Portugal will look to widen the gap to Slovakia when the two sides lock horns at the Tehelne Pole Stadium in Bratislava on Friday.
The first international break of the 2023/24 season is here, with the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers resuming. Friday will feature action from Group J, with the two top two teams — Portugal and Slovakia — locking horns at the Tehelne Pole Stadium in Bratislava.
Slovakia might be the dark horse in a relatively straightforward Group J, with no other team posing much threat. Boasting a solid core featuring Milan Skriniar and Stanislav Lobotka, among others, they are hard to beat. And Francesco Calzona’s men have conceded just one goal in four games thus far, winning three of those outings.
On the other hand, Portugal started life under Roberto Martinez brilliantly earlier this year. The Seleccao have won all four games in UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers while conceding no goal. Martinez’s men have also been clinical and prolific, finding the back of the net 14 times in four outings.
Slovakia and Portugal have previously faced off four times, with the Iberian giants winning three games (D1). And The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Dia 2 🫡 #VesteABandeira pic.twitter.com/8xRco5XLAm
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) September 5, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Slovakia
Francesco Calzona has built his success as the Slovakia head coach by sticking to a largely unchanged squad. And Marek Hamsik is the only absentee from the group he picked for June’s fixtures, with the 36-year-old calling time on his career.
Ondrej Duda, Laszlo Benes, and Vladimir Weiss are notable absentees, but they were not in the squad in June either. Meanwhile, Calzona will line his side up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Martin Dubravka starting between the sticks.
Peter Pekarik and David Hancko should be the full-back pairing, with Milan Skriniar and Denis Vavro forming the central defensive pairing. The quartet will look to remain compact to cut off passing lanes and keep the Portuguese attack quiet.
As for the midfield unit, Stanislav Lobotka will look to keep things tight, guiding the trifecta to remain disciplined in the middle of the park. Patrik Hrosovsky and Juraj Kucka should line up alongside him in the midfield department. Finally, Robert Bozenik should lead the line, with Robert Mak and Tomas Suslov completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Dubravka; Pekarik, Skriniar, Vavro, Hancko; Hrosovsky, Lobotka, Kucka; Suslov, Bozenik, Mak
Portugal
Roberto Martinez has made a few changes to the squad he had picked for June’s international games. Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro, and Renato Sanches miss out. Andre Silva and new Manchester City signing Matheus Nunes are other notable absentees.
Martinez has preferred a 3-4-3 formation, similar to his Belgium stint, to line up his team since becoming the Portugal boss. And Diogo Costa is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Ruben Dias, Antonio Silva, and Danilo Pereira forming the central defensive unit. Goncalo Inacio is also an option to start in place of Danilo.
É 𝗢𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟! 📣 Estes são os eleitos pelo Mister Roberto Martínez ⚡🇵🇹 #VesteABandeira pic.twitter.com/aog8BmkuwT
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) September 1, 2023
The formation brings the best out of the full-backs, especially Joao Cancelo, who can express himself better. The new Barcelona signing will form the wing-back pairing alongside Diogo Dalot. The duo will likely flank Joao Palhinha and Bruno Fernandes.
Cristiano Ronaldo has found a new lease of life in international football since Robert Martinez became the new head coach. And the veteran striker will spearhead the attack, with Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Costa; Antonio Silva, Dias, Danilo Pereira; Dalot, Palhinha, Fernandes, Cancelo; Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Leao
Key Stats
- Slovakia and Portugal have clashed four times, with the Seleccao claiming three victories thus far (D1).
- Both teams are unbeaten in the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers, with Slovakia only dropping points in a 0-0 draw with Luxembourg.
- Roberto Martinez has a 100 per cent record as Portugal head coach, winning all four games he has overseen thus far.
- Slovakia and Portugal have only conceded one goal between them in the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers, with the hosts letting in that strike.
- Under 2.5 goals have been scored in four of Slovakia’s last five games.
Player to Watch
Joao Palhinha
The summer transfer window ended a few days ago, and it brought joy and agony in equal measure for many. Joao Palhinha falls in the latter category after his deadline-day move to Bayern Munich collapsed in the eleventh hour.
But Bayern Munich will likely return with an offer in January. Meanwhile, recent reports have claimed that Barcelona and Manchester United are also interested in him. So, with a few months left for the winter window, he will be eager to retain high levels, especially in crucial international games. And impressive performances this week will help Palhinha earn a big move soon.
Prediction
Slovakia 0-1 Portugal
Slovakia and Portugal have been solid at the back during the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers. So, the game on Friday should not feature many goals and should be a tactical battle between the two managers. In the end, it will boil down to individual brilliance from the attacking players.
Set-piece situations will also be crucial during the game, with both teams boasting of players with superb aerial ability. But Cristiano Ronaldo should make the difference in the end as he continues his fine run of form. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-0 win for Robert Martinez and his charges.
