The Portuguese national team has undoubtedly been among the best national sides in Europe in the last 15 years. The Lusitanians even have a couple of trophies to show for it, as they won the UEFA Euros in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019.
Currently coached by Roberto Martínez, Portugal have increasingly become more attack-oriented compared to the rather conservative but efficient playing style that they were known for under previous manager Fernando Santos.
It is reasonable to expect that the Lusitanians will continue developing in the same direction in the future, with the next big goal being the FIFA 2026 World Cup. In this regard, the fans will be able to find attractive betting options on any list of betting sites. These options include but are not limited to match outcome, total goals, total corner kicks, exact goalscorer and more.
However, the over total bets may deserve special attention for reasons that will be explained below.
Reason 1: Formidable attacking line
On paper, Portugal undoubtedly have one of if not the best attacking potential among the European national teams. The names alone suggest it!
The legendary Cristiano Ronaldo – who holds the record for the most international goals – is not slowing down despite his age. Although he no longer plays in a top league, coach Martínez counts on the captain and regularly calls him up for international duty.
Then there are the talented Rafael Leão, Gonçalo Ramos and Diego Jota who regularly contribute with goals or assists for the national team. The line of forwards is supported from behind by the creative genius of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and even João Félix when he is in form.
The national team has an unlimited number of tools to create danger in the opposite box. It can be a well-timed cross to Cristiano Ronaldo, an exquisite through ball from Bernardo, an elegant dribble from Leão – the options are virtually limitless!
As such, the Portuguese can be expected to create at least a couple of scoring chances regardless of the opposition, and the fans may consider over totals bet on the match itself or individually on Portugal.
Reason 2: Shaky defence
Of course, Portugal can contribute to the total goals scored in the match indirectly as well – it is time to discuss the potential defensive problems.
The fact that the Lusitanians were an unbalanced team was evident during the UEFA Euros 2024, otherwise Pepe would have not been an undisputed starter at the age of 41. There are the young and promising centre-backs in Gonçalo Inácio and António Silva, but they still lack the needed experience. Their random loss of concentration or poor positioning and marking can give the opponent a scoring chance out of thin air.
And it is also impossible to ignore that João Cancelo and Nuno Mendes, regular starters at the national team, may be liabilities in defence as they tend to gravitate towards attack. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa, while defying the odds at times, cannot be expected to make up for every error made by the defensive line.
In matches against A-level or B-level opponents, it is tough to expect Portugal to keep a clean sheet. While they may still outscore the opponent and still win the game, the issues at the back may push the goal total higher, with final scores like 2-1, 3-1 and so on.
Reason 3: Occasional gigantic difference in class
In qualification matches for tournaments like UEFA Euros or FIFA World Cup, there are those mandatory matches against the likes of Luxembourg, San Marino or Andorra – national teams that struggle to field a full XI of professional players. Then there are also clashes with teams that are not total outsiders but their squad quality pales in comparison to Portugal’s.
The only intrigue in such encounters is not who will win but rather how many goals is Portugal going to score – more or less than five? The most recent examples of such matches would be the 9-0 victory over Luxembourg and the 5-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Because of the logic of the qualifying tournament, these types of matches are impossible to escape. And judging by the past experience, a high total number of goals is almost a given on such occasions. More often than not, Portugal are the only team that ends up on the scoreboard, so it may be wise to consider an over total goals on the Portuguese alone.
