After being eliminated at the quarter-final stage in Qatar, Portugal commence this summer's World Cup against DR Congo, with Wednesday's Group K opener taking place at the NRG Stadium, home of NFL franchise Houston Texans.
With Cristiano Ronaldo set to make history by featuring in a sixth World Cup finals, Roberto Martínez’s men will be eager to help their talismanic striker cement his legendary status by winning FIFA’s most coveted prize.
DR Congo’s solitary appearance at a World Cup came way back in 1974, when the country was known as Zaire. The two-time AFCON champions finished bottom of their group, losing convincingly to Scotland, Yugoslavia and Brazil without scoring a goal.
We’ve analysed the stats and browsed the World Cup betting to bring you a Bet Builder for this match which pays out at 14/1 if it comes in.
Portugal v DR Congo Bet Builder Tips
Portugal to win @ 1/4
Both teams to score: No @ 3/5
Cristiano Ronaldo 3+ shots on target @ 23/10
Over 10.5 corners @ 6/4
Pays out at 14/1
Selecao to open with a win
Having sailed through qualifying with consummate ease, Portugal are considered to be one of the favourites to clinch silverware in North America.
The Seleção das Quinas only dropped points on two occasions during their entire qualification campaign, sharing an entertaining draw with Hungary at the José Alvalade Stadium before losing 2-0 to Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
Portugal went on to win three of their four subsequent friendlies, beating the USA, Chile, and Nigeria after a stalemate with Mexico at the newly revamped Estadio Azteca.
Although few expect them to avoid defeat on Wednesday, DR Congo are certainly no pushovers.
The Leopards showed immense grit, determination and personality during qualifying, successfully navigating an initial group stage, second-round meetings with Cameroon and Nigeria and an inter-confederation play-off tie against Jamaica.
The Congolese are likely to give a good account of themselves if recent performances are anything to go by, but their opponents simply have far more quality at their disposal.
Leg 1: Portugal to win @ 1/4
Leopards likely to draw a blank
It seems inevitable that Portugal will find the net at least once on Wednesday evening, but DR Congo sometimes lack a clinical edge in the final third.
Sébastien Desabre’s side only netted 15 times across 10 first-round qualifying matches, before just netting a single goal in each leg of their continental showdown with Nigeria.
An extra-time strike from Burnley’s Axel Tuanzebe was enough to defeat Jamaica in the decisive play-off, after both teams failed to score during the regulation 90 minutes.
Although the Africans boast a decent defensive record, the stats tell us all we need to know about Portugal’s attacking capabilities.
The Euro 2016 winners racked up 20 goals while earning their place in this summer’s tournament, largely thanks to two thrashings of a hapless Armenian outfit – 5-0 in Yerevan and 9-1 on home soil.
Leg 2: Both teams to score: No @ 3/5
Ronaldo to keep Leopards keeper busy
Despite celebrating his 41st birthday in February, Ronaldo is still one of the best finishers in the business. The Madeira-born icon helped fire Al-Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title last term, registering 28 goals in just 30 appearances.
However, he hasn’t been quite as prolific for his country of late. Ronaldo hasn’t scored in any of his last three international outings, while his only goal at the 2022 World Cup came via the penalty spot.
As the five-time Ballon d’Or recipient has recently struggled to produce his imperious scoring form in the famous red jersey, we’ve dipped into the shots on target market rather than risk adding a Ronaldo goal to the acca.
Leg 3: Cristiano Ronaldo 3+ shots on target @ 23/10
Corner count to go high
Given the nature of this contest, it’s likely that a high number of corners will be awarded. With Portugal expected to play on the front from the first whistle, this should throw up some counter-attacking opportunities for DR Congo.
The Portuguese were awarded at least five corners in four of their six qualifiers, while averaging almost seven per match overall.
The Leopards earned 11 corners across their two World Cup warm-up fixtures, seven of which came during a 2-1 loss to Chile on French soil.
Leg 4: Over 10.5 corners @ 6/4
