Portugal vs Uruguay Odds & Recap
Powerhouses Meet for Second Straight World Cup
⚽Portugal vs Uruguay: Game Recap⚽
Results: Portugal 2-0 Uruguay
Did Ronaldo touch the ball, or did it just graze his freshly cut hair? It doesn’t matter, since Portugal beat Uruguay 2-0 in a tight affair, sending them through to the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Though Portugal appeared to have control of the game for the first hour, Uruguay had better chances. A brilliant run from Rodrigo Bentancur should have seen the Tottenham midfielder apply a finish to the match. However, Maxi Gomez hit the post soon after, while Luis Suarez had a snapshot from a freekick.
They were made to pay by Portugal, who scored through a cross from Bruno Fernandes, which escaped the lunging head of Cristiano Ronaldo to find the far corner improbably. There was, and still is, an unnecessary controversy around the goal. Officially, the goal went to Fernandes, but Portugal and Ronaldo are trying to change that.
In the 90th minute, Fernandes tried to play a pass into the box, inadvertently blocked by the arm of the sliding Jose Gimenez. It appeared harsh but was given after a VAR intervention. Fernandes rolled the penalty past Uruguay keeper Sergio Rochet to secure victory.
The game was also interrupted in the second half when a protester ran onto the pitch, waving a pride flag and a “Protect Iranian Women” shirt. It was brave of the protester to do that, but incredibly dangerous as well.
Did We Get It Right?
Below you will find all the predictions we made before the matchup, on November 25, 2022.
Win Clinches Last 16 for Portugal
It initially appeared that Portugal’s opening match at Qatar 2022 would go the same way as Uruguay’s. Portugal and Ghana entered the halftime break at 0-0, which was the way Uruguay vs. South Korea finished. The second half of Portugal’s match produced another Cristiano Ronaldo record and a five-goal thriller. Portugal managed to come away with a 3-2 win and can clinch a knockout stage berth with a win over Uruguay on Monday. Don’t forget that Uruguay was the team that knocked out Ronaldo and Portugal in the 2018 round of 16. Let’s take a look at who the favorite is this time around and the rest of the major Portugal vs Uruguay odds.
Portugal vs Uruguay
Date, time (TV):
Location: Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail, Qatar
Streaming: FOX, Telemundo, Peacock
Team Standings and Odds:
| Team | FIFA World Ranking | World Cup Qualifying Record | Knockout Stage Odds | Odds to Win Group | Odds to Win World Cup |
| Portugal | 9 | 7-2-1, 2nd UEFA Group A | -3300 | -400 | +1200 |
| Uruguay | 14 | 8-4-6, 3rd CONMEBOL | -160 | +400 | +4500 |
| All Meetings: | Teams |
|---|---|
| Jun 2018: | Uruguay 2-1 Portugal |
| Jul 1972: | Uruguay 1-1 Portugal |
| Jun 1966: | Portugal 3-0 Uruguay |
Uruguay and Portugal are two of international soccer’s most iconic teams but there’s rarely been opportunities for betting on soccer matchups between them. They did, however, meet at the most recent World Cup in 2018. Uruguay came away with a 2-1 win in their round of 16 meeting to advance to the quarterfinals as Edinson Cavani scored a brace. Prior to that, the last meeting was all the way back in 1972.
Portugal: Ronaldo Makes History
Standings: 1-0, 1st
Previous Match: W, 3-2 vs. Ghana
Upcoming Match: Dec. 2 vs. South Korea
Cristiano Ronaldo made history once again in Portugal’s opening match vs. Ghana. Simply by starting the match, Ronaldo became one of a select few players to play in five World Cups. Just 65 minutes of play later, he became the first player to score in five different World Cups. Portugal conceded just eight minutes later and the match turned into a thriller.
Joao Felix and substitute winger Rafael Leão put Portugal 3-1 up. Ghana sub Osman Bukari then gave Portugal something to think about with a consolation goal. Portugal GK Diogo Costa got his pocket picked at the end of the match and Ghana nearly scored a bizarre equalizer. A relieved Portugal came away with a 3-2 win, though. With the victory, Portugal got their first World Cup opening match win since 2006.
Portugal’s defense looked shaky at times and they’ll certainly be tested again by Uruguay. Up front though, coach Fernando Santos has a wealth of options. It’ll be interesting to see if Leao gets more time on the wing as he’s an incredibly dynamic player. The AC Milan man was instrumental in their Scudetto win last year. Qatar 2022 betting tips often recommended taking Portugal to win the group pre-tournament. They’re not as much of a bargain now, at -400 compared to -150 upon opening. In any case, they’re just one win away from the knockout stage.
Uruguay: Underwhelming Effort in First Match
Standings: 0-1-0, T-2nd
Previous Match: D, 0-0 vs. South Korea
Upcoming Match: Dec. 2 vs. Ghana
Uruguay were quite underwhelming in their World Cup opener vs. South Korea on Thursday. They created some good chances but failed to trouble South Korean keeper Kim Seung-Gyu. Diego Godin managed to hit the post on a header and Fede Valverde also hit the post on a late strike. La Celeste are expected to rely on Luis Suarez and Darwin Nunez for scoring but neither could find a breakthrough in the match.So, Uruguay could only come away with a scoreless draw from a match they were expected to win.
La Celeste opened the tournament at -250 odds to advance to the knockout stage and bettors can now find better value on them at -160. Still, matches vs. Portugal and Ghana certainly don’t appear to be easy for them. The latest Portugal vs Uruguay odds list Uruguay as underdogs vs. Portugal and they’d absolutely need to defeat Ghana should they lose on Monday.
Uruguay’s draw to South Korea also snapped a five-game group stage winning streak dating back to 2014. Both Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani have scored in three different World Cups but they are both well into their 30s now. Suarez is also playing his club football back in his native Uruguay now, which isn’t at the standard of top European leagues. Still, he’s still certainly got a trick or two up his sleeve and Uruguay need him.
Match Analysis and Odds:
The Portugal vs Uruguay odds originally implied Portugal had less than a 50 percent chance of implied victory. They’ve moved from +110 to -105 odds to win and seal knockout stage qualification. Ronaldo & Co. also show the same odds to cover the ½-goal spread. After a disappointing first match, Uruguay’s ATS odds have moved from -130 to -115. Their moneyline has also moved from +260 to +320 odds.
It was Cavani who knocked Portugal out of the World Cup last time around but the striker has played scarce minutes for Uruguay lately. He was injured for the start of the club season and is only rounding into form now. Facing Portugal’s tri-headed monster of an attack, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix and Bernardo Silva, will also be a new challenge for Uruguay. Uruguay could still be in a reasonably solid position with a draw, though, and one comes in at +240 odds.
Over comes in at +120 odds and goals are expected to come at a premium, with the under priced at -140
Portugal’s defensive performance vs. Ghana was an anomaly compared to the rest of their 2022 results. It’s the first time they allowed two goals in a match during this calendar year. Meanwhile, Uruguay managed to keep a seventh clean sheet in their last eight matches. Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez form quite a good partnership for La Celeste. The over/under goal total for Portugal vs Uruguay is 2½ goals. The over comes in at +120 odds and goals are expected to come at a premium, with the under priced at -140. There are certainly players on both teams who can produce match winning moments, which makes this a must-see.
