Best Odds: 19/20
Bookmaker:
Desperate to extend on their World Cup qualifying adventure on Thursday night, Portugal will welcome Turkey to the Estádio do Dragão.
Portugal
Starting with the hosts, after being hit with their heartbreaking 2-1 defeat at home against Serbia last time out, there is no doubt that Portugal will be seeking an immediate response here. Throwing away an automatic spot at this year s World Cup finals after falling at the final hurdle, Head Coach Fernando Santos will know that he still has real pressure on his position. Likewise, shocking many as they had to settle for a 0-0 stalemate against Ireland on foreign soil back in November, the Navigators know that they cannot afford another slip-up here. Still holding a stacked squad of European superstars, there is no doubt that fans around the Estádio do Dragão will be calling on Cristiano Ronaldo to spearhead their charge on Thursday night. Desperate to help Portugal put their November nightmare behind them, the Manchester United icon racked up six qualifying goals last year, including a hat-trick in a 5-0 romp against Luxembourg.
Team News
After picking up a pair of costly bookings against Serbia last time out, the duo of Renato Sanches and Joao Cancelo will miss out as they serve a suspension.
Likewise, Cancelo s teammate and fellow defender Ruben Dias has not been selected as he deals with an ongoing thigh injury.
Turkey
As for the visitors, while Turkey might have failed to snatch top spot off of the Netherlands last year, there is no doubt that Stefan Kuntz s side have largely impressed many across Europe. Last seen back on November 16th when coming from behind to grab a 2-1 win away at Montenegro, the Crescent-Stars did sign off their Group G campaign with three wins on the spin. Likewise, aside from that 6-1 drumming when they made the trip out to Holland six months ago, it appears that might have just been a minor blip for the Whites. In fact, aside from that defeat in Amsterdam, that is the only loss that Turkey have suffered from any of their previous seven matchups across all formats. Eventually snatching that lucrative second-spot after edging past Norway, Kuntz has also seen his side gain a reputation for their rather lively outcomes at both ends of the pitch.
Team News
After serving a suspension against Montenegro, Sassuolo s Mert Muldur looks set to make his return on Thursday night.
Leicester s Caglar Soyuncu has also been included in Turkey s squad and will be joined by Merih Demiral at the back.
Key Factors to Consider
