Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Portugal could line up for Monday’s Euro 2024 clash with Slovenia.
Portugal head into the knockout phase of Euro 2024 on Monday evening, when they meet last-16 opponents Slovenia in Frankfurt.
Head coach Roberto Martinez rested a number of important players in his team’s shock group-stage loss to Georgia, but key men including Manchester-based trio Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias will all return to the starting XI.
After Antonio Silva made two costly mistakes on Wednesday, 41-year-old centre-back Pepe is set to partner Ruben Dias in a back four, though Martinez has sometimes switched to a three-man defence.
Nuno Mendes, Vitinha and Joao Cancelo are all expected to feature from the first whistle, so the likes of Joao Neves, Danilo Pereira and Goncalo Inacio will drop down to the bench.
Only midfield enforcer Joao Palhinha, goalkeeper Diogo Costa and record-breaking captain Cristiano Ronaldo kept their places against Georgia, but the latter’s position as Portugal’s lone striker has again come under some scrutiny.
Ronaldo is enduring his longest goal drought across the European Championship and World Cup, last scoring versus Ghana at Qatar 2022, so Paris Saint-Germain forward Goncalo Ramos may be given the nod if Martinez makes a bold change.
Back from a one-match ban, Rafael Leao hopes to return on the left wing, but other candidates such as Diogo Jota, Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao are all viable options for the Selecao’s Spanish boss.
Portugal possible starting lineup: Costa; Cancelo, Pepe, Dias, Mendes; Vitinha, Palhinha, Fernandes; B. Silva, Ronaldo, Leao
> Click here to see how Slovenia could line up for this last-16 contest
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