Portugal will aim to maintain their 100% record in Group J when they welcome Luxembourg to the Estadio Algarve in Euro 2024 qualifying on Monday.
Key Takeaways
- Portugal sit five points clear atop Group J after securing five wins
- Surprise package Luxembourg have taken 10 points from a possible 15
- Portugal have scored 15 goals (3 goals per game) without conceding
Managed by former Belgium boss Roberto Martinez, Portugal are in pole position to qualify for next summer’s European Championship – and Luxembourg could join the Euro 2016 champions in Germany.
Portugal Form
The Portuguese preserved their 100% record in Euro 2024 qualifying with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Slovakia on Friday, courtesy of Bruno Fernandes’ 43rd-minute strike.
Martinez’s men have now won each of their five qualifiers, keeping five clean sheets in the process. At the opposite end of the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo and co have scored a whopping 15 goals.
No team has netted more goals than Portugal in Euro 2024 qualifying, while France are the only other side yet to concede. As a result, the Euro 2016 champions are among the favourites for next summer’s tournament.
Luxembourg Form
It is worth remembering that Luxembourg suffered a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Portugal back in March, managing a solitary attempt on target while seeing 38% of the ball. Since then, however, the Red Lions have roared.
Thanks to Friday’s 3-1 victory over Iceland, Luxembourg head into Monday’s showdown on a three-game winning streak, having secured clean-sheet victories against Liechtenstein and Bosnia-Herzegovina in June.
Luxembourg have never qualified for a European Championship. However, with five matches in the books, Luc Holtz’s side find themselves level with second-placed Slovakia on 10 points in Group J.
Head-to-Head
Unfortunately for Luxembourg, they have only managed to win one of their 20 previous meetings with Portugal across all competitions, suffering 18 defeats since 1961.
To make matters worse for the Red Lions, Portugal have scored at least three goals on 12 occasions in this fixture, keeping 15 clean sheets for good measure.
Team News
Portugal’s Joao Mario and Rafa Silva recently retired from international football, while notable players like Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro, Nuno Mendes, Renato Sanches and Matheus Nunes have been left out of the latest squad.
Luxembourg captain Laurent Jans is set to earn his 96th cap on Monday, while Lars Krogh Gerson will make his 93rd international appearance if he features against Portugal.
Key Players
Even at the ripe old age of 38, Cristiano Ronaldo is still going strong. The Portuguese legend has netted an outrageous 123 goals in 201 games for his country, making him the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football.
Martinez can also call upon world-class performers such as Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Dias, in addition to Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, Diogo Jota and Joao Palhinha.
As for Luxembourg, 19-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach forward Yvandro Borges Sanches already has 21 caps to his name. He is joined by fellow Bundesliga stars Mathias Olesen, Leandro Barreiro and Timothe Rupil.
Final Thoughts
Given that Portugal crushed Luxembourg 6-0 in the reverse fixture, the hosts are expected to claim all three points on Monday. However, the Red Lions will be hopeful of narrowing the margin after finding some form.
European Championship Qualification