(Football news) When Portugal plays host to Luxembourg on Monday night to begin their Euro 2024 qualification campaign, they will be attempting to tighten their already secure hold on first place in Group J.
With 15 points from five games, Roberto Martinez’s team is in first place in the section, five points ahead of Luxembourg in third place, who is still very much in the running for qualifying.
Portugal defeated Slovakia on Friday night thanks to a goal from Bruno Fernandes in the 43rd minute. As a result, Martinez’s team now has 15 points after five games in Group J.
Portugal is five points ahead of Slovakia in second place and five points ahead of Luxembourg in third on the same amount of games played. Portugal has also scored 15 goals in the division and has yet to give one up.
In addition to making it to the final in 2004 and 2016, the Selecao das Quinas has qualified for each of the last seven European Championship finals.
Portugal’s defeat in the round of 16 at Euro 2020 turned out to be their poorest showing in a European Championship final, but they did improve to reach the World Cup quarterfinals in 2022.
Martinez’s team appears to be coasting towards qualifying for Euro 2024, and given the calibre of their team, it would not be surprising to see them win the championship.
Luxembourg, meantime, has had a successful qualifying campaign thus far as they attempt to reach a major tournament final for the first time in their history.
The Red Lions have gathered 10 points from their five games, with three victories, one draw, and one loss. As a result, they are currently tied for third place in the standings with Slovakia on points.
It would be an interesting story if Luxembourg were able to go to the competition’s finals because this is already their joint-best European Championship qualification campaign in terms of points.
Luc Holtz’s team comes into this game off a 3-1 win against Iceland, which was their third straight triumph in the division after also defeating Liechtenstein and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
However, Luxembourg lost to Portugal 6-0 in the rematch at the end of March, so they will be fully aware of the magnitude of the challenge they will face that evening.
Portugal Euro Championship Qualifying Form
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Luxembourg Euro Championship Qualifying Form
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Due to Luxembourg’s recent development, Portugal manager Martinez is unlikely to rest any of his star players for what might be a challenging match.
As a result, it would not be unexpected to see nearly the same starting lineup as against Slovakia, with the exception of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Although Ronaldo, who is 38 years old and still an important player for his country at this point in his career, has scored five goals since Martinez took over as head coach, the yellow card he received against Slovakia will prevent him from playing.
Portugal manager Martinez is unlikely to rest any of his star players for this encounter because it has the makings of being a difficult fight given Luxembourg’s recent improvement.
Since Cristiano Ronaldo will be missing, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a lineup that is very similar to the one that played against Slovakia.
Despite the fact that Ronaldo, 38, is still a crucial player for his country at this point in his career and has scored five goals since Martinez’s appointment as head coach, the yellow card he received against Slovakia will prevent him from playing.
