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PPortugal will lock horns with Switzerland at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Tuesday in the round of 16 of the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Portugal kicked off their global campaign with a dramatic 3-2 win over Ghana which saw all five goals come in the final 25 minutes of the game. They then beat Uruguay 2-0 in their second game via a Bruno Fernandes brace before suffering a 2-1 defeat to South Korea in their final group game.
Switzerland also began their group stage run on a positive note, beating Cameroon 1-0 before losing 1-0 to Brazil in their second game via a late winner from Casemiro.
They, however, returned to winning ways in their third game, beating Serbia 3-2 in a tense clash at Stadium 974 last Friday.
Portugal's star man Cristiano Ronaldo struggled to come alive against Korea last time out but will be looking to shake that off when they take on the Swiss this week.
Portugal vs Switzerland Head-to-Head stats
There have been 25 meetings between the two nations. Portugal have won nine of those games while Switzerland have won two more. Their other five matchups have ended in draws.
The two teams last faced off in the group stages of the UEFA Nations League back in June, with the A-Team winning the match 1-0 via a Haris Seferovic strike in the first minute of the game.
Portugal Form Guide: L-W-W-W-L
Switzerland Form Guide: W-L-W-L-W
Portugal vs Switzerland: Numbers you need to know before their FIFA World Cup 2022 encounter
Portugal have now made it to the last 16 of the World Cup for the third time in their last four appearances at the global showpiece. They have, however, been knocked out in their previous two round-of-16 appearances, losing to Spain in 2010 and Uruguay in 2018.
The Selecao will be looking to go further in the competition this time around and possibly go all the way for the first time in the nation's history.
Switzerland have also been regulars in the last 16 of the competition of late, making it to this stage in three of the previous four editions of the global showpiece. They last advanced past this stage back in 1954, reaching the quarterfinals before losing 7-5 to eventual bronze medallists Austria.
The sheer gulf in class and quality between the two sides means Portugal are favorites to win on Tuesday but they must not underestimate the Swiss, who have shown in recent times a knack for grinding out results against stronger opposition.
