Portugal vs Congo DR Predictions

• Portugal have conceded in 15 of their last 20 games
• The Portuguese have won 2-1 in warm-up clashes with Chile and Nigeria
• Neto scored in three of his six appearances at last summer’s Club World Cup

Are Portugal genuine contenders?

Portugal arrive at the World Cup with a star-studded squad, but their status as real contenders is up in the air. Despite their talent, they looked limited at Euro 2024, hanging on for penalties against France only to lose the shoot-out and exit in the quarter-finals.

However, their Nations League victory last year saw them beat Germany and Spain. They head to the States with two-thirds of PSG’s midfield, plus Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Man City’s Bernardo Silva. However, the spectre of Cristiano Ronaldo hangs over the team.

The 41-year-old casts a long shadow. He seems to limit Portugal’s potential with his lack of movement, but his 143 goals in 228 games for his country mean he remains a fixture in their side.

Congo can pose a problem for Portugal

Portugal have plenty of big names in their backline, but they conceded seven goals in six World Cup qualifiers, and they’ve won 2-1 in each of their warm-up games in June.

Congo set off for North America after a 2-1 defeat to Chile in France, and they scored five goals across three group games at AFCON last year.

Real Betis forward Cedric Bakambu and Newcastle United’s Yoane Wissa are threats for Congo in the final third, and they should get chances against this Portugal side.

Roberto Martinez’s men fell behind in their Euro 2024 opener against the Czech Republic, and they’ve kept only five clean sheets in 20 fixtures since that tournament.

Neto can thrive stateside again

Pedro Neto scored his third goal for Portugal in last week’s 2-1 win over Nigeria, and he could have a big role this summer. Given the limitations of Ronaldo and the inconsistency of Rafael Leao, Neto looks like the most likely member of their front three to benefit from Bruno Fernandes’ creative talents.

Neto scored 10 goals across all competitions for Chelsea this term, but he had a big impact in their run to Club World Cup glory last year. He scored in three of his six appearances at that tournament, and he appeals in the anytime goalscorer market in Houston.