Match Preview

While they have lost just once in World Cup Qual. UEFA Group B and are three points behind Switzerland in the table, Portugal have a vastly superior goal difference and the Group winner is likely to be decided when the pair meet next Tuesday in Lisbon.

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Before that, Portugal travel to Andorra, relative minnows on the world stage, but a side that have surprisingly held their own in the Qualifying Group. Ahead of our Andorra vs Portugal preview and soccer predictions, it is perhaps worth noting that Andorra lost 2-1 at home to the Swiss and beat Hungary 1-0 at home in June, so Portugal would do well not to take them lightly, even though they thumped them 6-0 in Lisbon last October. Even that emphatic success masks the fact that their job was made easier when the visitors were reduced to nine men for the last 20 minutes.

That said, Andorra lost all three previous competitive meetings by three goals or more and our Andorra vs Portugal predictions highlight the fact that Andorra managed to score just two goals in eight World Cup Qual. UEFA Group B games thus far.

Andorra vs Portugal Prediction and Betting Advice

Our Andorra vs Portugal betting tips highlight the defensive strategy employed by former goalkeeper and coach Koldo Valdez. In his seven years in charge, his side have won just one competitive match – that 1-0 win over Hungary. However, despite their lowly FIFA ranking of 144, the Tricolors have proven stout at the back in this qualifying campaign. Conceding 17 goals in eight games may not signal a secure unit, but take the opening 6-0 drubbing by Portugal out of the equation and the 4-5-1 formation has more than done its job, with a total of 11 goals conceded in seven other qualifiers.

Outside of the loss to Switzerland and a narrow 1-0 win in Hungary last month, Portugal won each of the other six qualifying games by three clear goals or more. But four of those six were at home and the away wins came against minnows the Faroe Islands (6-0) and Latvia (3-0). The key is Portugal’s upcoming game with Switzerland, which will determine the Group B winner. Avoiding injury to key players is paramount for Fernando Santos. He has duly recalled Eder, fellow forward Gonçalo Guedes, left-back Antunes, midfielder Renato Sanches, and goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to the squad.

While Portugal will not take Andorra lightly, it is highly possible that they will take their foot off the gas once they get a decent lead. For those reasons, goals may be harder to come by and Coral offer decent odds for there to be under 4.5 goals in total.

There is simply no value at backing Portugal to win to nil, as the World Cup Qual. UEFA Group B odds suggest. Andorra likely won’t score, as their two goals in all Group games suggest. The plan for the visitors would ideally be to score a couple of early goals, making the points safe, and then bringing off their stars in preparation for Tuesday’s crunch decider. They have managed to score before the 30-minute mark in five of their last seven qualifying games and given Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent goal drought, you can be sure he will be champing at the bit to start against weaker opposition in a bid to restore his confidence. He has scored before the half-hour in three of Portugal’s last seven wins and has also netted before the break in two of those other outings.

Portugal may have to work hard to break down this staunch rear-guard, but all signs point to an early goal and the Andorra vs Portugal bets suggest that Ladbrokes offer a top price for the visitors to be leading after 30 minutes.