Portugal Team Analysis
As expected for the group favorites, the Portuguese national team began their World Cup qualification campaign with two consecutive victories. While their opening match against Armenia was a straightforward affair, the second fixture against Hungary proved more challenging. Roberto Martínez’s squad secured a narrow 3-2 away win, with the decisive goal netted late in the game. Crucially, the team now boasts a four-match winning streak in World Cup qualifiers and stands as the undisputed leader in their quartet’s standings.- The national team has avoided defeat in 20 of their last 21 World Cup qualification matches (18 wins, 2 draws).
- Portugal’s home scoring streak in this tournament extends to 20 games.
- The team has scored at least 2 goals in 9 of their last 11 World Cup qualification encounters.
Portugal’s Provisional Starting XI (4-2-3-1)
Diogo Costa – Diogo Dalot, António Silva, Rúben Dias, Nuno Mendes – Vitinha, Rúben Neves – Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Neto – Cristiano Ronaldo. Defenders João Cancelo and midfielder João Neves are unavailable due to injuries.Ireland Team Analysis
Ireland’s September qualification fixtures did not go as planned. Prior to facing the strongest opponent in their group, the Irish managed only one point from two matches, placing Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side at the bottom of the table with a modest return. The team risked two defeats, only salvaging a draw at the very end of their initial game against Hungary. Following this, Ireland suffered a loss to Armenia, ending their six-match unbeaten run in World Cup qualifiers (2 wins, 4 draws).- The team has found the net in 7 of their last 8 World Cup qualification fixtures.
- The Irish have remained undefeated in 8 of their last 11 away matches in this tournament (5 wins, 3 draws).
- The national team has secured a victory with a (+1.5) handicap in their last 11 World Cup qualification games.
Ireland’s Provisional Starting XI (3-4-3)
Caoimhín Kelleher – Jake O’Brien, Nathan Collins, Dara O’Shea – Chiedozie Ogbene, Josh Cullen, Jason Molumby, Ryan Manning – Jack Taylor, Finn Azaz, Evan Ferguson. Defenders Matt Doherty and forward Sammy Szmodics were not included in the squad due to injuries. Defender Liam Scales will miss the match for family reasons.Referee Profile: Ivan Kružliak
Ivan Kružliak (Slovakia)
Matches officiated – 13 (International fixtures, 2024/25-2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 62;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.8;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties awarded – 31%.
Match Prediction: Portugal – Ireland
The Portuguese have already netted 8 goals in their World Cup qualification campaign, and overall, 10 goals have been scored across the two matches involving Roberto Martínez’s squad. Such high scoring is quite typical for the team, with at least 3 goals being scored in 9 of their last 11 World Cup qualification games. It’s also worth noting that the same scoring threshold was met in 4 of Portugal’s last 5 home matches in this competition. Ireland’s matches are generally slightly less explosive, but even they have seen a total of 7 goals in their two current qualifying fixtures. This statistic isn’t surprising either, as 4 of their last 5 World Cup qualification games have been “overs” (high-scoring). Furthermore, when considering away matches in this tournament, at least 3 goals have been scored in each of their last 5 outings. I anticipate these trends will continue in the direct encounter between the national teams. Therefore, my prediction is: “Total Goals Over 2.5” with odds of 1.50
Author: Nikita Kudryavtsev
Mark Thompson
