelona star underwent thigh surgery in September and was a controversial pick for the World Cup), although there are suggestions that veteran hitman Edinson Cavani could replace fellow icon Luis Suarez in attack.
🔑 Key Matchups
Make no mistake; there will be a number of high-quality players on show in Lusail, each of whom will have to win their own personal duels to help their country achieve a crucial group stage win. But which are the key matchups and how will they help to decide the game? Let’s find out!
Joao Cancelo vs Edinson Cavani
While we’re used to the gifted Joao Cancelo playing with tremendous flair and freedom in Pep Guardiola’s free flowing Manchester City team, he always seems to cut a less impressive figure for his country.
Certainly, he appears restricted by his more conventional role at right fullback for Portugal, while his occasional loss of focus and defensive vulnerabilities could well be exploited by Uruguay’s explosive forward Darwin Nunez.
The rapid and powerful Liverpool forward is likely to start on the left of Uruguay’s attack and in direct opposition to Cancelo, while his direct running and movement will pose a constant threat in behind the Portuguese defensive line. Conversely, Nunez may struggle to track back consistently as Cancelo continues to maraud forward, creating a fierce duel where neither player will give in an inch.
It will be a great battle to watch, and the winner will provide a key and potentially decisive outlet for their country.
Ruben Dias vs Luis Suarez or Edinson Cavani
Regardless of whether Suarez or Cavani start for Uruguay against Portugal, the age and fitness of these players dictates that both will appear on the pitch during the course of the 90 minutes.
They’ll also go head-to-head with Portugal’s enduringly solid and reliable centre back Ruben Dias, with the Manchester City defender also highly experienced and known for his leadership, strength and willingness to put his body on the line for club and country.
Either dual is unlikely to be for the feint-hearted, with all parties more than familiar with the dark arts and willing to engage in direct physical competition in order to earn the right to play.
Ultimately, if Dias can keep Uruguay’s experienced strikers (who have a combined tally of 126 international goals in 269 caps) quiet and Cancelo is able to win his duel with Nunez, Portugal will have a solid foundation from which they can go on and win the game.
Bruno Fernandes vs Matías Vecino
Lazio player Matías Vecino often plays as Uruguay’s deepest midfielder, with his tall and imposing presence enabling Rodrigo Bentancur and the bustling Federico Valverde to roam forward.
If this trend continues, Vecino will need to keep a close eye on Portugal’s Bruno Fernandes, who plays in an increasingly advanced midfield position for both club and country and is equally capable of scoring and assisting others if he’s afforded time on the ball.
He supplied two assists against Ghana, for example, slipping a delightful through ball for Joao Felix’s goal and playing a perfectly weighted pass to lay on Rafael Leao’s strike. Both assists came as Fernandes was afforded the time and space to advance into their attacking third, and Vecino will need to track his forward runs where possible and negate his creative influence.
However, Fernandes’ advanced role also means he can be caught out of position during transitions, which may leave Vecino free to help launch counterattacks with quick and accurate passes through the lines.
⚡ Portugal vs Uruguay – The Head-to-Head Statistics
Given the stature of these two teams, it may be something of a surprise that they’ve only met three times through history, with just one of these occurring at the FIFA World Cup.
However, this came during the last tournament in Russia four years ago, in a high-quality round of 16 clash that saw Uruguay prevail 2-1 inside the 90 minutes. Edinson Cavani struck twice either side of half-time, sandwiching an equaliser from veteran defender Pepe from a set-piece.
Interestingly, a handful of players who are likely to start in Lusail also did battle in the Fisht Stadium four years ago, including Cavani, Vecino, Suarez, Raphael Guerriero and (of course) the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo.
Prior to this clash, a Eusebio-inspired Portugal beat Uruguay 3-0 in their first encounter ahead of 1966 World Cup some 56 years ago, before the sides drew 1-1 in another friendly six years later.
🥇 Portugal vs Uruguay Prediction - Who Will Win?
While this is a keenly contested match between two of the best and top ranked sides in the world, the bookies clearly think that Portugal are favourites to win and continue their quest to reach the knockout stages in Qatar.
We tend to agree that Portugal have an edge over their rivals, but there’s no doubt that Uruguay will use every ounce of their experience, pedigree and firepower to push their European rivals all the way.
The South Americans are also in urgent need of a win after their 0-0 stalemate against South Korea in their opening game, and will undoubtedly be looking to players like Nunez, Suarez and Cavani to provide the attacking thrust that was missing last time out.
They’re unlikely to go for the jugular from the start, however, as a defeat could see them all but eliminated from the tournament. A point would also be a good result for the Portuguese ahead of their final group stage match against Korea, so we think that this will be a low-scoring and tentative game that Portugal will ultimately edge by the odd goal.
Our Portugal vs Uruguay match prediction: Portugal to win.
🔍 Our Portugal vs Uruguay Betting Tips?
We aren’t huge fans of straight-match betting here, especially as the lack of an obvious favourite means that you can’t use handicap wagering to lengthen the odds in your favour without compromising the integrity of your bet.
Sure, you can place an outside wager on Uruguay winning at 4.33 with LeoVegas Sports, but you’re probably better off targeting alternative markets with your hard-earned bankroll.
For example, we like the idea of backing both sides to score at 2.00 with Betway, Ladbrokes or William Hill, particularly with proven goal scorers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez all likely to feature at some point.
Portugal Vs Uruguay Betting Tip #1: You can also bet on over 2.5 goals being scored in the game, with TonyBet offering a price of 2.21 that this outcome will become a reality!
🎁 Portugal Vs Uruguay World Cup Free Bets
At this stage, you’re probably ready to place your wagers on Portugal vs Uruguay. Before you do, however, we’d recommend that you check out the best world cup free bets below, some of which can unlock up to $100 in free wagers!
Sportsbook | Offer | Visit Sportsbook |
---|---|---|
Receive up to €50 in Free Bets | ||
Bet €10 Get €50 in Free Bets | ||
100% Matched Free Bet up to €100 | ||
Profit Boost Welcome Bonus up to €400 | ||
Free Bet Offer up to €50 | ||
€20 Free Bet Bonus | ||
€30 free bet Welcome Bonus | ||
€100 Bets Bonus Offer | ||
Receive up to €20 Free Bet Bonus | ||
Cash back bonus up to €40 | ||
100% Matched Free Bet up to €100 | ||
€35 Free Bets Welcome Bonus |
✒️ Lewis Humphries - Sports Journalist, Tipster and Betting Expert
This Portugal Vs Uruguay Prediction was written by Lewis Humphries. Lewis is a business and iGaming copywriter from the UK, who has a passion for sports betting and online casino gaming. He's reviewed some of the world's leading casino platforms, while creating blog posts and landing page content for various sports betting brands.
His content has also featured on a number of different sites, including Life Hack, Investopedia, Yahoo Finance and Business Insider. He also pens regular sports features for sites including 90 Minutes, Think Football Ideas and Sportsblog.