Portugal could have easily secured their World Cup spot by now, but failing to win either of their last two games has complicated matters. However, Roberto Martinez’s team still have their fate in their own hands, a win over Armenia will be enough to secure top spot in the group.
The home team are top of group F with 10 points in their five outings. While they won each of their first three outings, they played out a 2-2 draw against Hungary and ended up losing 2-0 to Ireland last time out.
They have already given up two opportunities of securing their spot at the World Cup, and are not in the best of form heading into this one. Portugal will be without their skipper, Cristiano Ronaldo, after he was sent off against Ireland, which certainly doesn’t help their cause.
The visitors are bottom of the points table with just three points in their five outings. Since securing a famous 2-1 win over Ireland, Armenia have lost each of their last three outings. While they have nothing to play for, they can certainly spoil the party for Portugal.
Armenia are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Hungary, and this will certainly be a big challenge for them, having lost 5-0 to Portugal in the reverse fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could use.
Roberto Martinez will be without Ronaldo after he was sent off against Ireland, but he does have a boost as Bruno Fernandes is back available after missing the last fixture because of suspension.
Portugal could lineup in a 4-3-3 formation, where Diogo Costa will be in goal. Nelson Semedo could be introduced from the start after an impressive cameo last time out. He will take charge on the right, while Diogo Dalot should feature on the left.
Joao Neves will be the defensive midfielder, while Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes will be in his support. The trio will look to control the tempo and ensure they dominate the proceedings.
Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao should feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. With Ronaldo not available, Goncalo Ramos will be the one leading the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): D Costa; N Semedo, Inacio, Dias, Dalot; J Neves, Fernandes, Vitinha; Bernardo, G Ramos, Leao
The visitors have no fresh injury concerns, which means they could stick with the same XI that started in their last outing.
Armenia will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Henry Avagyan will take charge in goal. Erik Piloyan and Nair Tiknizyan should be the full-backs, while Sergey Muradyan will start alongside Styopa Mkrtchyan in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Kamo Hovhannisyan will start alongside Karen Muradyan and Eduard Spertsyan. The trio will certainly have a lot of defending to do.
Edgar Sevikyan and Zhirayr Shaghoyan will feature on the flanks, while Grant-Leon Ramos will be leading the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Avagyan; Piloyan, Muradyan, Mkrtchyan, Tiknizyan; Hovhannisyan, Muradyan, Spertsyan; Sevikyan, Ranos, Shaghoyan
Fernandes didn’t feature in their 2-0 defeat to Ireland last time out as he was serving a suspension. While he would have hoped that his team would get the job done, things didn’t go according to plan for them.
Since this is a must-win fixture, the Manchester United skipper will certainly look to step up and deliver. With five goal contributions in his 11 league outings, Fernandes is in fine form, and he can surely have a big say on the end result of this fixture.
Portugal are expected to respond with authority after slipping up in their last two outings. Even without Cristiano Ronaldo, Roberto Martinez’s side should have too much quality for an Armenia team that has struggled for consistency throughout the campaign.
With Bruno Fernandes back in the XI and players like Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao capable of unlocking any defence, Portugal will look to dominate possession, create overloads in wide areas, and put the game to bed early.
Armenia, meanwhile, arrive in Lisbon with nothing to lose but very little momentum. Three straight defeats have drained the confidence out of the side, and their defensive frailties are likely to be exposed once again against a Portugal team desperate to get back on track.
While the visitors may try to stay compact and frustrate the hosts, their inability to sustain pressure or threaten consistently in transition makes an upset unlikely. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 3-0 win for the home team.
