Portugal began the finals as the underdogs and have already beaten the odds to go this far. On Wednesday, they defeated Germany in the Allianz Arena, rallying from a goal deficit to win in dramatic manner.
Portugal’s manager, Robert Mancini, was under pressure after a poor Euros campaign with little promise and a quarterfinal loss to France. In addition to providing excellent preparation for their World Cup qualifying campaign, which begins in September and pits them against Hungary, Ireland, and Armenia, winning this competition should win back the public’s support.
There is a lot of enthusiasm about two players in particular: Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal of Spain, who are 23 years apart and going to meet for the first time.
Despite the fact that Yamal was only 18 months old when Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or, the young Spaniard is vying for the prize, particularly following another outstanding performance in the victory over France in the semi-final.
Game Details
Date: Monday, June 9
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
Kick-off Time: 00:30 IST [Sunday, June 8: 20:00 GMT/ 15:00 ET/ 12:00 PT]
Possible Lineups
Portugal’s possible starting lineup: Costa; Dalot, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; J. Neves, Vitinha, Bernardo; Conceicao, Ronaldo, Fernandes
Spain’s possible starting lineup: Simon; Porro, Le Normand, Huijsen, Cucurella; Merino, Fabian, Pedri; Yamal, Oyarzabal, Williams
Last 5 Game Form:
- Portugal: W-D-L-W-W
- Spain: W-W-D-D-W
Head-to-Head
- Total Face Game: 40
- Portugal won: 6
- Spain won: 18
- Draws: 16
Squad News
Ronaldo’s goal on Wednesday, his 220th Portugal appearance, hushed many detractors, and he will undoubtedly start at the top of the lineup for Martinez’s team this weekend.
However, Martinez was forced to make drastic changes early in the second half, including replacing makeshift right-back João Neves and bringing on Paris Saint-Germain teammate Vitinha, because the Portugal squad that began the semi-final was full of surprises.
Ruben Neves is unlikely to return to the starting lineup after being pulled off the pitch before the hour on Wednesday, and Conceicao’s influence from the bench should earn him a start, allowing Trincao or Pedro Neto to drop out of the team.
On Thursday, De la Fuente decided to use Mikel Oyarzabal as a false nine, and it worked wonders as he recorded two first-half assists. Team Leader Alvaro Morata was left out of the Spain squad.
Also Read: Young Star Lamine Yamal Faces Off Against Legends Ronaldo & Messi
Rodri has not been risked since returning from an ACL injury, and Fabian Ruiz, who started on the bench in Stuttgart after his Champions League escapes last weekend, might move into the midfield.
Despite Spain’s impressive offensive display, their young defence were overwhelmed in the closing moments of France’s comeback, with Pedro Porro and Dean Huijsen in particular appearing uneasy and Dani Vivian scoring an own goal after coming off the bench.
