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Portugal and Mexico are clearly the class of Group A in the Confederations Cup. They're expected to finish first and second respectively in this group, though this match between the two to start their respective tournaments could go a long way towards either affirming that thought or completely blowing it to smithereens.
This Confederations Cup duel will go down Sunday, June 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. ET at Kazan Arena in Kazan. The match will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Portugal +105
Mexico +260
Draw +237
Over/Under 2
Odds Analysis
Tournament play often brings out the best in defenders and the most cautious nature of attackers. No one wants to be the man who made the big mistake that gave up the goal that cost his team a chance at silverware. Especially in these big matches, goals are often at a premium, and that's why the total is incredibly low at a price of a flat 2.
Portugal has to be the favorite in this match. A Seleccao won Euro 2016 and haven't done much of anything since that point to knock it down a peg. Sure, qualifying for the World Cup has been a bit of a challenge, but we still believe Portugal won't have any issues getting there. The price of +105 though, tells a very unconvincing tale.
Roster Analysis
Cristiano Ronaldo is here in Russia. That's about all you need to know about this Portugal side. CR7 has been carrying the weight of Real Madrid and for his country for years, and this tournament won't be an exception to that rule. Eder, who scored the winning goal of the Euros, was dropped from this squad in favor of Andre Silva, who has seven goals in eight matches for his country. That said, the play up front is clearly going to center around Ronaldo and Nani, the two of whom have combined to score 96 goals all-time for Portugal.
Juan Carlos Osorio has made some interesting decisions with his roster of late. He rested a number of his crucial players against the United States in World Cup qualifying on Sunday to get them ready for this match. The decision backfired in a 1-1 draw, but there might end up being a bigger reward here in Russia. Keep an eye on Javier "Chicarito" Hernandez. He's Mexico's all-time leading scorer with 47 goals, and he has a very talented team around him, including six others who have scored at least 10 goals for their country.
Recent Form
Most are going to point to that 1-1 draw against the United States and assume that Mexico is in trouble. Yet El Tri are in no danger of missing out on the World Cup after some truly dominating performances in the Hex. Sure, Mexico was beaten by Croatia 2-1 in LA a few weeks ago, but turning around and beating Ireland and Honduras before the draw against the Yanks was probably sufficient.
Portugal has some work to do just to get back here to Russia next year. The team was beaten at Switzerland 2-0, and that's the difference between the two sides right now in their World Cup qualifying group. The Portuguese haven't lost since that point in a meaningful match, though some will point to the 3-2 loss to Sweden and wonder if that's a sign of things to come.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
There will be lots of sound and fury leading into this match, but we can't help but wonder if it's ultimately going to signify nothing. Portugal's play at the back has been heightened in major matches in recent years, as the club has decided to play completely through CR7.
Mexico meanwhile, has done a great job of staying on the ball and maintaining flow of play. The team didn't get much going forward against the Americans on Sunday though, and if that's the case again this Sunday, this could turn into a snoozer.
Confederations Cup Odds: Portugal 0, Mexico 0
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