The next step for Euro 2016 is naturally the quarter-finals! Semi-final spots are up for grabs, so the stakes are sky-high. Can Poland and Portugal find their scoring touch or are we in for another 0-0 bore draw?
20:00 POLAND - PORTUGAL
Poland have yet to perform well for a whole 90 minutes, but they're still on course for a good showing at the Euros. In their round of 16 clash against Switzerland the Poles had an extremely good first half, but were too passive in the second half. This eventually led to the Swiss' taking control of the match and Xherdan Shaqiri's equalizer was more than deserved. That beautiful goal was also the first time Poland conceded in France.
The win on penalties didn't come easy for the Poles. Now they face a country who have had a similar run at the Euros: results that have been just about good enough but performances haven't impressed. There's much to improve on in terms of Poland's attacking, and they've showed only glimpses of their potential. All eyes will be on superstar Robert Lewandowski, who has been one of the biggest disappointments of the tournament so far with 0 goals to his name. Now would be the perfect time to find some form.
Portugal shored up their defence after the catastrophic performance against Hungary, and their first match of the knockout stages against Croatia was an extremely defence-minded encounter. Neither side managed a single shot on goal before the duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma won the match at the death. Portugal have been far from the team that used to attack with flair and pace, as they've focused on being more solid defensively. This has taken them to the quarter-finals, and as the game with Croatia showed, even teams with a lot of attacking quality have trouble breaking them down.
Portugal virtually defended Croatia to submission, and although the game was one of the most boring in recent memory, their tactics are unlikely to change in the future. They will approach games with defending their foremost concern, and Poland's struggling forwards are in for a tough match. If Portugal are as clinical in executing their game plan as they were in the round of 16, Poland will be starved of goal-scoring opportunities. On the other hand, Poland's defence has also been rather solid at the Euros, so this might mean another boring match-up.
Special Bets:
Shots on target in total: less than 8,5 6/5 Unibet
Poland at Euro 2016:
25.6.2016 Switzerland - Poland 1-2 (penalties)
21.6.2016 Ukraine - Poland 0-1
16.6.2016 Germany - Poland 0-0
12.6.2016 Poland - Northern Ireland 1-0
Portugal at Euro 2016:
25.6.2016 Croatia - Portugal 0-1 (after extra-time)
22.6.2016 Hungary - Portugal 3-3
18.6.2016 Portugal - Austria 0-0
14.6.2016 Portugal - Iceland 1-1
BETTING TIP:
A lot of footballing enthusiasts will remember the energetic and fast attacking game both Poland and Portugal are capable of. Now, as the stakes are more higher than ever and both teams are struggling for goals, a fairly low-scoring match can be expected. Material-wise Portugal are slight favourites for the win, but Poland also have what it takes to claim a spot in the semi-finals. As a lot of goals aren't expected the likelihood of a draw grows, and it's looking like this match could go all the way to penalties. We're going for a draw, as the bookies have undervalued it in their odds.
** 1x2: X (draw) 21/10 Betsafe / Betsson