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Luxembourg will welcome Portugal to the Stade Josy Barthel on Tuesday for a matchday three fixture in the UEFA section of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The hosts registered a surprise 1-0 victory away to the Republic of Ireland on Saturday. A late strike by Gerson Rodrigues gave Luxembourg all three points.
Portugal were held to a 2-2 draw away to Serbia. Selecao raced into a two-goal lead at halftime through a Diogo Jota brace only to see the Eastern Europeans equalize in the second half.
The game ended in controversy when a last-gasp strike by Cristiano Ronaldo was cleared off the line. However, replays showed the ball had crossed the goalline and would have been given if there was VAR or goalline technology present.
That stalemate saw both sides move joint-top of Group A, while Luxembourg are just behind in third-place.
Luxembourg vs Portugal Head-to-Head
The two sides have met on 17 occasions in the past. It is not a surprise that Portugal have the overwhelming advantage with 15 wins and one draw to their name.
Luxembourg's sole victory came in a qualifier for the 1962 World Cup which they won 4-2 in October 1961.
The two sides were also paired in the Euro 2020 qualifiers. On that occasion, goals in each half from Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes helped the Iberians to a 2-0 win in their most recent meeting.
Luxembourg's victory over Ireland halted a run of four games without a win. Portugal have lost just one of their last 12 international games, with eight games in this sequence ending in a victory.
Luxembourg form guide: W-L-D-L-L
Portugal form guide: D-W-W-L-W
Luxembourg vs Portugal Team News
Luxembourg
Head coach Luc Holtz called up 24 players for the fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Portugal.
No injuries or suspensions were recorded in the game against the Boys in Green.
Injuries: None
Suspension: None
Portugal
Portugal have played two games in four days and rotation might factor into Fernando Santos' plans to avoid any injuries or fatigue.
Diogo Jota could retain his spot in the starting lineup following his heroics on Saturday. Joao Felix could be handed his first start of the qualifiers, while Nuno Mendes could make his second start for his country.
Cristiano Ronaldo might be handed a rest, having started both games this week.
Suspension: None
Injuries: None
Luxembourg vs Portugal Predicted XI
Luxembourg Predicted XI (3-4-1-2): Anthony Moris (GK); Enes Mahmutovic, Maxime Chanot, Laurent jans; Marvin Santos, Leandro Barreiro, Christopher Martins, Oliver Thill; Vincent Thill; Daniel Sinani, Gerson Rodrigues
Portugal Predicted XI (4-3-3): Rui Silva (GK); Nuno Mendes, Jose Fonte, Domingos Duarte, Cedric Soares; Joao Palhinha, Bruno Fernandes, Danilo Pereira; Joao Felix, Andre Silva, Diogo Jota
Luxembourg vs Portugal Prediction
Luxembourg were impressive in their victory against an out-of-sorts Ireland but they will be swimming with bigger fish when Portugal come visiting.
The European champions will be keen to right the wrongs suffered against Serbia with a victory against Luxembourg. We are predicting a victory for the visitors, although Santos' compact style means that they might not score many goals.
Prediction: Luxembourg 0-2 Portugal
