One of the European Championship’s most favoured teams will open their account at Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena on Tuesday evening.
Having lifted the trophy at Euro 2016, Portugal will aim to kick-start their Euro 2024 campaign when they take on the Czech Republic in Group F.
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In this preview, Forebet discusses all the key stats and trends ahead of Tuesday’s clash. Keep reading to discover what our AI algorithm predicts.
Portugal played three warm-up matches earlier this month, recording two wins and one defeat across three friendlies on home soil.
Following a 4-2 victory over Finland, Roberto Martinez’s men suffered a 2-1 loss against Croatia before defeating Ireland 3-0.
It is worth remembering that Portugal were the only team with a 100% record in Euro 2024 qualifying, scoring 36 goals and conceding just twice across 10 wins.
It is also worth noting that Portugal have not drawn any of their previous 26 matches in all competitions, recording 20 victories and six draws in that time.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic warmed up for Euro 2024 with a couple of friendly victories, thrashing Malta 7-1 before defeating North Macedonia 2-1.
Those triumphs extended the Czechs’ winning streak to five matches across all competitions, with six victories coming in their last seven outings.
When you look at the bigger picture, the Czech Republic have lost just one of their previous 14 games, picking up nine wins and four draws in the process.
Having scored 16 goals across their past five encounters – averaging 3.2 goals per game – the Czechs will be hopeful of finding the back of the net on Tuesday.
Head-to-head: Portugal have won each of their last four meetings with the Czech Republic, scoring 10 goals while keeping three successive clean sheets.
In the UEFA Nations League back in 2022, the Portuguese claimed a 2-0 victory over the Czechs on home soil before thrashing them 4-0 in Prague.
Team news: Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to score a 131st goal in his 208th game for Portugal, with Joao Felix, Diogo Jota, Rafael Leao and Bernardo Silva offering attacking support.
As for the Czech Republic, their star players include West Ham duo Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal, in addition to Bayer Leverkusen pair Patrik Schick and Adam Hlozek.
Although the Czechs have produced some impressive performances in recent months, Portugal should be too strong once again.
Forebet predicts that both teams will find the back of the net in Leipzig. However, Portugal are expected to outscore the Czech Republic.