Our series of articles on next month’s Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine continues with a final look at Group B. This time round, it’s Portugal who come under the microscope:
Paulo Bento’s men have the toughest of openers, getting their campaign underway against much-fancied Germany on Saturday June 9 at 7.45pm. Next up, it’s a showdown with Denmark on Wednesday June 13 at the earlier time of 5pm, before Portugal face up to Holland in their final match, at 7.45pm on Sunday June 17.
There’s no doubt that Portugal have a tricky task ahead if they are to make it past the group stages. Germany ran away with their qualifying group, racking up 34 goals and winning all of their 10 matches, leaving Turkey trailing by a massive 13 points. Holland were another free-scoring side, finding the net 37 times and winning nine of their 10 clashes, while Portugal finished behind Denmark in their qualifying group, though managed to inflict the Danes’ only defeat in eight matches in a 3-1 home win.
The Road to Qualification
Portugal didn’t make it easy for themselves. Finishing second in their group after a draw with Cyprus and losses to Norway and Denmark, Bento’s side were poor defensively – just two clean sheets accrued over eight games, with 12 goals conceded. A 6-2 play-off win over Bosnia Herzegovina highlighted their attacking prowess, though; Portugal found the net 21 times in the group stages and, play-off win inclusive, scored three or more goals in six of their 10 games overall.
Most Appearances: Nani & Meireles (10), Moutinho (9), Postiga, Alves, Pereira & Ronaldo (8)
Top Goalscorer: Ronaldo (7), Nani & Postiga (5)
Top Assists: Nani (4), Ronaldo (3)
The Likely Lads
If there’s anyone who’s likely to help his country upset the odds and progress past the group stages, it has to be Cristiano Ronaldo. With seven goals and three assists in just eight qualifying appearances, his contribution will be vital as Bento’s side look to battle past Germany and Holland for a place in the last eight. Priced at 11.0 in the McDonalds game and classified as a forward, though, the Real Madrid man takes up a substantial slice of Fantasy managers’ budgets and, with plenty of strong, mid-price frontline alternatives to choose from, many may overlook Ronaldo in order to achieve a better squad balance. With an ownership of 31.4% at present, though, he is the fourth most popular outfield player in the game thus far.
A look at Nani’s qualifying stats suggest he could be a viable alternative to his fellow winger. Granted, he doesn’t have free-kicks or penalties to fall back on like Ronaldo but the United man still managed to grab five goals and four assists over his 10 appearances. As part of the Portuguese frontline in a 4-3-3, Nani is also classified as a forward but is far more budget friendly than Ronaldo, coming in at just 8.5 in comparison. That price difference could appeal to Fantasy managers who are perhaps willing to invest in Portugal without going overboard with their spending and, with just 3.5% ownership in the McDonalds game, Nani is a definite differential to consider.
Raul Meireles is one of the first names on Bento’s team sheet, appearing in every one of Portugal’s qualifiers. Along with Joao Moutinho, he is likely to be one of the two more attack-minded central midfielders, with Miguel Veloso sitting in front of the back-four. While both Meireles and Moutinho are priced at 7.5, the Chelsea man proved the greater goal threat in qualifying, grabbing a couple of goals, and, crucially, also has corner-kicks as part of his repertoire; with Nani and Ronaldo on the pitch, Meireles and Veloso took all of Portugal’s corners in the 6-2 home play-off win over Bosnia Herzegovina between them.
Cheeky Punt
Helder Postiga looks the man most likely to lead the line for Bento’s side. While there’s an argument for the inclusion of Hugo Almeida as the lone forward, Postiga certainly seems to have his manager’s backing, making eight appearances over the qualifying matches. Portugal will need to find goals if they are to stand a chance of progressing and, while Postiga comes in at the same price as Nani, at 8.5, his minimal 0.4% ownership may well prove dividend for those Fantasy managers looking for a real flutter. With five goals in qualifying, he’s more than capable of finding the net.
It’s difficult to be overly-enthused with regards to Portugal’s defensive options. Given the offensive potential of both Germany and Holland, clean sheets look highly unlikely, while Denmark scored both home and away against Bento’s side in qualifying. Although Bruno Alves carries the greatest goal threat from the back, a price tag of 7.0 in the McDonalds game looks a little steep – keeper Rui Patricio costs 5.5 in comparison and is set for a busy time ahead, with plenty save points likely to be picked up over his group matches. It’s a risk, no doubt, but investing any more budget in the Portuguese backline is difficult to justify.
Further Analysis
Group A Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, Russia
Group B Denmark, Gemany, Holland
