Portugal vs Slovakia prediction: EUROPE: Euro – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-10-12 18:45.
After winning all six of their 2024 UEFA European Championship qualifying (ECQ) matches to date, another victory here for Portugal will seal their place at Euro 2024 in Germany next summer with games to spare. Boss Roberto MartĂnez couldn’t have asked for much more from his side, who have scored both the most goals in the competition ahead of this latest international window (24) and had also conceded the fewest strikes (zero) alongside France.
As a result, Portugal are heavy favourites to secure another three-point haul here and continue their streak of participating in every European Championship since 1996. Since that date, the hosts have remained unbeaten in all five of their meetings with Slovakia (W4, D1) – including a 1-0 victory in this current qualification cycle – and will look to further extend that run as they bid to move another step closer to adding to their 2016 European Championship title.
This latest meeting with Slovakia could prove to be a much trickier affair, as the visitors arrive at Estádio do Dragão having lost just one of their six ECQ outings (W4, D1). That defeat came in the last H2H meeting, but with the chance of qualifying for their third straight European Championship on the line as Luxembourg lurk in third spot, Francesco Calzona’s side should be in the mood to cause a sizeable upset in Porto.
Much of their success during this ECQ cycle has come from their solid backline which is anchored by captain and current PSG defender Milan Ĺ kriniar. In fact, only six sides had conceded fewer than their two goals going into this matchweek, whilst their tally of four clean sheets can only be bettered by opponents Portugal and 2022 World Cup finalists France.
Players to watch: Despite struggling for PSG lately, Gonçalo Ramos is in red hot form for Portugal, scoring six goals in eight international appearances, including a recent first-half brace against Luxembourg. Robert Mak has netted two ECQ goals in this cycle, with Slovakia emerging victorious in 13 of his prior 14 goalscoring international appearances (L1).
Hot stat: Both teams have scored in just one of the last five H2Hs.