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Portugal will be looking to secure qualification to the knockout stages as they take on Uruguay on Monday.
Portugal picked up a 3-2 win over Ghana in their 2022 FIFA World Cup opener. It was a thriller of a contest that sprang to life in the second half. Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix and Rafael Leao scored the goals for Fernando Santos' men. Bruno Fernandes came up clutch, providing two assists at a crucial point in the game.
Meanwhile, Uruguay settled for a goalless draw with South Korea in their first game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Neither team managed to register a shot on target but Uruguay did hit the woodwork twice. Uruguay will also be looking to get their World Cup campaign on four wheels as they take on Portugal.
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Without further ado, let's take a look at how Portugal could line up against Uruguay on Monday.
Goalkeeper - Diogo Costa
Diogo Costa nearly committed the biggest blunder of the 2022 FIFA World Cup thus far in the dying embers of Portugal's game against Ghana.
Instead of telegraphing the ball into the opposition's half, Costa put the ball down before scanning the field only for Inaki Williams, who was lurking behind him, to come and try to steal the ball.
Luckily for Costa, Ruben Dias and William Carvalho came to his rescue and Williams slipped and failed to make the most of the opportunity. Despite that moment. which will probably feature in the blooper reel of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Costa is likely to retain his place between the sticks.
Right-back - Joao Cancelo
Joao Cancelo was nowhere near his best in the opening game against Ghana and was at fault for the African side's second goal of the night. But everyone's aware of Cancelo's qualities and he is unlikely to be demoted to the bench.
Centre-back - Ruben Dias
Ruben Dias wasn't tested much in the game against Ghana. But he will definitely want to make up for not being able to negotiate that late onslaught from the Ghanaians as well as he would have wanted to.
Centre-back - Pepe
Danilo Pereira suffered a rib injury in training and will miss the game against Uruguay. 39-year-old Portuguese veteran Pepe could take his place in the starting lineup.
Left-back - Raphael Guerreiro
With young full-back Nuno Mendes still recovering from muscular soreness, Raphael Guerreiro is expected to retain his place in the starting lineup for Portugal. The 28-year-old looked good going forward against Ghana but the defensive aspects of his game needs improvement.
Central midfielder - Ruben Neves
Ruben Neves' mobility and game-reading ability will take a lot of pressure off their back four. The Wolverhampton Wanderers' anchorman will reprise his role against Uruguay but the same can't be said of the personnel around him.
Central midfielder - William Carvalho
William Carvalho's introduction in the second half helped Portugal exert control over the game. He is likely to replace Otavio in the starting lineup against Uruguay.
Central midfielder - Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva never really got going against Ghana even though he produced glimpses of quality on the ball. But the Manchester City midfielder is a match winner and will keep his place in the starting XI.
Right-winger - Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes improved drastically in the second half after being brought into a more central position. Fernandes could operate more centrally than he did against Ghana in the first half as his ability to create chances is almost unrivalled.
Left-winger - Joao Felix
Joao Felix looked out of sorts in the first half against Ghana. But he got better as the game went on and turned it around in the final quarter of the 90. Felix rounded it off with a composed finish for Portugal's second goal of the night.
Centre-forward - Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't at his sharpest against Ghana and was guilty of missing a couple of good chances. But he converted his penalty and did a decent job leading the attack, especially in the second half.
