There will be no Cristiano Ronaldo once again for Portugal. At times they even looked to play with a little more freedom, almost unshackled from the associated pressure Ronaldo brings. The Azzurri have also called up some young talents for the international break, including Sandro Tonali - with Chelsea among targeting the Brescia midfielder. Expert Verdict: Neither Portugal nor Italy have been in particularly good form, with the Italians failing to impress in their draw with Poland last time out. Mancini has two wins from seven games since taking over the national team and has caused a few surprises once again with his squad selection. Register using the promo code FOOTBALL40a, deposit and place first bet of £10 on football (cumulative price evens+) in one bet transaction. Nevertheless, with the experience of Pepe at the back and rising star Ruben Neves making things tick in midfield, Portugal have a strong core to their team. The form of both teams, before this match at Benfica’s Estadio do Sport field in Lisbon, is not great. (Source: Telefoot Chaine/. The centre-back has spoken of his pride at reaching the landmark, per Sky (h/t Football Italia): "You dream of being a footballer, of playing in Serie A and for the national team, but getting 100 caps is something else.". #VivoAzzurro, The match will also see captain Giorgio Chiellini win his 100th cap for Italy. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Yet Italy go into the game knowing they must win—and Portugal must lose their final game—if they are to reach the finals. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. Fab five. Pepe is a professional footballer who plays for Porto as a defender. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. T&Cs apply. He's been a revelation for Juventus. . Renato Sanches (21) The visitors dominated the match but needed a stoppage-time goal from Cristiano Biraghi to take all three points. Three of Italy's last five matches have ended in 1-1 draws, including their draw with Poland last time out - Jorginho atoning for an earlier error with a penalty to earn Italy their point. , Fiorentina have signed former Napoli forward Jose Callejon on a free transfer . Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365. OFFICIAL: Chris Smalling has joined Roma from Manchester United on a permanent deal. Italy has won a whopping 18 out of those 25 games, with Portugal being triumphant in only five games. SMS validation may be required. While winning the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the Azzurri reached Euro finals in 2000 and 2012, and they are still regarded as one of the leading sides in Europe. If a player loses their first bet (on minimum odds of 2.0), we will offer a matching free bet (of up to £10). at 11:45 AM. #Azzurri Since this match is over, we suggest you check out the head to head statistics for the next meeting between Portugal and Italy. Free bet stakes are not returned as part of the settlement of successful free bets. Portugal need just a point against Italy to confirm top spot and a place in the finals. Roberto Mancini's side go into the game two points behind Portugal, although they have played a game more than Saturday's visitors. TV Info: Sky Sports Football (UK), Univision Deportes En Vivo (U.S.). Portugal's persistence finally paid off three minutes into the second half, with Andre Silva curling into the bottom corner after Bruma's low cross was deflected into his path. Open Account Offer To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser thatsupports HTML5 video. First bet must settle within the Promo Period (00:00 14/05/20 - 23:59 24/05/20). Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Andre Silva stepped up and scored the decisive goal in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence, as Portugal began their Nations League campaign with a 1-0 win over Italy to take control of League A's Group 3. Ousmane Démbélé deal between Manchester United and Barcelona is now definitely OFF. Portugal still have plenty of experience and young talent in their squad. Portugal have won both of their Nations League games so far. In 15 (78.95%) matches played at home was total goals (team and opponent) Over 1.5 goals. On 10th September 2018, Portugal played Italy in UEFA Nations League. Min. Portugal's next Nations League outing will be their first away from home in the competition, as they travel to Poland next month. Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, but Portugal did. Here on SofaScore livescore you can find all Portugal vs Italy previous results sorted by their H2H matches. Lorenzo Insigne - The Napoli man may have been less prolific in front of goal but he was no less important as his side finished second in Serie A. The team have fared well in his absence, winning three and drawing one of their four matches played since they were knocked out of the tournament in Russia by Uruguay in the last 16. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. They started their campaign with a 3-3 draw with Spain thanks Cristiano Ronaldos hat-trick, and Ronaldo scored again in the win against Morocco. The Azzurri have become famous for their result oriented football over the years which is perfectly suited for World Cup and Euro finals, so it is now a surprise when they fail to reach the final stages. Preview and stats followed by live commentary, video highlights and match report. New 18+ UK customers only. Teams Italy Portugal played so far 7 matches. 90’ FINAL DA PARTIDA! Chelsea duo Jorghino and Emerson Palmieri will be looking to stop Portugal, while captain Giorgio Chiellini will be hoping to join an illustrious list of players with 100 Italy caps. After opening their UEFA Nations League campaign with a draw, Italy now travel to European champions Portugal, who are playing their first game in the new competition. Repeat up to 5 times to receive maximum £100 bonus. Key Stat: Portugal's win the last time they faced Italy ended a ten-match losing streak in this fixture. In their last six head to head encounters, Italy has won five times and Portugal just once, in their last match, beating Italy at home 1:0 three years ago. Both only managed three wins in the last 10 matches. The onus will be on Italy to go for the win to keep their Nations League hopes alive. Nevertheless, with home advantage, Portugal can get a result. Compare form, standings position and many match statistics. Mancini has explained why he picked the youngster: #Azzurri Pepe is well known for his hard tackles and referees often show him red card. Visit ESPN to view Portugal fixtures with kick off times and TV coverage from all competitions. Gedson Fernandes and Sergi Olivieira made their international debuts last time out, with late cameos from the bench, but neither is likely to start against Italy. Full T&Cs Apply. A late Iran equaliser, in a 1-1 draw, consigned Portugal to second place in the group, however, and they lost their last-16 match to Uruguay. A Portugal win and BTTS is 9/2 with Bet365, while over 2.5 goals will return 6/4 with Betway. Cristiano Ronaldo's absence was the major talking point when the squads were announced, with the Portuguese superstar rested. The visitors can secure top spot and their place in the Finals if they avoid defeat in Milan. They beat Italy 1-0 at home in Lisbon in September, won 3-2 in Poland and eased to a 3-1 friendly win over Scotland last time out. Min deposit £10, Max stake £10, Min Odds 1/1 (2.0). The information contained in Goal.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Goal.com, Portugal 1 Italy 0: Andre Silva nets winner as Ronaldo's absence is hardly felt. New William Hill online customers only. E-Wallet & Prepaid Card restrictions apply. With four World Cup titles and one European Championship trophy, Italy remain one of world’s most successful teams and they have also finished as runners up at major tournaments on four occasions. This Nations League fixture will take place on Saturday, November 17. The future is bright. They will conclude their group campaign on Tuesday at home to bottom side Poland. Given both sides tendency to draw lately, however, it may be safer to go 4/7 on a Portugal win and draw no bet. What does it mean: There is more to Portugal than Ronaldo. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. OurMatch brings you match statistics, live scores, league tables, transfer rumors, breaking news and highlights from the top football leagues. DEAL DONE: Juventus have signed Federico Chiesa on a two-year loan deal from Fiorentina which includes an obligation to buy for €50m. Portugal enters this tournament led by none other than the current Ballon D'Or holder. With home advantage too, it is easy to see why - even without Ronaldo - the European champions are favourites to move straight to the top of their UEFA Nations League group with a win against Italy. The Azzurri put in a much-improved display to beat Poland last time out. There have been too many high-profile players leaving their mark on the national team to count, but the likes of Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Dino Zoff, Roberto Baggio, Luigi Riva and Alessandro Del Piero will go down as some of the most successful ones. Copyright © 2020 Goal.com All rights reserved. Alternatively, you can keep up-to-date with all action via our dedicated SunSport LIVE BLOG. The Portuguese international played for Maritimo at the start of his senior career and in 2004 he moved to Porto. Italy looked every inch a team which featured nine alterations from their last outing, as Portugal looked the more coherent and carved them open in the 14th minute, only for Bernardo Silva to play a poor pass into the danger zone instead of shooting. Roberto Mancini's men rode their luck in the first half, relying on a goal-line clearance from Andrea Romagnoli and the frame of the goal to keep them on level terms.