Portugal vs Uzbekistan predictions and betting tips – Ronaldo and co. must bounce back

Portugal got their World Cup campaign off to a disappointing start, drawing 1-1 with DR Congo on matchday one. They are now under pressure to register their first victory of the tournament, with Uzbekistan standing in their way.

The debutants lost 3-1 to Colombia last time out, but there were positives to take from elements of their performance. Will Portugal get off the mark in Houston?

• Portugal to win to nil – 5/6 with BetVictor
• Portugal/Portugal half-time/full-time – 4/6 with bet365
• Bruno Fernandes to provide an assist – 13/8 with bet365

Portugal vs Uzbekistan head to head overview

• Date: Tuesday 23rd June. 
• Kick-off: 6pm.
• Venue: Houston Stadium, Houston, USA.
• Where to watch: ITV1 and ITVX.
• Referee: Jalal Jayed.
• VAR: Yes.
• Last meeting: Never played before.
• Favourite to win: Portugal.

Portugal vs Uzbekistan predicted lineups

• Portugal expected lineup: Costa; Dalot, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; Vitinha, J. Neves, Fernandes; Conceicao, Ronaldo, Leao.
• Uzbekistan expected lineup: Yusupov; Sayfiev, Ashurmatov, Alijonov, Khusanov; Masharipov, Hamrobekov, Khamdamov, Fayzullaev; Sergeev, Shomurodov.

Portugal vs Uzbekistan predictions

Needless to say, that was not the start to World Cup 2026 that Portugal were dreaming of.

Against DR Congo last Wednesday, the situation looked promising for Roberto Martinez’s men with six minutes on the clock.

A header from Joao Neves had given Portugal the early advantage in Texas. One of the pre-tournament favourites appeared to be well on their way to three points.

Yet the goal was not a sign of things to come. Remarkably, Portugal did not produce another shot on target all game. DR Congo restored parity on the stroke of half-time and ended up taking more shots than Portugal, despite having just 25 percent possession.

Portugal controlled the ball throughout, but they took too few risks with it. Their passing was safe and they were too easy to defend against. DR Congo’s backline was never really stretched after Neves’ opener.

The match also provided further evidence that a 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo is more of a help than a hindrance at this stage of his career. 

Yet despite an ineffectual performance up front, Ronaldo was kept on for the full 90 minutes. It does not help your World Cup chances when the most powerful figure in the dressing room is a player who should not really be in the starting XI.

“What we’re talking about here is the first match of a World Cup,” Martinez said afterwards. “Today, after we scored the opening goal, those emotions had a negative effect on our performance. 

“We stopped taking risks, we stopped looking for space, we stopped reaching the final third. That was more a matter of emotion than of tactics or technique.”

It is rather convenient for a manager to dismiss tactics as a possible explanation for his team’s poor performance. One thing is for sure: if Portugal slip up against Uzbekistan, there will be no hiding place for Martinez.

Portugal vs Uzbekistan betting tips

Will Portugal or Uzbekistan come out on top when the two teams face off on Tuesday?

Portugal to get job done

Uzbekistan made their World Cup debut last week. The White Wolves scored their first goal at the tournament too, but it came in a 3-1 defeat by Colombia.

Uzbekistan were within one goal of the South Americans until nine minutes into second-half stoppage time, which shows they were in the game throughout. However, Colombia were the better team and deserved to collect maximum points.

Portugal will dominate possession on Tuesday, so Uzbekistan will be restricted to occasional forays forward on the counter-attack.

Portugal’s defence was not overly convincing against DR Congo, but it will not be tested too much by an Uzbekistan team that lacks quality in the final third.

Back Portugal to win to nil at 5/6 with BetVictor

Another quick Portugal start?

Almost all of Uzbekistan’s brightest moments against Colombia came after the break. 

In fact, they did not have a single touch inside the opposition box in the first half of that game, as Fabio Cannavaro’s side sat in their defensive shape.

Uzbekistan will approach this game in a similar way, but if they invite Portugal onto them for the opening 45 minutes, they will probably be punished.

Portugal must improve on their underwhelming showing against DR Congo. However, they will not necessarily need to be at their absolute best to hold a lead against Uzbekistan after both 45 and 90 minutes.

Tip Portugal/Portugal in the half-time/full-time market at 4/6 with bet365

Fernandes to step up

Ronaldo is clearly an issue for Portugal, but he could still find the back of the net against a side like Uzbekistan. However, there is a good chance Bruno Fernandes will be Portugal’s main man here. 

Throughout his time at Manchester United, Fernandes has shone despite playing for a flawed team. That experience will come in handy this summer.

Fernandes recently broke the all-time single-season assist record in the Premier League by setting up 21 goals for his United team-mates in 2025/26.

A natural creator from both open play and set-pieces, Fernandes will be heavily involved in most of Portugal’s attacks against Uzbekistan.

Go for Bruno Fernandes to provide an assist at 13/8 with bet365

Portugal vs Uzbekistan latest odds

Find the latest Portugal vs Uzbekistan betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

More World Cup 2026 predictions

We have plenty more World Cup 2026 predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.

Important historical facts about Portugal and Uzbekistan for betting

Portugal have lost only one of their last 14 matches. Cristiano Ronaldo has not scored in any of his last 10 appearances at major international tournaments. Uzbekistan have won just one of their last six outings.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

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