Portugal is set to host Wales under new manager Jorge Jesus in their opening fixture of the UEFA Nations League on Thursday at the Estadio José Alvalade.
Portugal vs Wales – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 24th September.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Estadio José Alvalade, Lisbon.
Portugal team news
Portugal kicks off their new campaign with a virtually pristine clean bill of health, giving newly appointed manager Jorge Jesus total tactical freedom for his debut match.
Cristiano Ronaldo is fully fit and poised to lead the attack as he earns his 234th international cap in his ongoing quest toward 1,000 career goals.
Behind him, Bruno Fernandes will orchestrate the offence from the central attacking midfield slot. He will be flanked by the immense pace and creativity of Joao Felix and Pedro Neto on the wings.
In the engine room, Vitinha and João Neves are slated to dictate the tempo and anchor the midfield. Defensively, Manchester City’s Rúben Dias is set to partner Renato Veiga in central defence, safeguarding the box ahead of established number-one goalkeeper Diogo Costa in a robust 4-2-3-1 formation.
Wales team news
In stark contrast, Wales faces a severe squad crisis as manager Craig Bellamy navigates an extensive injury list that has ravaged his selection options.
The Dragons will be completely without several crucial first-team talismans, including influential midfielder Harry Wilson and Wrexham forward Nathan Broadhead.
The defensive unit takes the hardest hit, with mainstays Joe Rodon and Dylan Lawlor both ruled out, alongside Rubin Colwill and backup goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
These heavy absences forced late call-ups for David Cornell, Joe Taylor, and Charlie Savage. To compensate, Danny Ward steps into goal, while Jay Dasilva will join the backline alongside Norrington-Davies and Ben Cabango.
Ethan Ampadu holds down the central midfield, while Tottenham’s in-form star Brennan Johnson is highly favoured to spearhead the attack as a dynamic lone striker over Kieffer Moore.
Form
Portugal
Portugal enters Group A4 with steady momentum, losing just once in their last five competitive matches. They displayed ruthless efficiency earlier this summer, highlighted by a dominant 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan and a hard-fought 2-1 win against Croatia in the World Cup. Defensively robust under pressure, they kept two clean sheets in that span before their run was halted by a narrow 1-0 defeat to Spain in their last official outing.
Wales
Wales is struggling to find consistency, searching for a spark after registering just one victory in their last five fixtures. While they flashed immense potential during a 7-1 thrashing of North Macedonia late last year, recent results have stalled. Craig Bellamy’s squad has drawn three of their last four games—including stalemates against Ghana and Northern Ireland—before suffering a 2-1 defeat to Romania in June.
Predicted lineups
Portugal: Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Vitinha, J Neves; Neto, Fernandes, Felix; Ronaldo
Wales: Ward; N Williams, Cabango, Norrington-Davies, Dasilva; Ampadu, J James; Brooks, Thomas, Johnson; D James
How to watch Portugal vs Wales?
UK fans can watch the match live on BBC Two and BBC One Wales.
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