Iran take on Portugal on Monday night in a crunch match for both countries. After beating Morocco in their opening game, Iran could qualify for the knockout stages for the first time in their history. Victory over Portugal would be enough to take them through. Portugal, meanwhile, drew with Spain in their opener, before beating Morocco. A draw is enough to see them through into the last 16.
Iran haven’t been that impressive in the tournament so far. They overcame Morocco in a scrappy game, before losing 1-0 to Spain in their last game. They have shown that they’re defensively resilient though, although unexciting to watch.
Portugal are similar. Despite having one of the finest players of all time in their ranks in Cristiano Ronaldo, they’re very reliant on the legendary forward and are also not easy to watch. Pepe divides opinion, but they’ve shown that they can overcome their opposition and can’t be discounted after winning Euro 2016.
Iran vs. Portugal Predictions
Based on their performances in their first two games, this has all the makings of a low-scoring affair, possibly with just one goal in it. Portugal are the stronger team and should come out on top in this one.
Iran vs. Portugal Betting Tips
Head to Head
- This is Iran and Portugal’s second encounter at the W. Cup after 2006. Portugal won 2-0 thanks to goals from Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo. It was Ronaldo’s first-ever goal in the tournament.
- Portugal have won three of their four W. Cup games against Asian opposition, losing against host nation South Korea in 2002.
- Iran are winless in six W. Cup meetings against European sides (D1 L5), with that draw coming against Scotland in 1978.
- Current Iran national coach Carlos Queiroz had two spells managing Portugal during 1991-1993 and 2008-2010. He took charge during the 2010 W. Cup, overseeing their biggest ever victory in the competition (7-0 vs. North Korea).
- Portugal’s 1-0 win over Morocco last time out was their first W. Cup clean sheet since a goalless draw with Brazil in 2010, ending a run of five matches without a shutout.
- A win against Portugal will guarantee that Iran are in the W. Cup knockout stages for the first time in their history.
- Iran have never won their final game of the W. Cup group stages (D1 L3), scoring three and conceding 10 in these matches.
- Portugal talisman Cristiano Ronaldo has scored each of his country’s last five goals at the W. Cup, the last player to do so for a particular nation was Oleg Salenko for Russia in 1994 (6 in a row).
- Against Morocco, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 85th international goal for Portugal, the most of any European player at international level in football history, overtaking Ferenc Puskas’ 84 goals for Hungary and Spain combined.
- Should he feature in this match, Joao Moutinho will make his 113th appearance for the Portuguese national side, overtaking Nani (112) to become the third most capped player in the country’s history, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (152 before this game) and Luis Figo (127).
Iran Squad
Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Rashid Mazaheri (Zob Ahan), Amir Abedzadeh (Maritimo), Majid Hosseini (Esteghlal), Ramin Rezaeian (Ostende), Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh (Padideh), Morteza Pouraliganji (Al-Saad), Pejman Montazeri (Esteghlal), Milad Mohammadi (Akhmat Grozny), Roozbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal), Saeid Ezatolahi (Amkar Perm), Masoud Shojaei (AEK Athens), Mehdi Torabi (Saipa), Omid Ebrahimi (Esteghlal), Ehsan Haji Safi (Olympiakos), Karim Ansarifard (Olympiakos), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (AZ Alkmaar), Mahdi Taremi (Al-Gharafa), Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan), Reza Ghoochannejihad (Heerenveen), Saman Ghoddos (Ostersunds), Ashkan Dejagah (Nottingham Forest)
Portugal Squad
Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Beto (Goztepe SK), Rui Patricio (Sporting CP), Bruno Alves (Rangers), Cedric Soares (Southampton), Jose Fonte (Dalian Yifang), Mario Rui (Napoli), Pepe (Besiktas), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Ricardo Pereira (Porto), Ruben Dias (Benfica), Adrien Silva (Leicester City), Bruno Fernandes (Sporting CP), Joao Mario (West Ham), Joao Moutinho (Monaco), Manuel Fernandes (Lokomotiv Moscow), William Carvalho (Sporting CP), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Andre Silva (AC Milan), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Gelson Martins (Sporting CP), Goncalo Guedes (Valencia), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas)