Portugal v Uruguay Tips November 28

The second round of fixtures at World Cup 2022 concludes on Monday evening as Portugal, who are currently in control of the group after their victory over Ghana, tackle Uruguay.

Chasing a good omen

Portugal’s build up against Ghana was dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo, whose release from Manchester United threatened to overshadow his country’s World Cup preparations. Although he was far from his best against Ghana, it was his penalty that sent his country on their way to a crucial victory. Subsequent goals from Joao Felix and Rafael Leao sealed the win.

Fernando Santos’ side was far from flawless, though. They conceded twice, which was alarming, particularly as goalkeeper Diogo Costa nearly sold an equaliser in stoppage time in embarrassing circumstances. It was a reminder that nothing will come easy in Qatar.

Victory, though, would undoubtedly be a good omen for Portugal. Not only do they have a poor record against South American sides having won just one of their last nine against opponents from the continent, but they have reached the semi-finals in the only two World Cup finals tournaments in which they have won their opening two matches (1966 and 2006).

European specialists

Uruguay will be after a more dynamic display than the scoreless draw they played out against South Korea. Only Fede Valverde offered something like his best level in that game - Luis Suarez looked particularly sluggish.

Edinson Cavani: could play a role for Uruguay against Portugal

UEFA opponents are not a concern for Uruguay. They have won four of their last five against European opposition and notably recorded a 2-1 win over Portugal in the last 16 of this competition in 2018, when Edinson Cavani’s brace sandwiched a Pepe header. Both veterans could be involved in this match.

Similarly, the second game of the World Cup finals has been kind to Uruguay in the recent past. They have won this fixture in each of the last three editions of the tournament, overcoming Saudi Arabia (1-0) in 2018, England (2-1) in 2014 and South Africa (3-0) in 2010.

Uruguay to avoid defeat

Remarkably, only one of the last 10 Uruguay games has seen both teams find the net, which makes backing against both teams to score at 1.82 an attractive bet. Given the open nature of Portugal in the opening match, though, 2.48 on over 2.5 goals looks similarly attractive, although it is highly unlikely both will happen with a one-sided win.

The best value looks to be on Uruguay taking something from this match, which would keep them in line for qualification. The South Americans have a strong record against European opponents, while Portugal have not fared historically well against CONMEBOL opponents. Uruguay starting with a +0.5 handicap on the Asian market looks the pick of the value.