Portugal-Liechtenstein is a match from the first day of Group J of Euro 2024 qualifiers and is played on Thursday at 20:45: tv, predictions.
The defeat suffered in the Qatar 2022 quarter-finals against surprising Morocco has convinced the Portuguese federation to end Fernando Santos’ multi-year stint as Portugal selector. The leader of the 2016 European Championship victory in France and in the first edition of the Nations League has changed hands after nine years: the Lusitanians are starting again with the Spaniard Roberto Martinez, former Belgium coach.
A choice that has certainly caused some debate, given that the former Everton coach has not achieved anything of note at the helm of a national team that has had plenty of talent in recent years, but has always been left with a fist in its hand at important appointments. There was a lot of curiosity about Martinez’s first call-ups, especially that of Cristiano Ronaldo, who last December decided to go and play in Saudi Arabia, in an uncompetitive league. However, CR7 will also be part of the new project, as will the other players of undoubted quality at the disposal of the new selector: from Bernardo Silva to Joao Felix, from Bruno Fernandes to Leao, passing through the ‘novelties’ Gonçalo Ramos, Palhinha, Vitinha and Otavio, all players who are doing very well in their respective clubs and who could find space right from the start.
Softest debut for Martinez
In Group J any finish other than first would be considered a failure. There is no team – Bosnia, Slovakia and Iceland are also in the same group – that on paper can really challenge Portugal, the favourites for first place
Pauritsch and Hasler
The opener, however, is one of the softest: Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates face Liechtenstein, the least competitive national team in the group, who will struggle to score any points. Led by Rene Pauritsch – former selector from 2013 to 2018 – the Principality’s selection has been losing continuously since September 2021. In the last Nations League they were the worst performing team, finishing with zero points in a group with Latvia, Moldova and Andorra, scoring only one goal.
The Prediction
Is unlikely that this match will end in a goleada. Martinez wants to start on the right foot: his Portugal side should win by at least five goals.
Portugal-Liechtenstein matchday squad
- PORTOGALLO (4-3-3): Diogo Costa; Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, Antonio Silva, Guerreiro; Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes; Joao Felix, Ronaldo, Leao.
- LIECHTENSTEIN (5-4-1): Buchel; Yildiz, S. Wolfinger, M. Wolfinger, Hofer, Traber; Hasler, Sele, Luchinger, Weiser; Frick.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 7-0