🌦 International Forecast: An epic friendly and Portugal in trouble? | OneFootball

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Dan Burke·14 November 2019

🌦 International Forecast: An epic friendly and Portugal in trouble?

Article image:🌦 International Forecast: An epic friendly and Portugal in trouble?

It’s the final international break of 2019 and you never know, it might not be that bad.

Here’s what to keep an eye out for.


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Game of the weekend

Brazil v Argentina

Article image:🌦 International Forecast: An epic friendly and Portugal in trouble?

It says “friendly” on the tin but there’s no such word when it comes to meetings between these two.

Tite’s Brazil will face Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina in Saudi Arabia on Friday, and the headline news is that Lionel Messi is set to pull on the Albiceleste shirt for the first time since the summer’s Copa América.

Brazil beat Argentina 2-0 in the semi-final of that competition and immediately afterwards, Messi earned himself a four-match ban and a $50,000 fine for accusing CONMEBOL of corruption.

So the little magician may have a point to prove on his return to the national side and though it’s only an exhibition match, Argentina will no doubt be thirsty for revenge.

Fresh from his hat-trick heroics in the Champions League, 18-year-old Real Madrid starlet Rodrygo Goes is set for his first senior Brazil cap and we’re excited to find out how he gets on.

Friendly or no friendly, you’d be a fool to miss this one.


Potential upset

Portugal are in a pickle

Article image:🌦 International Forecast: An epic friendly and Portugal in trouble?

That defeat against Ukraine in the last round of fixtures leaves Portugal in a rather perilous position heading into their final two Euro 2020 qualifiers.

With the Ukrainians already through as group winners, six points against Lithuania and Luxembourg will be enough for Portugal to seal qualification as runners-up.

But any slip-ups in those two games could well be capitalised on by Serbia, who are on a three-match winning run.

Fernando Santos has described Portugal’s upcoming games as “like finals” and he’ll perhaps be little worried that star man Cristiano Ronaldo has been out of sorts lately.

The 34-year-old was substituted in each of his last two games for Juventus and he needs to rediscover his mojo quickly, because his country needs him.

Otherwise, there is a very real danger that the tournament holders could be facing the prospect of the play-offs.


Easiest win

England v Montenegro

Article image:🌦 International Forecast: An epic friendly and Portugal in trouble?

Gareth Southgate probably could have done without the drama of earlier this week, when Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez were involved in a bust-up at England’s training base.

As a result of that fracas, Southgate has taken the decision to drop Sterling for Thursday’s clash with Montenegro at Wembley.

But would the Three Lions boss have axed one of his best players if he wasn’t pretty confident of getting a result anyway?

We suspect not, and we suspect England won’t really miss Sterling when they come up against the side ranked 61st in the world.

England need just a point against either Montenegro or Kosovo to seal qualification.

It would take some behind the scenes drama of Eastenders proportions for them to mess this up.


Keep an eye on

Finland on the brink of history

Article image:🌦 International Forecast: An epic friendly and Portugal in trouble?

Finland (ranked 55th in the world) have never graced a major finals but victory over Liechtenstein on Friday will see them qualify from Group J as runners-up.

If they don’t manage that, they will have another crack at the whip when they travel to face Greece on Monday.

Teemu Pukki is likely to be their key man considering the Norwich City striker has netted seven of their 12 qualifying goals so far.

And if Markku Kanerva’s side get the job done, they will become the 34th different side to grace the European Championships.

How about that?