Colombia vs. Portugal—World Cup: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Portugal‘s closing Group K fixture could be one of the tournament’s most exciting matches to date.

A tantalizing battle decides Group K’s winner. | FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Visionhaus/Getty Images.

The winner of Group K will be determined by a mouth-watering clash between Colombia and Portugal at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida this Saturday.

It’s advantage to the South Americans ahead of a final group stage showdown, successive victories over Uzbekistan and DR Congo propeling them to first place. Néstor Lorenzo and his players therefore know a draw is enough to hold their position and pencil in a date with one of the eight third-placed qualifiers in the last 32.

Portugal cannot afford to rest on its laurels in Miami Gardens as the opening match stalemate with DR Congo comes back to haunt it. The response was excellent, Cristiano Ronaldo starring in a 5–0 win over Uzbekistan, but victory is still essential on Saturday if the Seleção das Quinas are to progress to first place.

Luckily, Colombia has already qualified and Portugal is all but certain of its berth in the next round, and that should facilitate an enthralling affair between continental giants.

Compete against the world. | SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

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Colombia vs. Portugal Score Prediction

Portugal Steals Top Spot

Portugal hit its stride last time out. | Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images

Gauging the quality of Colombia is difficult off the back of victories against relatively tame opposition, but an impressive pre-tournament streak hints at a deep run this summer. Only two defeats in the last 13—those coming at the hands of France and Croatia—underscores its capacity to make its mark in North America, with Saturday’s match the perfect opportunity to fire a warning sign to future opponents.

Los Cafeteros boast a well-oiled defense and polished forward line, with Portugal needing to be wary of its blend of poise and grit.

However, Martínez possesses one of the tournament’s strongest rosters, and Portugal remains the favorite for the upcoming duel in Florida. Confidence has returned after the demolition of Uzbekistan, where a winning formula was stumbled upon, and the weapons at its disposal are far more diverse and powerful than Colombia‘s.

Colombia‘s tenacious approach will make this one a scrap, but Portugal’s class might shine through.

• Portugal’s stellar form: The Seleção das Quinas might have slipped on a banana skin in their World Cup opener, but consistency has not generally been an issue in recent years. Portugal has lost just twice in its last 22 matches, during which time it’s conquered top-quality opponents such as Spain, Germany and Croatia.
• Colombia vs. Europeans: The South Americans have lost their last two matches against European foes, both warm-up friendly defeats to France and Croatia in March. Prior to those losses, it had won its last three of such fixtures, beating Romania, Spain and Germany.
• The Ronaldo factor: An in-form Ronaldo is a major threat to Colombia’s perfect record. The 41-year-old’s brace against Uzbekistan made him the first player to ever score at six World Cups, and saw him leapfrog Eusébio as Portugal‘s top scorer in the competition with 10 goals.

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Colombia Predicted Lineup vs. Portugal

Colombia could name an unchanged XI for the third straight match. | Sports Illustrated

Luis Suárez‘s 38-goal campaign with Sporting CP ensures he’s Colombia’s undisputed No. 9, providing he can overcome the injury that forced him off just before the hour last time out.

The 28-year-old should feature as he chases a first World Cup goal, flanked by the indefatigable Luis Díaz and 34-year-old national hero and captain James Rodríguez.

Daniel Muñoz has found his shooting boots with back-to-back goals this summer, including the winner against DR Congo, and will offer plenty of offensive support against Portugal, too.

Changes from the team that beat Uzbekistan and DR Congo aren’t expected.

Colombia predicted lineup vs. Portugal (4-3-3): Vargas; Muñoz, Sánchez, Lucumí, Mojica; Puerta, Lerma, Arias; Rodríguez, Suárez, Díaz.

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Portugal Predicted Lineup vs. Colombia

Portugal could go unchanged. | Sports Illustrated

Much like his counterpart Lorenzo, Martínez will be reluctant to make changes from the side that destroyed Uzbekistan, meaning Rúben Dias and João Félix should retain their starting berths.

Ronaldo will naturally dominate the attention in Florida as he seeks to add to Tuesday’s double, while Bruno Fernandes opened his assist account for the tournament last time out and will once again pull the strings as the No. 10.

An all-star midfield is supported by Paris Saint-Germain duo João Neves and Vitinha, while their clubmate Nuno Mendes can build on an excellent goalscoring performance at left back.

Benfica center back Tomás Araújo, who started the opening match, is the only injury concern.

Portugal predicted lineup vs. Colombia (4-2-3-1): Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha; Neto, Fernandes, Félix; Ronaldo.

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Pick Your World Cup Starting XIs!

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What Time Does Colombia vs. Portugal Kick Off?

• Location: Miami Gardens, United States
• Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium
• Date: Saturday, June 27 / Sunday, June 28
• Kick-off Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT / 12:30 a.m. BST (June 28)
• Referee: Alireza Faghani (AUS)

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How to Watch Colombia vs. Portugal on TV, Live Stream

Country	Broadcaster(s)
United States	FOX Network, fuboTV, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FOX One
Canada	TSN+, TSN1, TSN4, TSN5, RDS, CTV, RDS App, CTV App, Crave
Mexico	Canal 5 Televisa, TUDN, Azteca 7, TUDN En Vivo, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, ViX Mexico
United Kingdom	BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Website

• MORE: Full list of broadcasters around the world for Colombia vs. Portugal

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