Portugal today seeks to maintain its triumphant path in qualifying for Euro2024 football, hosting Luxembourg, a rival of fond memories, in a match in which captain Cristiano Ronaldo is a certain casualty.
After five victories in the first five days, something unprecedented in national football, the Portuguese team receives the runner-up of Group J and has everything necessary to move even further away in the lead, against a historically very ‘friendly’ rival for the team ‘quinas’.’.
In 20 duels, Portugal only conceded one draw and one defeat and, playing at home, they have won nine of nine games, with an overwhelming balance of 34 goals scored and none conceded.
The last confrontation was in this qualifying phase, in March, with Portugal beating Luxembourg 6-0, with a double from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Suspended, with five goals in five games, Ronaldo is a certain casualty in the Portuguese team, with Gonçalo Ramos confirmed as his replacement in the starting eleven against Luxembourg by coach Roberto Martínez, shortly after the match in Slovakia (1-0).
After the victory in Bratislava, Martínez’s team arrives at the match at the Algarve Stadium with 15 points, five ahead of the Slovaks themselves and Luxembourg, who share second place, in a group in which Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iceland They seem further and further away from the fight for qualification.
A victory over Luxembourg immediately opens an eight-point gap with respect to third place, which no longer gives the right to qualify, leaving Portugal with the possibility of celebrating qualification on October 13, when they host Slovakia, at the Estádio do Dragão, in Porto, or in 16, in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Portugal-Luxembourg is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. and will be refereed by Englishman John Brooks.
Source: TSF
