Portugal kicks off their Euro 2024 preparations by hosting Finland in an international friendly on Tuesday. The Portuguese have been in formidable form recently and boast a strong track record against Finland, which suggests they might secure another victory.
Despite breezing through their Euro 2024 qualification group, Portugal stumbled in their last match—a friendly against Slovenia in March, where they suffered a 2-0 defeat. Roberto Martinez’s squad, former European champions, are eager to return to their winning ways and build momentum ahead of the summer tournament. Before the loss to Slovenia, Portugal had enjoyed a run of 11 consecutive wins, keeping nine clean sheets in the process.
Finland, meanwhile, won’t be at the European Championship after finishing third in their group behind Denmark and Slovenia. Their recent performances have been mixed, with three wins and four losses in their last seven matches, including a 2-1 victory over Estonia in March—marking their first friendly win since 2021 after a string of 10 winless matches.
The bookmakers strongly favor Portugal, with odds of 2/11 for a win by Bet365. Finland’s chances are seen as slim, priced at 12/1, with a draw valued at 6/1.
Historically, Portugal has dominated this fixture, losing only once to Finland across nine encounters, with the most recent in 2011 ending in a 2-0 win for Portugal.
Key players to watch include Cristiano Ronaldo, who remains pivotal to Portugal’s attack. Fresh from clinching the top scorer title in the Saudi Pro League with 35 goals, Ronaldo has also scored 10 goals in his last 10 matches for Portugal. He’s currently at odds of 1/2 to score in the upcoming match.
Defensively, Portugal has been robust, thanks in part to Ruben Dias, who will be crucial in aiming for another clean sheet, currently at odds of 4/5 for a clean sheet with Bet365.
