Slovakia vs Portugal tips: Back Cristiano Ronaldo to score yet again in dominant Portuguese win

Currently occupying the second qualification spot behind their visitors, Slovakia seems to be on track towards a third consecutive European Championship appearance, after picking 10 points from the first four games.

Date, Kick-off time and TV coverage

European Championship qualifier Group A, Friday September 8, kick-off 19:45, live on Viaplay UK

Suggested bets:

• Portugal to win to nil
• Cristiano Ronaldo to score the first goal

The Falcons kicked off with a goalless draw in Trnava against Luxembourg, who seem to be their main rivals for the second place in the group, although a win tonight would see Slovakia leapfrog Portugal into top spot at the half-way stage of the campaign. 

After that they managed a 2-0 win against Bosnia, before veteran Marek Hamsik returned in June to help Slovakia in a time of need when many important players were injured. The former Napoli midfielder was in the starting line-up against Iceland and Liechtenstein, before permanently retiring on a high note following back-to-back wins, 2-1 and 1-0.

 Now the post-Hamsik era begins in earnest for Slovakia with a really tough game against Portugal, although Francesco Calzona still has a few experienced players at his disposal in the shape of Juraj Kucka (now at Slovan Bratislava), Petar Pekarik (Hertha Berlin), and Robert Mak, who currently plays in Australia. 

The best news of all for Slovakia is that captain Milan Skriniar (PSG) will return after being on the injury list for the previous matches.

 Portugal have encountered very few problems so far in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, and this trip to Slovakia represents their most difficult challenge so far. 

They were way too good for Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, winning 4-0 and 6-0 in their opening games in March, while June’s 3-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina was equally serene.

 Their only stumble came in Iceland, when they had to wait until the 89th minute for their decisive solitary goal from Cristiano Ronaldo, and it would be no surprise to see him open the scoring to add to his world record tally of 123 international goals.

Suggested bet: Cristiano Ronaldo to score the first goal

Ronaldo continues to defy both his advancing and his move to Saudi Arabia to remain Portugal’s captain and their most potent striker. Head coach Roberto Martinez has also called up Otavio, Cristiano’s teammate at Al Nasr, and Ruben Neves from Al Hilal, so the new Pro League is well represented in the Portuguese camp. 

There are some notable absentees in the Portuguese camp, such as Manchester City’s new midfielder  Matheus Nunes, and defenders Guerreiro, Nuno Mendes and Pepe, who is still available for the national team at the ripe old age of 40. 

 On the other side, Martinez can still field a very strong line-up, with players like Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leao and Ruben Dias all in contention for a starting spot.

Portugal and Slovakia haven’t faced each other since the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup, when it was 1-1 at Bratislava and 2-0 for Portugal in Lisbon.

Besides Portugal, only France have yet to concede a goal in their qualifiers, while only England (15) have found the net more often than Portugal’s tally of 14.

We expect both trends to continue in the same direction, and although Portugal may have did deep and be patient, like they were in Iceland, they should preserve their 100% record in terms of both wins and clean sheets.

Suggested bet: Portugal to win to nil

• Sergiu Baltuta provides football tips as SVB Tips on Tipstrr