Iberian neighbours Portugal and Spain meet in an enticing World Cup last-16 clash in Dallas.
Portugal came through a tight match against Croatia last time out, although Roberto Martinez had to rely on a late winner from substitute Goncalo Ramos.
Croatia did equalise with just seconds left, but the goal was eventually disallowed for being offside.
Spain, on the other hand, dominated an Austria side who, in truth, didn’t get close to causing an upset.
La Roja scored three goals to seal a first Word Cup knockout victory since the 2010 final and are favorites to progress at the expense of their European neighbours next.
Portugal vs. Spain betting picks and predictions
Mikel Oyarzabal to score anytime (+130)
Mikel Oyarzabal has scored four goals in four matches in this World Cup, including two against Austria in the last 32.
He netted the opener thanks to a cutback from Marc Cucurella, before adding the cherry on top of a fantastic team performance by slotting home Spain’s third goal of the match, and his second, in the dying minutes.
That came after he netted twice against Saudi Arabia in the group stages and the striker is certainly in fine form for La Roja.
Indeed, after his brace a few days ago, Oyarzabal has now scored 16 times for his country in his previous 15 matches.
Portugal, of course, will provide a far greater challenge than Austria, especially as they have conceded just two goals at the tournament so far.
Flanked by Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena, expect the forward to have plenty of opportunities in the final third.
Spain to win (-110)
The 5-0 thrashing of tournament debutants Uzbekistan aside, Portugal have not impressed yet during the World Cup.
Martinez’s side toiled to a 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their opener, while finishing off the group stages with a dour 0-0 stalemate with Colombia, when they were second-best for much of the game.
Even during the last-32 clash with Croatia, Portugal fell behind early in the second half, although they did display plenty of fight to come back to win 2-1.
Taking on Spain will be a different proposition, however. While Portugal did defeat their neighbours on penalties in the Nations League Final last June, Spain haven’t been beaten in a competitive fixture over 90 minutes since March 2023.
The last time Portugal defeated Spain in 90 minutes was way back in November 2010.
Given Martinez's side's struggles in North America so far, the Spanish should edge this clash to seal a place in the last eight.
Spain over 1.5 total goals (-125)
Spain began their tournament by drawing a blank against debutants Cape Verde, despite managing 27 shots across the 90 minutes.
That goalless opener was hailed as a huge shock at the time and, while it was definitely a sensational result for the minnows, Cape Verde's journey to the last-32 when they took reigning champions Argentina to extra-time, puts the result in a slightly different context.
Since then, Luis De La Fuente’s side have scored eight goals in their subsequent three matches, showcasing their attacking potential.
Portugal’s defence may be tougher to breach compared to the Austrian backline, who they dominated in a 3-0 victory, but should La Roja get into their groove, expect them to score at least two against Portugal.
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Portugal vs. Spain odds
Portugal | +300 |
Tie | +260 |
Spain | -110 |
Portugal vs. Spain player props
Anytime goalscorer
Lamine Yamal (Spain) | +163 |
Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) | +130 |
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) | +163 |
Dani Olmo (Spain) | +275 |
Bruno Fernandes (Portugal) | +400 |
Nico Williams (Spain) | +225 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
