Cautious tactics holding back a talented bunch

PORTUGAL have had a poor recent World Cup record since finishing fourth in 2006, winning just three games across the last three tournaments, and they almost missed out on Qatar entirely.

Defeat to closest rivals Serbia in their final group game meant the Iberians had to negotiate the playoffs to make the finals.

They did so comfortably, beating Turkey 3-1 and Italy’s unlikely conquerors, North Macedonia, 2-0.

However, their Euro 2016 triumph proved they can be effective, if not exactly exciting, in knockout football.

Record cap holder and goalscorer Cristiaano Ronaldo is still the undoubbted big draw but the supportinng cast is littered with top-level talent.

Many of the naames will be familiar to Premiier League fans with Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo the standouts in defence. Bruno FernandesF and Bernardo Silva arre midfield maestros but forwward Diogo Jota will be a big miss through injury.

There is a heavvy Premier League presence in the squad with ten of Santos’s 26-man squad playing in the English top flight, while youngstersy Joao Felix, Rafaell Leao and Nuno Mendes prrovide some new blood to a grroup boasting plenty of experiennce.

Given the talennt in the 26, expectations are obviously high but they didn’t seem to be the sum of their parts throughout qualification and while his legendary status is assured, Ronaldo’s powers are on the wane as he approaches 38.

Manager Fernando Santos is suffering from similar complaints to many of his international managerial counterparts – that his style of play isn’t getting the best out of a talented bunch.

That said, on their day Santos’s side are a match for most teams in Qatar and are one of the few sides who definitely have a stronger squad than they did in Russia four years ago.

LAddo took over as head coach in February with former Newcastle and Brighton boss Chris Hughton serving as technical advisor. Addo is a former Borussia Dortmund assistant coach and pulled off a major coup in qualifying for this tournament just a month after his permanent appointment.

• Experience of Ayew brothers

will be useful

• Mohammed Kudus provides

star quality

• Boosted by some top-level

talent joining the cause

• Goalkeeper is a real area of

weakness

• Were poor at this year’s Africa

Cup of Nations

• New coach could find influx of

new players difficult to gel

BBC 1pm, Education City ITV 7pm, Lusail BBC 3pm, Al Wakrah