A draw against Israel on Friday has put Portugal in a tough situation in their group. With their next match away to Azerbaijan, Paulo Bento's side cannot afford anything less than a victory.

Everything started so well for Portugal on Friday when they took an early lead over Israel. That one goal lead quickly turned into a one goal draw, then a 2-1 deficit and then a 3-1 deficit, leaving Portuguese fans frustrated and annoyed, but most of all, some fans were not very surprised.

Luckily for Paulo Bento, the Portuguese were able to rally late and tie the match at three goals, but that still leaves the Lusitanos in third place, even on eight points with Israel, who will take on Northern Ireland in their next match.

Portugal will travel to Azerbaijan to take on Berti Vogts' side who is fifth with three draws and two losses. The hosts have only played one match at home in Baku, and they managed a 1-1 draw against Israel, the same Israel that just scored three goals against Portugal. 

 

Azerbaijan's first match against Portugal ended in a 3-0 victory for the Portuguese at the Estadio Axa in Braga. It took Portugal 63 minutes to break the deadlock with a goal from Varela. Helder Postiga and Bruno Alves also added goals of their own late in the match. 

Despite that 3-0 score, Azerbaijan has been surprisingly competitive in this group, although they only have three points in five matches. They traveled to Moscow to take on Russia and were only defeated by one goal, which came as a result of a penalty kick which was converted by Roman Shirokov in the 84th minute of the match. With that said, it would be a very bad decision if Portugal was to take this Azerbaijan side lightly, as many believe they did against Israel on Friday.

Berti Vogts will have one less worry on Tuesday given the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be able to take part in this match. A yellow card in Friday's match forces the Real Madrid forward to sit this one out, but Ronaldo has chosen to stay with his teammates in Azerbaijan.

"This is my second home and I received a yellow card in the last match, keeping me out of Tuesday's match, which makes me very upset," Ronaldo said on the Portuguese Federations website.

"My presence is important, and the easiest would have just been to return to Madrid, but I want to stay. I like to be here and I think my contribution, even without playing, is important to the team, my teammates and myself as well."

Without Ronaldo, Azerbaijan can turn their attention to some of Portugal's other creative players. Will his absence show Portugal's lack of creativity going forward, or will it give other players a chance to prove their worth?

 

Portugal's Previous Matches

03-22-13 Israel 3-3 Portugal (WCQ)

10-16-12 Portugal 1-1 Northern Ireland (WCQ)

10-12-12 Russia 1-0 Portugal (WCQ)

09-11-12 Portugal 3-0 Azerbaijan (WCQ)

09-07-12 Luxembourg 1-2 Portugal (WCQ)

 

Azerbaijan's Previous Matches

03-22-13 Luxembourg 0-0 Azerbaijan (WCQ)

11-14-12 Northern Ireland 1-1 Azerbaijan (WCQ)

10-16-12 Russia 1-0 Azerbaijan (WCQ)

09-11-12 Portugal 3-0 Azerbaijan (WCQ)

09-07-12 Azerbaijan 1-1 Israel (WCQ)

 

Prediction

If Portugal does not manage to grab the full three points on Tuesday, there will be a significant number of unhappy people back home, as well as across the globe. The Portuguese are ranked 7th in FIFA's latest ranking, but when it comes to matches of this sort, they tend to under achieve more often than not. 

In a group that is made up of Russia, Israel, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg and Northern Ireland, Portugal should undoubtedly be fighting for the top spot. At the moment, Paulo Bento's side is four points back of Fabio Capello's side, and the Russian's have one less match, giving them an opportunity to really distance themselves with a victory over Northern Ireland.

On Tuesday, Portugal will need to find a new way to attack their opponent, without Cristiano Ronaldo. They have more than enough talent to do so, but making it all happen on the pitch could be more difficult than some may expect.

Azerbaijan will not be an easy team to break down, so as always, Portugal will need to be patient in their build up, and make sure they do not have any mental lapses on the defensive end. The Portuguese back four has been at fault for a number of goals recently, and if they do not tighten things up before Tuesday, their presence in Brazil could turn into a miracle, rather than a guarantee.

Needing the full three points, Portugal has to come out on the attack and set the pace from the get go. The hosts will likely give the visitors the possession, as they will look to cause problems on the counter attack. That could be a problem for Portugal, given that is what Israel did on Friday and that strategy worked to perfection. 

Keeping Portugal off the score sheet in the first half will give Azerbaijan more of a chance to upset Paulo Bento's side. The anxiety and pressure will start to settle into the Portuguese side as every second of the match ticks away.

Can Portugal keep their World Cup hopes alive on Tuesday, or will another sub par performance leave them even further away?

Azerbaijan 0-1 Portugal

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