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Portugal national football team
World Cup | Qualifiers
Oct 16, 2012 at 8.45pm UK
 
Northern Ireland national football team

1-1

Preview: Portugal vs. Northern Ireland

Preview: Portugal vs. N. Ireland
© PA Photos
Sports Mole previews Portugal's World Cup qualifying encounter with Northern Ireland in Porto on Tuesday.

The focus will be even more on Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday night as he wins his 100th cap for Portugal in their World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland in Porto.

The Real Madrid forward has scored 37 goals since he made his debut in 2003 and who would bet against him adding to that tally against a fragile Ireland side?

While the Portuguese are a healthy second in Group F with six points from three games, Michael O'Neill's men have one point from a possible six and are expected to struggle inside the Estadio Do Dragao.

What's worse is that they are in the midst of an injury crisis as Alex Bruce, Grant McCann, James McPake, Joe Dudgeon, Shane Ferguson and Martin Paterson have all withdrawn from the squad. Danny Lafferty, Lee Hodson and Rory McArdle have been called up as replacements.

Meanwhile, Raul Meireles and Fabio Coentrao are sidelined for the hosts with Real Betis full-back Nelson coming into the fold in place of Coentrao.

Current form:

Portugal: WLWWWL
N. Ireland: LLLDLD

Possible lineups:

Portugal: Patricio; Alves, Pepe, Pereira, Nelson; Moutinho, Micael, Veloso, Nani; Ronaldo, Postiga

N. Ireland: Carroll; Baird, Hughes, Evans, McAuley, McGivern; Carson, Davis, Norwood, Clingan; K Lafferty

Sports Mole says: 3-0


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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Netherlands Netherlands32107
Q Senegal flag Senegal32016
3 Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
4 Qatar Qatar30030

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England32107
Q United States USA31205
3 Iran Iran31023
4 Wales flag Wales30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Argentina Argentina32016
Q Poland Poland31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia31023

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France32016
Q Australia Australia32016
3 Tunisia Tunisia31114
4 Denmark Denmark30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Japan Japan32016
Q Spain Spain31114
3 Germany Germany31114
4 Costa Rica flag Costa Rica31023

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Morocco Morocco32107
Q Croatia Croatia31205
3 Belgium Belgium31114
4 Canada Canada30030

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Brazil Brazil32016
Q Switzerland Switzerland32016
3 Cameroon flag Cameroon31114
4 Serbia Serbia30121

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Republic of Korea South Korea31114
3 Uruguay flag Uruguay31114
4 Ghana flag Ghana31023


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