Cristiano Ronaldo has been the story for Portugal despite their good performances at the World Cup due to his antics and possible pending move to Saudi Arabia, and he’ll be counted on Tuesday when they face Switzerland in the round of 16.
His future — which possibly would see him join Al Nassr — will be decided after the World Cup but it has been a cloud hanging over the Portugal camp. There’s even a chance that Ronaldo won’t wear the captain’s armband after leaving the pitch against South Korea which isn’t something that’s needed ahead of a decisive match against the Swiss.
Buoyant after a stellar win over Serbia to see them get here, Switzerland will feel confident in their ability to score against Portugal but they’ll need to defend better as the favorites can beat you in many different ways due to how much talent Fernando Santos has available to him.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 6 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
- Location: Lusail Iconic Stadium — Lusail, Qatar
- TV: FOX | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: Portugal -111; Draw +235; Switzerland +340 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Portugal vs. Switzerland
Team news
Portugal: With wing-back Nuno Mendes out for the remainder of the World Cup, it’s a good time to flip Joao Cancelo to left-back while getting Diogo Dalot on the pitch. Cancelo has struggled a bit on the right for Portugal so flipping him could give the team a good balance in order to keep this game in control. Depending on the Ronaldo situation, Rafael Leao is just waiting for his chance to start for Portugal to add another goal or two to his World Cup tally.
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Switzerland: To win this match, a big performance will be needed from Breel Embolo atop the line. His two goals in the World Cup aren’t all that he has brought to the table as his hold-up play has been important as well. Allowing the Swiss to play it long and build up behind him, Embolo will need to do it all while hoping for some Xherdan Shaqiri magic to see the game out.
Prediction
When they’re in full flow, the Portugal attack is too much to stop and will drive them to victory against Switzerland. Pick: Portugal 3, Switzerland 1
