Portugal will take on Armenia at Estádio do Dragão this Sunday, aiming to secure a win that would guarantee their spot at the 2026 World Cup.
The hosts are eager to recover from a shock defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Thursday, which ended their long unbeaten streak.
Portugal’s recent form has been somewhat inconsistent. They began their qualifying campaign strongly, claiming victory in their first three games against Armenia, Hungary, and the Republic of Ireland, which placed them firmly at the summit of Group F. However, their momentum was disrupted by a 1-1 draw with Hungary, followed by an unexpected 2-0 loss to Ireland in Dublin.
Troy Parrott netted twice, handing Ireland their first-ever World Cup qualifying win over the Seleçao. Despite this setback, Roberto Martinez’ team sit top of Group F on 10 points from five matches, maintaining a superior goal difference over second-placed Hungary.
Portugal team news
A notable absence will be Cristiano Ronaldo, who faces a compulsory one-match ban after being sent off in the recent game against Ireland. The 40-year-old received a straight red card for swinging his elbow into the back of Dara O’Shea. The incident could see the Al-Nassr striker miss two games at next year’s World Cup, if his ban is extended for a further two games for violent misconduct and Portugal qualify directly for the tournament.
Martinez is expected to replace Ronaldo with PSG centre-forward Goncalo Ramos, giving the 24-year-old a chance to shine. Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes returns to the midfield after serving a suspension, reinforcing Portugal’s lineup for this pivotal clash.
Read – Cristiano Ronaldo strop enters the annals of Irish football history
Portugal predicted lineup
Possible Portugal starting XI: D Costa; N Semedo, Inacio, Dias, Dalot; J Neves, Fernandes, Vitinha; Bernardo, G Ramos, Leao
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 2pm BST on Sunday, 16th November.
How to watch Portugal vs Armenia?
For viewers in the UK, the match will be streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
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