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Portugal will target a sixth consecutive win when they travel to Ireland for their World Cup 2022 Qualifying Group A fixture on Thursday night. The Euro 2016 winners have been in scintillating form lately, scoring 16 goals and conceding just twice in their last five matches in all competitions.
Their impressive run of form has left them in second place in Group A with a game in hand, one point behind leaders Serbia. Ireland, on the other hand, have already crashed out of the qualifying race and will be playing for pride in front of their fans
On paper, it might look like a one-sided affair, but we must not rule out the sport’s penchant for extraordinary surprises.
With that in mind, let us take a look at the five predictions as Portugal take on Ireland in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
#5 Callum Robinson to score again for the hosts
Ireland may have bid the Qualifiers adieu, but that should not keep us from celebrating their in-form talisman Callum Robinson. The West Bromwich Albion star has been scoring for fun lately and could be a handful for Portugal on Thursday night.
Like his teammates, Robinson, too, was late to the party. He fired blanks in the first five matches, but came to life with a brace in the 0-3 win against Azerbaijan. He struck first in the seventh minute and followed it up another just before half-time.
Ireland's "CR7" then scored an impressive hat-trick in the 4-0 friendly win against Qatar, scoring the first two goals in the first 13 minutes of the game.
Portugal are considerably stronger than the two opponents he has scored against. However, we will still not bet against him adding to his tally on Thursday.
#4 Fernando Santos to take the fight to Ireland in the first half
Portugal coach Fernando Santos has faced a lot of criticism for not utilizing the attacking talents at his disposal. Against Ireland, he will have the opportunity and reason to let loose and, we believe, that is exactly what he will do.
Santos’ Portugal are comfortable on the ball and should dominate possession against Ireland. Expect quicker movement and more men inside the box in the first half.
If Portugal score, they could drop back and defend deep in the second 45, conserving energy for the upcoming table-topping clash with Serbia.
#3 Ireland to play a spirited game at home
Stephen Kenny’s Republic of Ireland were looking to make it to their first World Cup since 2002. Unfortunately, they could not portray their hopes and ambitions clearly on the football pitch.
It took them six attempts to pick up their first win of their 2022 World Cup Qualifying campaign, which came against Azerbaijan on matchday six. The 3-0 win was impressive, but not enough to get their campaign back on track.
They backed up their success over Azerbaijan with a 4-0 friendly win against Qatar, extending their unbeaten run to four matches in all competitions. Portugal were the last team to beat Ireland, but the win was far from convincing.
Cristiano Ronaldo rose to the occasion in the dying minutes of the match to deny Ireland all three points, breaking the hearts of Irish supporters. At home, Ireland will look to settle the score by playing engaging football without losing their shape.
With any luck, they could end up dampening Portugal’s spirits ahead of their Group A decider against Serbia.
#2 Joao Felix to shine alongside Cristiano Ronaldo
In the reverse fixture, Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo scored a match-winning brace to steal the game away from Ireland. When push comes to shove, Portugal have always been able to depend on their talisman, and they will do so again on Thursday night.
Joao Felix, on the other hand, has not yet been able to establish himself as one of the most promising youngsters in the world. For Portugal, he is still a benchwarmer, waiting on the wings to have his shot. On Thursday, he might finally have it.
With Bernardo Silva ruled out of the game with a muscle injury, Felix is expected to start on the right flank and contribute to Portugal’s attack. An impressive performance could put him back on the map and we are backing him to do something memorable at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday.
#1 Portugal to reclaim top spot in Group A
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal failed to defend their Euro crown in the summer, but they are unlikely to have trouble in the World Cup Qualifiers. With five wins and a draw in six games, they are a point behind leaders Serbia. A win against Ireland would put Portugal back on top, setting up a cracking contest with Serbia on matchday eight.
Portugal have not visited Ireland since 2005, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for the visitors. Overall, they have only won once in their last four visits, with the friendly win coming way back in 1996. However, the gulf in quality has only increased over the years, and we expect Thursday’s fixture to reflect that.
We predict a closely-contested 1-2 win for Portugal in their seventh 2022 World Cup Qualifying Group A fixture against Ireland.
