23
20:23
On the way forward, the Uruguayans manage surprisingly little. They’re always looking for Darwin Núñez and Edinson Cavani, but haven’t gotten their two forwards involved yet. As a result, there is no relief and from the South Americans’ point of view it is becoming more and more of a defensive battle.
20
20:21
The Portuguese are currently increasing the pressure. But they just don’t manage to combine all the way into the box. The shots from outside the penalty area either miss the target or are blocked by a player in white, as is the case now.
18
20:20
Cristiano Ronaldo takes a free kick from the left in front of the penalty area. Of course, the superstar tries it directly from a little over 20 meters. With his cocking shot, however, he already gets stuck on the high-jumping wall.
16
20:17
Pepe speeds the game up with a deep pass to Bernardo Silva. The ten turns on its own axis and immediately puts João Félix in the limelight. The 23-year-old pulls in from the left and seeks a shot from around 15 yards out. The shot is deflected. As a result, the ball falls just to the right of the goal with the arc lamp.
14
20:15
Both teams really don’t give each other anything here. The duel is characterized by a high intensity. The referee, Alireza Faghani, has some talking to do early on.
12.
20:13
Valverde executes the subsequent corner kick briefly. The following cross from the left lands on the five at Giménez, who heads the ball centrally onto the goal roof.
11.
20:12
Darwin Núñez, who hasn’t been seen up to this point, dynamically dribbles down the left wing. He wants to hit the ball around the corner flag. Bernardo Silva worked backwards and blocked the goal.
8th.
20:09
A diagonal pass lands on the right at Cristiano Ronaldo, who climbs significantly higher than Olivera and heads to Bruno Fernandes. The Manchester United playmaker makes a few more yards with the ball at his feet before shooting from the inside right. The ball clearly rolls past the goal to the left.
6.
20:06
Yellow card for Rodrigo Bentancur (Uruguay)
Early warning for Bentancur! The 25-year-old runs well up front. In the duel with Rúben Dias, however, he came too late and caught the central defender with the studs on the ankle. That’s why it’s yellow.
4.
20:05
A Portuguese throw-in from the opposition half lands in Cristiano Ronaldo’s left side of the box. The man with the number seven on his back puts the ball elegantly into the backcourt with his right shoulder. William Carvalho lurks on the edge of the box and shoots straight away. The volley rushes a few meters over the box.
3.
20:03
Mathías Olivera wins the ball deep in the opponent’s half, plays a good one-two with Edinson Cavani and tries it from distance. However, his attempt clearly misses the mark.
1.
20:00
Here we go! The all-white Uruguayans toast. Portugal holds against it in red and green jerseys.
19:53
The teams enter the stadium, which is also the venue for the final on December 18th. Then there are the anthems. So everything is set up for a wonderful evening of football.
19:43
The two nations met at the World Cup four years ago. At that time, Uruguay prevailed 2-1. All three goals were scored by players who are back today. Edinson Cavani scored twice and Pepe equalized in the meantime.
19:39
Uruguay also made three changes in the starting XI. After the 0-0 draw against South Korea, Edinson Cavani comes in for Luis Suárez. With the addition of Sebastián Coates and Guillermo Varela for Martín Cáceres and Facundo Pellistri, Diego Alonso is likely to switch to a back three.
19:35
Fernando Santos changes three times compared to the opening win. Danilo is out with a broken rib. In return, Pepe, who will be participating in his fourth World Cup as a result, will be in the starting line-up. In addition, Nuno Mendes and William Carvalho start for Raphaël Guerreiro and Otávio.
19:25
Uruguay were held to a goalless draw by South Korea in their first game. The sky blues were unlucky, as they failed twice because of the aluminum. It should now work against the favored Portuguese with the first goal of the tournament. Torreira and Co. are currently only third in the group. However, with a three-pointer, they could take the top position and put themselves in an excellent position. However, progress would still be possible even in the event of a defeat. So Uruguay can play freely and have everything in their own hands.
19:18
With Ghana’s 3-2 win over South Korea, Portugal’s starting position is clear. If they are successful, they will already secure their ticket for the round of 16 and can then look forward to the last day of the game in a relaxed manner. That should be reason enough for the Seleção to go into the game highly motivated. They also want to offer their fans a better performance than at the start. In the end it was enough for three points against the Black Stars, but the performance was by no means completely convincing. Especially in the final phase, the Portuguese trembled again. You don’t want that to happen to you again today.
18:56
Have a wonderful good evening and welcome to the last match of the second group game day. In Group H, Portugal meets Uruguay. Kick-off is at 8pm (CET) at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.