Portugal resume their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign in the Armenian capital Erevan tomorrow. The Seleção are seeking their fourth straight victory in competitive play since the appointment of Fernando Santos last September.
A win for the away team would leave Portugal on the cusp of clinching qualification to the 2016 European Championships.
PortuGOAL previews the match.
Armenia currently lie bottom of qualifying Group I with a single point from 4 matches, while Portugal are top of the standings with 9 points.
Nevertheless, Portugal have never won in Erevan, drawing their previous two matches there, and if the encounter between the two sides in the Algarve is anything to go by, when the hosts scraped a 1-0 win, the Seleção will not be in for an easy ride.
“We’ve never won here but we hope this is the time,” said midfielder Tiago. “They are going to be very tough opponents. Armenia are an excellent, very well organised team, and they need to win to keep alive their hopes of qualifying. It’s going to be a difficult game.”
Portugal have taken no chances with their match preparation. Fernando Santos and his squad flew out to neighbouring Georgia days before the match to get acclimatised to the time difference and the local conditions.
Good Vibes
Despite the match coming at the end of a long season, tiredness does not appear to be a problem. A healthy spirit of comradeship has been visible throughout the training camp among the Portuguese players.
“This time we’ve spent together has served for us to adapt to the difficulties we will face. And given that our holidays have been ruined, we have to make sure it was worth it and we win the game!” quipped Tiago.
Ricardo Carvalho landmark
Tiago is not the only veteran likely to start tomorrow. Ricardo Carvalho is a strong candidate to make the starting XI, and if the Monaco man makes the pitch he will break the record as the oldest outfield player ever to play for Portugal, at 37 years and 26 days.
Ricardo Quaresma is another “golden oldie” who is expected to start. “I can’t even remember the last time I started for the Seleção,” the Porto star said yesterday. Hardly surprising – it was almost five years ago.
On the other side of the coin, William Carvalho and Bernardo Silva were included in the squad despite the fact they will compete in the U21 European Championship starting next week in the Czech Republic. It is unlikely Santos would have insisted the pair make such a long journey if he did not intend to use them.
It makes for an unpredictable line-up. PortuGOAL’s hunch is as follows:
Rui Patrício, Vieirinha, Ricardo Carvalho, Bruno Alves, Fábio Coentrão, William Carvalho, Tiago, João Moutinho, Ricardo Quaresma, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani
Fernando Santos will not be on the bench as he serves the second of his reduced two-match ban.
by Tom Kundert
