(Football news) Portugal and the Czech Republic will both look to continue their unbeaten starts in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League on Thursday's League A Group 2 encounter in Lisbon. Last time against the Swiss, Fernando Santos's side put four unanswered goals past them, while Cech impressively held Spain to a 2-2 stalemate draw.

Back in the starting XI, Cristiano Ronaldo made it 117 international goals for himself as he scored twice to help his Portugal side teach Switzerland a footballing lesson on matchday two, when the Selecao ran out comfortable 4-0 winners. Santos's side are at the top of the League A Group 2 rankings on goal difference and will hope to repeat the same success when they won the inaugural Nations League edition three years ago, but their priorities lie somewhere else as they have bigger fish to fry in the form of the World Cup later this year. Portugal have now lost just one time out of their 14 Nations League encounters they have had since the tournament's inception. The Czech Republic went to Switzerland having won six of their last seven at home in all competitions, as they came out deserved winners in that match.

For the Cech Republic, goals from Jakub Pesek and Jan Kuchta raised hopes of a famous win over Spain but there was to be late heartache for the world's 33rd-ranked nation in Prague as Inigo Martniez scored a late equaliser. An opening-day win over Switzerland means that they sit in second place in the group with four points from their first two fixtures, and Silhavy admitted after the draw with Spain that he "wouldn't have imagined in my dream that his side would boast such a tally at this point”. 

The visitors can afford to solely focus their efforts on success in the Nations League and at least avoid relegation to League B, after coming so close to qualifying for the World Cup this year. They have conceded one goal in their five Nations League matches that they have played away from home so far. Portugal and the Czech Republic have met three times before, all of the ties  came in European Championships, with Portugal winning against them in the 2008 Euro as they won 3-1, before a Ronaldo scored winner which got them over the line by a goal to nil four years later in the 2012 Euros.

Portugal possible starting lineup:

Patricio; Cancelo, Pereira, Duarte, Guerreiro; Moutinho, Palhinha, Fernandes; Silva, Ronaldo, Leao

Czech Republic possible starting lineup:

Vaclik; Mateju, Brabec, Zima; Coufal, Kral, Soucek, Havel; Hlozek, Kuchta, Pesek

Also read: Renato Sanches agrees personal terms with AC Milan