Portugal and Spain lock horns this Wednesday for an international friendly before both sides proceed to the Euro 2020. The match kickoffs at 9:45 pm.
The neighbors have not met since their thrilling encounter in the World Cup 2018 that ended in a 3-3 draw. Their proposed friendly in June was shortly called off following the break of the coronavirus.
Portugal kickstarted their UEFA Nations title defense triumphantly with wins over Croatia and Sweden in Group A3 last month. Fernando Santos remains at the helm with a tricky challenge of navigating the side with a showdown against France later on.
The reigning champions were on course of an unbeaten record to next year’s European Championship in the group stages. However, a 2-1 defeat to Ukraine was the only defeat since the side was knocked out of the World Cup by Uruguay.
Portugal remains undefeated in their last five international friendlies. Their recent victory dates back to 2018 with a triumphant 3-1 win over Scotland. Santos managed to guide his side to nine wins in their last ten matches.
Spain is at the top of their group stages following a 1-1 draw with Germany. The side registered a triumphant 4-0 victory over Ukraine in their last September fixture. Luis Enrique’s side is on course to qualify for the finals after finishing one point behind England in the 2018-19 edition buildup.
Spain vs. Portugal Head to Head
Both sides have five games against each other, with Spain takes two wins while Portugal has one win. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
Sweden 0-2 Portugal
Portugal 4-1 Croatia
Luxembourg 0-2 Portugal
Portugal 6-0 Lithuania
Ukraine 2-1 Portugal
Away
Spain 4-0 Ukraine
Germany 1-1 Spain
Spain 5-0 Romania
Spain 7-0 Malta
Sweden 1-1 Spain
Portugal Team News
New recalls for the side include Ruben Semedo, Daniel Podence, Rafa Silva, and William Carvalho. Left-back Marco Rui is out of the match following a coronavirus scare at Napoli. It leaves Braga’s Nuno Sequeira to receive his first international call up.
Spain Team News
Adama Traore recently declined an invitation to Mali’s senior national team and joined Enrique’s side. Arsenal midfielder Dani Ceballos recently received a call-up to the national team. Dani Carvajal is out of the match after sustaining a knee injury recently.
Prediction and Odds
We expect a hard-fought battle this Wednesday, and it can either go both ways for sides known by each other’s manager.
Draw
Both Teams to Score
Most Goals: 2H
