| Portugal vs Nigeria |
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| SCHEDULE | TIME |
|---|---|
| GAME | Spain vs Jordan |
| DATE | 17/11/2022 |
| TIME | 12:15 PM (Indian Standard Time) |
| ARENA | Estádio José Alvalade |
| LEAGUE | International Friendlies |
| TV Channel Info |
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Match Preview of Portugal vs Nigeria
Portugal wrap up their preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup with a friendly matchup against African heavyweight Nigeria at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Thursday.
The three-time African champions, who will not be participating in Qatar following their qualifying heartbreak, will be looking to return to winning ways and close out the year on a high as they prepare for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures.
Off the back of a somewhat disappointing UEFA Nations League campaign, where they finished one point behind group winners Spain, Portugal will be looking to make their mark in Qatar.
Having picked up three wins and one draw from their first five matches, a 1-0 home loss against Luis Enrique's men on September 27 saw A Selecao lose top spot in Group A2 in their final group outing.
Drawn in Group H of the World Cup alongside Ghana, South Korea and South American powerhouse Uruguay, Portugal are slight favourites to finish as group winners and progress to the knockout stages.
This alone will not be enough for Fernando Santos's men, who have failed to progress past the round of 16 since 2006, where they reached the semi-finals before suffering a 1-0 loss against France.
Despite a shaky qualifying run — where they finished behind first-placed Serbia before securing playoff wins over Turkey and North Macedonia — Santos has shown he has what it takes to get the job done against some of the world's biggest footballing nations.
Our Predicted Lineups
Portugal possible starting lineup:Sa; Dalot, Silva, Pereira, Guerreiro; Palhinha, Neves, Vitinha; Leao, Otavio, Ramos
Nigeria possible starting lineup: starting lineup:Uzoho; Awaziem, Troost-Ekong, Bassey, Akpoguma; Onyeka, Ndidi, Iwobi; Chukwueze, Dennis, Onuachu
Who will win the match?
We say: Portugal 1-0 Nigeria. While Portugal will try to set the pace for the World Cup campaign, Nigeria will be playing for pride as they look to show they can also compete against the very best. However, given the gulf in quality between the two sides, and considering the Super Eagles' recent struggles, we are backing Portugal to come away with a comfortable victory.