Portuguese Football in English
Portugal take on Uruguay at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi in the 2018 World Cup Round of 16.
It shapes up as in intriguing battle with wily coaches Fernando Santos and Óscar Tabárez coming face to face.
PortuGOAL breaks down how both teams got to this stage, the key players and the tactical issues ahead of Saturday night’s big game.
It was far from smooth sailing but Portugal booked their place in the last 16 of the World Cup with an ultimately nail-biting 1-1 draw with Iran. A tricky tie against Uruguay awaits them after another team performance that did not hit the high notes, although there were some individual displays to praise.
The decision to introduce Adrien Silva into midfield proved an effective one, reuniting him with his former Sporting clubmate William Carvalho, who also produced a highly competent display. However the man of the match honours go to a veteran of the Seleção who once again proved just how essential he is to this team. Centre-back Pepe stopped almost everything that came his way alongside José Fonte at the heart of defence.
Quaresma: “Queiroz should show more respect”
Portugal versus Iran may have not been the highest quality football match played at World Cup 2018, but it was certainly one of the most tense and dramatic, adorned with a wonder goal and a slew of controversial VAR decisions.
Emotions were running high at the end of the ninety minutes, with Carlos Queiroz furiously arguing that Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo should have been sent off, and a number of Portugal players expressing their displeasure at how Iran’s Portuguese coach had conducted himself. PortuGOAL brings you all the match reaction.
Portugal are through to the last 16 of World Cup 2018, although not without an almighty fright at the end of a nerve-shredding match for Seleção fans in Saransk tonight.
A spectacular Ricardo Quaresma goal seemed to have set Portugal on their way to a victory that would have won them Group B, only for a VAR penalty for Iran to level the scores in stoppage time and set up a heart-stopping final few minutes.
Adrien Silva and Pepe stood out on a rare off-night for captain Cristiano Ronaldo. Read the ratings for the Seleção players.
Portugal have fallen to a second-placed finish in Group B after a controversial penalty decision handed Iran an equaliser late on in a 1-1 draw in the Mordovia Arena, as Spain held onto first place with a 2-2 draw against Morocco.
The European champions, who will now face Uruguay in the Round of 16, struggled to break Carlos Queiroz's side down before Ricardo Quaresma's moment of magic on the brink of half-time promised to be the decider throughout the encounter.
A late penalty stole the show, however, converted by Karim Ansarifard, with the referee coming to a controversial conclusion when reviewing footage from VAR, as the two nations shared a point each.
