Poland’s historical run at Euro 2016 will continue on Thursday with a quarter-final clash against Portugal. Both teams are coming off close victories in the round of 16 and will be looking to secure its place in the semifinals.
Two nations narrowly escaping the round of 16 will do battle on Thursday when Portugal takes on Poland in a highly anticipated quarter-final clash.
Poland needed penalty kicks to get past Switzerland in an intense knockout match, but it was Grzegorz Krychowiak’s shootout tally that sent the country to its first ever final-eight appearance.
“We’re very happy to be among the eight best teams in Europe; it really motivates us,” Polish midfielder Kamil Grosicki told eufa.com. “We keep developing, we keep moving forward. We want more but we’ll approach it in a calm way.”
If Poland’s round of 16 performance is any indication, Adam Nawalka’s side is in line to keep this run alive. Poland came out firing in the first half with 13 shot attempts — three on target — and displayed its quick counter-attack against Switzerland.
Portugal on the other hand, is coming off what is being deemed one of the most boring games in European Championship history after earning a 1-0 win over Croatia in the round of 16. Neither side had a single shot on target in the entire match and it wasn’t until the 117th minute of extra time that the game produced any excitement after Ricardo Quaresma headed home the winning goal.
These two nations have met in 10 previous matches with Portugal holding the edge with four wins to Poland’s three. Portugal has also outscored Poland 13-9 in that span.
Portugal enter the quarter-final match as slim favorites — Bovada has a +260 line that they will defeat Poland by a one-goal margin. Portugal is also a -110 favorite to win in regulation time.
This match will feature two of the best strikers in the world in Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Poland’s Robert Lewandowski. Bovada has a +475 line that both will score in the game.
The online sportsbook pegs Ronaldo at +130 to net a goal at any point of the match — a great value for one of the purest goal scorers in the world. Lewandowski is at +210 to score against Portugal — another bet worth taking.
Poland holds the edge in net as goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has allowed one goal in the entire tournament. Bovada has Poland at +395 to record a shutout victory against Portugal.
The first 10 minutes will be a feeling-out process for both the teams, but as the game wears on, expect things to open up. While Portugal is favored, Poland will come through in the end to keep this magical run alive.
Pick: Poland (+300)
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