MX23RW : Tuesday, November 12 22:22:58| >> :600:185713:185713:
[monks data]
Scotland national football team
Nations League | League A
Oct 15, 2024 at 7.45pm UK
Hampden Park
Portugal national football team

Scotland
0 - 0
Portugal


McTominay (27')
FT

Jota (18'), Palhinha (50'), Dias (83'), Silva (90+5')

Preview: Scotland vs. Portugal - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Tuesday's Nations League clash between Scotland and Portugal, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

On the brink of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League, Portugal head to Hampden Park for a date with Scotland in League A Group 1 on Tuesday.

Roberto Martinez's team overcame Poland 3-1 at the weekend to remain perfect in the 2024-25 edition, while their hosts put in a valiant effort against Croatia but ultimately fell to a 2-1 defeat.


Match preview

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo on October 12, 2024© Imago

Not content with just the 900 career goals, Cristiano Ronaldo remains on a mission to breach the 1,000 mark and inched ever closer to that unparalleled milestone on Saturday, doubling Portugal's lead against Poland after Bernardo Silva broke the deadlock.

Even though Piotr Zielinski cut the deficit in half for Poland to ostensibly set up a tense finale, his effort was cancelled out by one of his teammates, as Jan Bednarek diverted the ball into his own net in the dying embers to restore Portugal's comfortable advantage.

Now three for three in the 2024-25 competition, having flexed their muscles against Croatia and Scotland in September, the 2016 European champions are three points clear at the top of the section and can wrap up a quarter-final place with a win if other results go their way.

Should Portugal prevail in Glasgow, the only scenario in which they would be forced to wait to confirm a top-two finish would be if Poland defeat Croatia - leaving both sides on six points and Portugal on 12 - although Martinez's men would then need to lose both games in November to drop out of the knockout berths.

Such a scenario is unthinkable for the Selecao, who are the only team in the four League A groups with a perfect record of nine points after three games, although they did not get the better of Tuesday's foes without a major scare in September.

Scotland's Billy Gilmour and Kenny McLean react during the UEFA Nations League match against Croatia, on October 12, 2024© Imago

Indeed, Steve Clarke's men were in the ascendancy after just seven minutes against Portugal last month thanks to international goal machine Scott McTominay, only for Bruno Fernandes and the inevitable Ronaldo to turn the tie on its head.

Scotland were consigned to an identical fate against Croatia on Saturday evening, as after Ryan Christie drew first blood in Zagreb, Clarke's crop failed to cling onto their advantage once again as Igor Matanovic and Andrej Kramaric propelled the 2018 World Cup finalists to a comeback success.

Che Adams's last-gasp leveller being disallowed for offside rubbed salt into the wounds for Scotland, who have not been blown away by any of their League A foes thus far, but the pointless hosts are heading straight back down to the second tier barring a miraculous turnaround.

Draw or lose on Tuesday and Scotland can more or less kiss their wafer-thin top-two hopes goodbye, and it is now four successive defeats for Tuesday's hosts, whose only win in their last 15 games came against minnows Gibraltar in a summer friendly.

September's agonising loss to Portugal also made it four straight defeats to the Euro 2016 winners for Scotland, who have not conquered their upcoming visitors since 1980, where Kenny Dalglish was among the scorers in a 4-1 European Championship crushing.

Scotland Nations League form:


Scotland form (all competitions):


Portugal Nations League form:


Portugal form (all competitions):


Team News

Liverpool's Diogo Jota celebrates scoring his second goal on September 25, 2024© Imago

Portugal came through their triumph over Poland unscathed on the physical front, although Sporting Lisbon centre-back Goncalo Inacio withdrew from the ranks with an injury before the October internationals began.

Joao Palhinha - who has experienced a difficult start to life at Bayern Munich - Francisco Conceicao and Tomas Araujo were all omitted from the matchday squad at the weekend, although those were tactical decisions from Martinez, who had to leave three of his troops out.

With Inacio and Araujo out, Chelsea's Renato Veiga began at centre-back on his full debut for Portugal's senior team, although Antonio Silva is now an alternative option if jellied legs come into play.

Scotland also have no fresh concerns to report from their narrow defeat to Croatia, prior to which Angus Gunn, Lawrence Shankland and Greg Taylor all pulled out with injuries, in addition to Celtic winger James Forrest.

Almost neck-and-neck on the appearances front, Andrew Robertson (77) and veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon (76) should add another cap to their CVs on Tuesday, where the former would overtake Alex McLeish for fourth all-time.

Despite seeing his last-gasp equaliser in Zagreb disallowed, Adams - who has six direct goal contributions from his first nine appearances in a Torino shirt - is certainly a candidate to replace Lyndon Dykes at the tip of the attack.


Scotland possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Ralston, Souttar, Hanley, Robertson; McLean, Gilmour; Doak, McTominay, Christie; Adams

Portugal possible starting lineup:
Costa; Dalot, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Silva, R. Neves; Jota, Fernandes, Leao; Ronaldo


SM words green background

We say: Scotland 1-2 Portugal

All three of Scotland's losses thus far in League A have been by just the one goal, but unfortunately for Clarke's men, we can envisage that exact same scenario unfolding at Hampden Park.

While fatigue may come into play for both sides, Portugal's options for change off the bench are much more menacing, and the Selecao should march to the win that will more than likely punch their ticket to the quarters.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


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Game History

How you voted: Scotland vs Portugal

Scotland
9.0%
Draw
10.4%
Portugal
80.7%
357
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Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo during the warm-up on July 5, 2024
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League A1

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Portugal Portugal431010
2 Croatia Croatia42117
3 Poland Poland41124
4 Scotland flag Scotland40131

League A2

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Italy Italy431010
2 France France43019
3 Belgium Belgium41124
4 Israel Israel40040

League A3

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Germany Germany431010
2 Netherlands Netherlands41215
3 Hungary Hungary41215
4 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina40131

League A4

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Spain Spain431010
2 Denmark Denmark42117
3 Serbia Serbia41124
4 Switzerland Switzerland40131

League B1

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Czech Republic Czech Republic42117
2 Georgia Georgia42026
3 Albania national flag Albania42026
4 Ukraine Ukraine41124

League B2

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Greece Greece440012
2 England flag England43019
3 Ireland Rep. Ireland41033
4 Finland Finland40040

League B3

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Norway Norway42117
2 Austria Austria42117
3 Slovenia Slovenia42117
4 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan40131

League B4

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Turkey Turkey431010
2 Wales flag Wales42208
3 Iceland Iceland41124
4 Montenegro Montenegro40040

League C1

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Sweden Sweden431010
2 Slovakia Slovakia431010
3 Estonia Estonia41033
4 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan40040

League C2

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Romania Romania440012
2 Kosovo flag Kosovo43019
3 Cyprus Cyprus41033
4 Lithuania Lithuania40040

League C3

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland42117
2 Belarus Belarus41306
3 Bulgaria Bulgaria41215
4 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg40222

League C4

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Macedonia N. Macedonia431010
2 Armenia Armenia41124
3 Latvia Latvia41124
4 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands40313

League D1

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar31205
2 San Marino flag San Marino21013
3 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein30212

League D2

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Republic of Moldova Moldova32016
2 Malta flag Malta32016
3 Andorra flag Andorra20020


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