The Portuguese football team will face Switzerland this Tuesday in the final round of 16 matches of the 2022 World Cup, seeking a place in the ‘quarters’ for the third time in history and 16 years after the last qualification. The captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has already shared a message ahead of the match.
“Today is for Portugal! For the Portuguese. For us and for ours. Today is for all the dreams we carry in each of us! Let’s do everything!”, the player wrote on Facebook.
In both 1966 and 2006, the ‘quinas’ team reached the quarter-finals, and the first time the event did not think about the realization of the eighth finals. In both cases, Portugal would eventually reach the semi-finals, finishing third in England and fourth in Germany.
After conquering Group H, with six points, ahead of South Korea led by Paulo Bento, who also continued, the formation led by Fernando Santos will face Switzerland who were second in Group G, on equal footing with leader Brazil, but at a disadvantage on goal difference.
In addition, this will be the third confrontation between the two teams this year, after the two games for the League of Nations, both in the space of a week, in June, with Portugal winning 4-0 in Alvalade and, a week ago, in Geneva with Beaten 1-0.
For the duel with the Swiss, Fernando Santos should return to the “eleven” several times compared to those presented with South Korea, namely Rúben Dias, Raphaël Guerreiro, William Carvalho, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and João Félix, who join Diogo add Costa, Joao Cancelo, Pepe, Ruben Neves and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Still, the biggest doubt has to do with Ronaldo, following the displeasure he expressed when he was substituted against the South Koreans. The coach confessed on Monday that he “really didn’t like” the attacker’s attitude, but did not reveal whether the captain will participate from the start, which is most expected.
Portugal and Switzerland will face each other in the last of eight games in the round of 16, which begins at 10 p.m. local time (7 p.m. in Lisbon) at Estádio de Lusail.
Earlier, from 18:00 local time, Morocco and Spain also compete for a place in the ‘quarters’, in Al-Rayyan, with the winner facing the Portuguese or Swiss in the next round.
The quarter-finals, which are complete today, have already determined the following matches: England-France, the Netherlands-Argentina and Croatia-Brazil.
The Mundial2022 runs until December 18 in Qatar.
Source: DN
