The 4th Official
·22 September 2022
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·22 September 2022
Portugal will clash heads with the Czech Republic at the Sinobo Stadium this Saturday evening as they look to bounce back in the UEFA Nations League by picking up a win on the road. The Portuguese players suffered a 1-0 loss away at Switzerland in their last European outfit, so they will be eager to put on a good display collectively this weekend.
Fernando Santos could opt for a 4-3-3 formation and is expected to make a few changes to his first XI for this game. Cristiano Ronaldo will once again get the nod to lead the line for the Portugal national team in the final third.
Defence
Rui Patricio will feature in goal for Portugal after shipping in one goal in his last international appearance. Santos could name the centre-back pairing of Ruben Dias and Danilo Pereira for this game as they focus on stopping the home team from finding the back of the net during the 90 minutes.
Nuno Mendes will operate as the left-back while Diogo Dalot looks to give a good account of himself on the other side as the right-back. Both of them will get the freedom to get forward and express themselves in the opponent’s half.
Joao Cancelo will miss this game due to suspension while both Pepe and Raphael Guerreiro will be sidelined because of injuries.
Portugal
Midfield
Portugal’s midfield could be comprised of William Carvalho, Bruno Fernandes and Ruben Neves for this Nations League clash away from home. Both Carvalho and Neves would have to anchor the midfield well for the visitors while Fernandes hopes to fill in as the main playmaker in the Czech Republic half.
Joao Palhinha and Vitinha will have to be content with a place on the bench as they offer cover for the midfield positions.
Attack
Rafael Leao would try to put in an influential display on the left flank while Bernardo Silva looks to weave his magic from the right.
As mentioned earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo will lead the charge for Portugal on the attacking end of the field. The Man United forward would be hungry to get his name on the scoresheet when he laces up to face off versus the Czech defenders this weekend.
Diogo Jota and Andre Silva will be available for selection on Santos’ bench but might come on to make an impact in the latter stages of this contest if needed.
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