After a surprising draw against Iceland in Euro 2016, Portugal will be looking to pull their socks up and get the job done against Austria. Star man Cristiano Ronaldo had criticised Iceland for having a “small mentality” after Portugal could not get the winning goal against them but Ronaldo himself wasted a number of opportunities against Iceland and remains goal-less in France this year.
Austria, on the other hand, shockingly lost to their neighbouring rivals Hungary (0-2) and have set themselves an uphill task of beating Portugal and Iceland to progress to the last-16 stage. Austria looked in command when David Alaba almost scored the quickest ever goal at the Euros but ended up hitting the post.
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After Aleksandar Dragovic was sent off for committing two offences, Zoltan Stieber sealed Hungary's win in the 87th minute leaving Austria helpless with 10 men.
Both Portugal and Austria will look to get a positive result and here are the players who will make a difference in the match.
1) Cristiano Ronaldo
Often compared with Leo Messi as the best player in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo has been the centre of attraction for all the teams that he has played for. Scoring over 50 goals for his Country, Ronaldo has kept disproving his critics with his commendable performances over the past decade.
Preferring to play as a Winger on the left plank, the 31-year-old Real Madrid forward can be lethal with his swift movement, everlasting stamina and almost always outmatching his opponent defenders. With his ability to play on both sides of the pitch and at the centre, Ronaldo was used as a striker against Iceland and troubled the defence consistently with pace and positioning, attempting over 10 shots to find the net.
Ronaldo is already the highest Goal-scorer for Portugal (58) and has represented his nation on 127 occasions. He is a difficult player to contain during set-pieces as his powerful headers are unstoppable at times.
Much to the delight of his team, Ronaldo is at the peak of his fitness, his strength can be matched by a few in the entire football history and his long-range shots have left the Goalkeeper absolutely clueless. Ronaldo will be hungry for goals and there will be no better time to score than when his Country needs it the most.
2) David Alaba
David Alaba is the youngest player to make his debut for Austria at the age of 17 in the October of 2009 against France. Known for his unbelievable versatility, Alaba is preferred in the midfield by Coach Marcel Koller for Austria and as a full-back for FC Bayern Munich.
Aged just 23, Alaba has already been considered as the best left-back currently in Football. Using his great vision, Alaba has dominated the Central midfield with his accurate passes and also keeping the defence in shape against counter-attacks.
The Austrian features excellent ball control and dribbling skills, allowing him to take the attack to the opponents and aiding the strikers in completing the job. Apart from his impressive sprint speed, Alaba is tremendous in set-piece situations, cleverly assessing the moment and providing neat crosses into the box.
Alaba is the most valuable asset in this Austrian line-up and he will have to pull his weight against Portugal.
3) Joao Moutinho
Residing in the midfield, Joao Moutinho is an experienced member of this Portuguese unit having played in over 80 games. Moutinho has been a part of AS Monaco FC since 2013 and he has been integral for the french club.
Comfortable as a defensive as well as an attacking midfielder, the 29-year-old playmaker has the creativity that an attacking-midfielder requires and he has given it his all in helping Portugal qualify for the Euro 2016. Though he was expected to start as a defensive midfielder, Moutinho was found in a central attacking role against Iceland.
Riddled with injuries in the past, Moutinho has worked hard to prove his fitness and he has risen since his transfer to Monaco. He has also played a key role in Andre Villas-Boas’ side when they won a treble at FC Porto.
Moutinho comprises of good dribbling and passing skills which he has been using effectively and often involved in creating chances for his side. Being a part of the 2012 Euro edition, Moutinho missed the penalty against Spain in the semifinal and ended up on the losing side.
The Monaco star will keep that loss at the back of his mind and look forward to progressing further this time with the Portuguese.
4) Marko Arnautovic
During his time in Inter Milan, Mario Balotelli considered himself as a “saint” when compared to Arnautovic. Dealing with his fair share of disciplinary problems, Manager Mark Hughes of Stoke City bought Arnautovic in 2013 believing in his talent.
Though disappointing initially, Arnautovic started gaining form and cemented his place in the starting line-up of Stoke City. In the 2015/16 Premier League season, the Austrian took part in 40 matches, scoring 12 goals and assisting 6 times, helping the Potters finish in the 9th position.
With his strong mentality, Arnautovic has represented his country in over 50 matches and has scored 11 times. In a largely disappointing game against Hungary, the Stoke attacker showed a glimpse of his calibre when he forced a save from the Hungarian Goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.
The 27-year-old forward will have to be at his best when they will face the second match in Group F against Portugal. Arnautovic is a big match player and he will certainly make his presence felt against the Portuguese defence and especially, with his experience in the Premier League, he will be a player to watch out for.
5) Luis Nani
The Former Manchester United forward was the lone scorer for Portugal against Iceland but was mostly missing when Portugal needed someone to step up and finish the game for them.
Playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo as an attacker in a 4-3-3 formation, Nani’s pace has allowed him to skip past the defenders with ease. Well settled in the Portuguese line-up,
Nani has appeared in over 95 times for his Country, scoring 18 goals. With his passing abilities, the former Manchester United star has been played on the right flank as a midfielder and has done a satisfying job.
Switching to the Turkish side Fenerbahçe in 2015, Nani played alongside United team-mate Robin van Persie and scored 8 times in 28 appearances.
Comfortable with playing on both sides of the pitch, Nani usually cuts through from the wing and towards the centre where he will be able to assist the striker much better and create more chances of finding the net. Nani can score from long ranges as well and will be dangerous partnering with Ronaldo when facing off against the Austrians.
