Belgium v Portugal betting tips: Red Devils favourites to end Ronaldo dream
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The world’s top-ranked team and the defending European champions clash in Seville on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals for which Belgium are regarded as favourites at 29/20.
The Red Devils were one of three teams to reach the knockout stage with a perfect record and they are 8/1 to win their first major tournament.
It should be a cracking game in Andalucia so let’s look at some of the odds and markets to help with our Belgium v Portugal betting tips.
Match Odds
Portugal occupied every position in the group during a crazy Wednesday night but a 2-2 draw against France meant they finished as the best of the four third-placed teams.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored two crucial penalties for Portugal, who are 2/1 to beat Belgium inside 90 minutes.
Fernando Santos’ side won just one game inside 90 minutes en route to winning Euro 2016 and they are evens to qualify, 12/1 to win in extra time as they did against Croatia in the last 16 and France in the final or 10/1 to do it on penalties as Poland will remember from five years ago.
Belgium may be the favourites but they have lost three and drawn two of their five encounters since the turn of the century, the latest being a 0-0 draw in a friendly two years ago.
A draw is priced at 11/5 but Belgium have Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Axel Witsel all back in the fold and they are 3/1 to win and over 2.5 goals, which they achieved against Denmark and Russia.
Portugal took the lead in all three group games against Hungary, Germany and France so we go 23/20 on the Selecao to break the deadlock while it’s 12/5 on Golden Boot leader Cristiano Ronaldo to score and his side to win.
Talking Tactics
Roberto Martinez has consistently set Belgium up in a 3-4-2-1 formation throughout the group stage, with Romelu Lukaku leading the line and a wealth of talent behind the Inter Milan striker.
De Bruyne, the Hazard brothers, Dries Mertens, Youri Tielemans, Leander Dendoncker, Witsel and Jeremy Doku are all fighting it out for a place in the starting XI.
Ronaldo will spearhead Portugal’s attack in a 4-2-3-1 formation but Bruno Fernandes was on the bench for the draw against France so it remains to be seen whether he starts.
Goalscorer Odds
Ronaldo and Lukaku are in a battle for the Golden Boot and they are the two favourites to break the deadlock, with the Juventus striker slightly ahead at 3/1 and the Belgian 7/2.
Lukaku scored three times during the group stage and is 6/4 to be on target again but Ronaldo has five to his name already and is available at 5/4 to strike for Portugal or 13/2 to score at least twice as he did against France and Hungary.
De Bruyne was sensational against Denmark and is 4/1 to get on the scoresheet again while Jota is 7/2 to get his second goal of the tournament.
Match Info
Where: La Cartuja Stadium, Seville
When: 20:00, Sunday 27th June
How to watch: TBC
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
