Portugal are finally off the mark in Group A2 of the UEFA Nations League and will be looking to maintain their unbeaten start as they host Czech Republic on Thursday. The Czechs are also unbeaten in the group but should find things difficult against the former champions.
Portugal were in rampant mood last time out in the UEFA Nations League as they claimed a 4-0 victory over Switzerland. Cristiano Ronaldo netted a brace while William Carvalho and Joao Cancelo were also on target.
That was the first win in Group A2 for Portugal having begun their campaign with a 1-1 draw with Spain. The result means Fernando Santos’ men have now suffered just one defeat in their last 11 matches across all competitions, claiming eight wins in that run.
Portugal have done some of their best work at home lately, winning six of their last seven matches in front of their fans. There have been a number of comfortable victories in that run, including a 5-0 triumph over Luxembourg.
Czech Republic have mirrored Portugal’s results in Group A2 and are level on points with the former champions. They began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Switzerland before playing out a 2-2 draw with Spain last Sunday.
Although they have made a solid start to the UNL, Czech Republic’s general form has been slightly patchy lately. The result against Switzerland is their only win in their last four matches across all competitions.
Czech Republic have also been unconvincing on their travels lately with just one win from their last three away matches. Jaroslav Silhavy’s men have suffered two defeats in that run, the biggest of which was a 3-0 loss in Belgium during the World Cup qualifiers.
How the bookies view it?
The bookies have Portugal as overwhelming favourites with a home win priced at 3/7 by SBK. A victory for Czech Republic is valued at 38/5 by SBK while a draw is set at odds of 16/5 by bet365.
Head to head
Portugal have a 2-1 edge from three previous matches against Czech Republic. The last meeting between both teams was a 1-0 victory for the Portuguese during Euro 2012 with Cristiano Ronaldo getting the goal.
Players to watch
Cristiano Ronaldo netted a brace last time out for Portugal and will be the one to watch on Thursday. The striker was also on target the last time the Portuguese faced Czech Republic and is priced at 8/11 by bet365 to get on the score sheet.
Jan Kuchta has stepped up in the absence of the injured Patrik Schick, scoring in the opening two matches for Czech Republic. The striker could be worth keeping an eye on and is priced at 5/1 by bet365 to find the net on Thursday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Portugal and Switzerland have shown they know their way to goal and both teams could be backed to score at 24/19 with SBK. Over 2.5 goals is valued at 5/6 with Sport Nation while BetVictor is offering odds of 11/5 for over 3.5 goals.
Given the minimal odds for a straight Portugal victory, a win and over 2.5 goals can be considered for more value at 13/10 with Paddy Power.
This UEFA Nations League match between Portugal and Czech Republic will be played on Jun 9, 2022 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Portugal vs Czech Republic prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
