Uruguay vs Portugal Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

This game sees two sides who probably fall somewhere between dark-horses and genuine contenders in terms of winning this World Cup. Neither Uruguay nor Portugal are particularly easy on the eye but they do have a wealth of experience in their ranks and this is a very tough one to call.

There are numerous similarities between the sides with both countries continuing to punch above their weight at least in terms of their relative size. Uruguay is by far the smallest nation to have ever won the World Cup and while 68 years have passed since their last success, they are certainly capable of having a very good run in Russia.

They were dealt a favourable group so it’s hard to know how much we should read into their 100% record at this tournament so far. They certainly impressed against the hosts in their final group game which was almost the perfect tune-up ahead of this game. Their two key strikers both scored in the shape of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani while for the sixth match in a row, they kept a clean sheet.

That record perhaps is enough to justify their status as very slight favourites here but Portugal are wily characters who are tough to beat and have become very adept at dealing with tournament football. They didn’t set the world on fire in the group and had to deal with a few very nervy moments in the final minutes of their last game against Iran but as is generally their way, they found a route through.

Besides from a penalty shoot-out defeat at the 2017 Confederations Cup, Portugal have now lost just one of their last 21 international matches. While the dependence on Cristiano Ronaldo is clear for all to see, they are an organised team that knows their jobs and you write them off at your peril.

They will take inspiration from having won Euro 2016 despite failing to win any of their group games. Indeed 6 of their 7 matches at that tournament finished level after 90 minutes, including a nervy last 16 clash with Croatia and it would be no surprise to see this take a similar course.

Just about everything you can say about Portugal also applies to Uruguay, who have added a touch of quality to their usual battling qualities. With just 1 defeat in their last 12 matches, they are also clearly a tough side to beat and there’s a strong chance we could see these sides cancel each other out in what should be a very tight match. Backing the Draw looks the smart bet in the Full-Time Result market and it would be no surprise if penalties are needed to decide this.

In terms of a goalscorer bet, backing Luis Suarez to Score Anytime looks good. He netted in Uruguay’s final two group games to move onto 49 international goals. This would be a very good time for the Barcelona man to rack up his half-century.

Uruguay Predicted Lineup: Muslera, Caceres, Gimenez, Godin, Laxalt, Nandez, Torreira, Vecino, Bentancur, Suarez, Cavani

Portugal Predicted Lineup: Rui Patricio, Guerreiro, Fonte, Pepe, Soares, Mario, Moutinho, Carvalho, Quaresma, Andre Silva, Ronaldo