Portugal comes into this game needing a win to have any chance of finishing atop Group B. For that to happen, Fernando Santos’ men will have to beat their compatriot’s Iran. Carlos Quieroz’s organized defense is nearly impenetrable. The Spaniards were endlessly going round in circles only to find no gaps and no empty spaces in the brick wall. Portugal is not a team that likes to dominate possession, but it’ll have to. Not only that, but it’ll have to score as well, considering Spain faces a much more lenient Morocco and should score plenty. The match will kick off at 20:00 in Saransk’s Mordovia Arena.
Cristiano Ronaldo goalscoring machine
A look back at Cristiano Ronaldo's day:
– 85th international goal, most by any player in European history
– 2nd player to score 4 goals at a #WorldCup after 33rd birthday
– 1st player w/ 4 goals through team’s 1st 2 games at World Cup since Miroslav Klose for Germany in 2002 pic.twitter.com/F1Ad9pAvW1— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 20, 2018
There are several storylines heading into this contest. Cristiano Ronaldo’s four goals lead the goal scoring chart. In the meantime, Mohamed Salah has been eliminated from the competition and Lionel Messi is on the verge of following the Egyptian’s footsteps. That would leave Ronaldo all by himself on top of the throne as the only six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Then, we have the matchup of the Portuguese. Two similar coaches, two similar philosophies. Have you heard of the phrase: Defense wins championships? Well, it rarely works in football, unless you have a star or two who can win matches individually. Santos has one, and it’s the best one there is. It is how Portugal won the 2016 European Championship and it is how it’ll try to win the 2018 World Cup. Iran is not that optimistic, but it does want to progress from the group. To do that, Carlos Quieroz will have to eliminate his countrymen.
Make no mistake about it, this will be a tactical battle. The only thing which can manipulate the predictable flow of the game is another early goal by Portugal. However, there’s one huge difference between this fixture and Iran’s previous two. This time, they’re chasing a result, meaning they can’t sit back and enjoy. If they want to progress, they have to attack and that goes against everything Quieroz has been preaching to his team over the years. After conceding against Spain, Team Melli showed some encouraging offensive capabilities that must lay hidden beneath the defensive web the coach has woven. It’s time for them to come out.
Iran could be without its captain Ehsan Hajsafi, who was injured against Spain and had to depart midway through the second half. Alireza Jahanbakhsh played only 15 minutes versus Spain, but he should be headed for a starting role in this one. Despite being the team’s top international goalscorer, Jahanbakhsh is not Iran’s best player. That’s No.10 Vahid Amiri. His nutmeg on Pique was a thing of beauty and the culmination of an impressive performance by the Persepolis midfielder. He, Jahanbakhsh and Sardar Azmoun will have to be at their best if Iran’s going to stand a chance.
Odds
Iran 5.75
Draw 3.75
Portugal 1.70
