Euro 2016 winners Portugal can qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia with a victory in Budapest on Sunday, however Hungary will be doing everything they can to ensure that they still have a chance of making the finals next year.
World Cup 2018 Qualifying – Groupama Arena, Budapest – Sunday 3rd September – 19:45 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of:3 at William Hill |
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Hungary
PortugalMatch Preview
Having dropped just three points throughout the whole of qualifying, Portugal still find themselves in second spot in Group B, with Switzerland having maintained their 100% winning record against Andorra this week. Manager Fernando Santos will undoubtedly be expecting a tough encounter against Hungary, despite his sides 3-0 win over the same opponents back in March.
Hungary Team News & Form
Nothing short of a win will do for the home side, with Bernd Storck’s men currently sitting in third position in the Group B table, following just three wins to date, the last of which came against Latvia on Thursday. Balazs Dzsudzsak scored the final goal of the game in a 3-1 win over Latvia, with the midfielder also having caused Portugal numerous problems when Hungary met Portugal at Euro 2016. Former Watford striker Tamas Priskin could well lead the line against Santos’ side, with Hungary having scored just 11 goals throughout their campaign, compared to Portugal’s 27. Meanwhile, Zoltan Gera is closing in on a 100th cap for his country, still playing for the national team at the age of 38.
Portugal Team News & Form
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in Portugal’s 5-1 win over the Faroe Islands last time around, with the Real Madrid superstar hoping to lead his side to yet another major tournament as Captain. The Ballon d’Or winner averages roughly a goal every other game at international level, and will undoubtedly be the main cause of concern for the home side. The 32-year-old is likely to be joined in attack by Andre Silva and Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva. Having missed out on a move to West Ham at the end of the transfer window, William Carvalho is also expected to line up in midfield. Portugal’s only defeat in qualifying came in the opening round against Switzerland, with the visitors still hoping to take top spot in Group B.
Head to Head
As previously mentioned, Portugal ran out comfortable 3-0 winners back in March, however the duo played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at Euro 2016 in France last summer. Portugal have actually never lost an international match against Hungary, winning on eight occasions, while drawing four.
Betting Odds and Predictions
With Hungary being offered best odds of 13/2 for a victory, it is clear to see that Portugal are the favourites for three points this weekend. Those looking to back Ronaldo and Co to shine once more can find odds of 20/41 with bookmakers 10Bet, which are well worth considering given their performances of late.
Elsewhere, betting on the second half to be the one featuring the most goals is often a popular bet within football, with Ladbrokes offering odds of 20/23 on this occasion.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on the draw no bet market at 10Bet, with backing Portugal in this manner providing odds of 16/5.