AT&T Stadium in Arlington City, Dallas plays host to an Iberian duel, as Spain and Portugal face off with a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals at stake.
These two previously met in last year’s UEFA Nations League final, which Portugal won on penalties after a thrilling contest ended two apiece.
Similar fireworks would go down as a treat here, with European champion Spain showing signs of discovering its most potent form at the start of the knockout stages. Luis de la Fuente’s side barely had to break a sweat to bypass an Austria team that looked lost whenever it had the ball.
Historically, World Cup winners rarely dazzle from the start, and Spain’s improvement last time out is ominous for the Portuguese, who just barely kept their journey alive in the round of 32.
A dramatic encounter with Croatia was decided by a unique piece of technology more commonly associated with cricket, ’Snicko’, which deemed Igor Matanović to have touched the ball in the build-up to Joško Gvardiol‘s last-gasp equalizer, thus leading to an offside call on Mario Pašalić.
Portugal, like its Iberian neighbors, struggled its way through the group stage and finished behind Colombia in Group K. Roberto Martínez’s men haven’t yet performed like first-time world champions, but perhaps Monday’s mammoth occasion will earn the best out of them.
Watch and Enjoy Portugal vs Spain in FIFA World Cup Live Match Below.
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