Iran vs Portugal FIFA World Cup 2018 – Lineups, Predictions & Stats Preview 25 June 2018

In Group B, nothing has yet been decided. The game between Iran and Portugal will be a very tricky one as Portugal and Spain have the same number of points and the same goal difference and each point is important in this Group.

Iran Probable Lineups and Stats

On Matchday 2 of Group B Iran lost to Spain putting up a good fight for most of the match. Spain scored their only goal after the break through Diego Costa and although Iran continued to fight, they only managed to create only one chance. In the game against Spain, Iran had a dismal 22% possession with 7 shots which were all off target. The team completed 137 of their 212 passes, a completion rate of 65%.

Iran’s Head Coach Carlos Queiroz will most likely maintain his starting lineup for the match against Portugal. Their chances rely on them beating Portugal or Spain losing their last game. So, the squad will possibly include A. Beiranvand, E. H. Safi(C), M. Hosseini, M. Pouraliganji, R. Rezaeian, S. Ezatolahi, K. Ansarifard, V. Amiri, O. Ebrahimi, M. Taremi and S. Azmoun. They will depend on the substitutes for fresh legs.

Portugal Probable Lineups and Stats

On Matchday 2 of Group B Portugal managed a 1:0 win against a relatively stable Moroccan side. Morocco tried to handle the situation with their possession, but Portugal were clinical in front of goal and C. Ronaldo scored 4 minutes into the game.

In the match against Morocco, Portugal enjoyed an average of 45% possession and played mostly in defence with their goalkeeper saving all the 4 shots that Morocco mustered on target. On the same note, Portugal had 10 shots of which 2 were on target, 4 off target and 4 blocked shots. They fired 6 shots from outside the box and created 2 big chances. The team completed 283 of their 395 passes, a completion rate of 72%.

Portugal Head Coach Herve Renard will most likely pick the strongest side from his arsenal of players to ensure a Round of 16 spot. His starting line-up for the match against Iran will remain mostly unchanged and consist of: R. Patricio, R. Guerreiro, J. Fonte, Pepe, C. Suares, J. Mario, W. Carvalho, J. Moutinho, B. Silva, C. Ronaldo(C) and G. Guedes.

Iran v Portugal – Head to Head

These two teams last met in 2006 when Portugal won 2 goals to nil with the infamous Deco and C. Ronaldo scoring. Matchday 3 of the Russia FIFA World Cup, is the second time they will meet with the magical Madrid forward likely to score his second goal in a World Cup tournament against Iran and boost his tally of this tournament to 5. The match will be a big tussle as both teams aim to reach the round of sixteen.

Expert Tip

Given the outcomes of the previous games, we believe that there will not be more than 1 goal in this game. If C.Ronaldo manages to score an early goal, Portugal will most probably go back in defence trying to keep the result. Both teams are really dangerous from set pieces so they will try to cancel each other out from winning such. It will be a tough game for both sides and the action will most probably be concentrated in the middle of the pitch. Our tip for this game is under 0.5 goals at Half-Time and under 4.5 corners at Half-time.

Interesting Facts and Information

  • Portugal haven’t lost in their last 5 games.
  • Iran wins 1st half in 23% of their games, Portugal in 46% of their games.
  • In World Cup, Portugal has better performance than Iran.
  • The winner of their last encounter was Portugal.
  • On their last encounter, Portugal won by 2 goals.
  • Iran scores 1.43 goals when playing at home and Portugal scores 1 goals when playing away (on average).
  • When Iran leads 1-0 at home, they win in 100% of their games.
  • When Portugal leads 0-1 away, they win in 100% of their games.
  • When Iran is down 0-1 home, they win 0% of their games.

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