Wales v Portugal – Euro 2016 Betting Preview
Portugal secured the first semi-final spot after knocking Poland out on penalties last Thursday and next up they face a Welsh side who defeated Belgium in an impressive 3-1 victory.
Sportingly Better picks out the best bets for the upcoming game, as England and Iceland do battle for a spot in the quarter finals.
Euro 2016 Betting Tips
Portugal (2.20) v Wales (4.00); Draw (3.10)
Portugal
Despite a lot of focus being placed on Portugal having never won in normal time in this tournament, it shouldn’t be overlooked that they are also undefeated. In many of their games, they have been the stronger side including the tie with Poland, which saw both teams take the contest to penalties.
Going forward, Portugal have a number of players who could punish Wales, whilst Pepe is a rock at the back. It’ll be an engrossing match-up and Portugal will look to qualify at any cost.
Cristiano Ronaldo has flickered at times in this tournament but now is his moment to shine. For one of the world’s best players, the stage is set and Ronaldo will be eager to prove that despite being 31, he’s still a player that all teams should fear.
Wales
With Belgium trouncing Hungary and Wales edging past Northern Ireland in their respective second round ties, many were backing Belgium to emerge as the quarter-final victors. However, Wales fought like dragons and were clinical with their attacks.
Despite the impressive 3-1 win, there were casualties with Ramsey and Davies picking up yellow cards, which means they will miss out in the game against Portugal. Both will be missed sorely, especially Ramsey, given his terrific quarter-final performance. The Welsh players stepping into their positions will need to be at their best to ensure that this team marches on.
Whilst Portugal have Cristiano Ronaldo, Wales have their own world-class star in Gareth Bale, who has scored one more than his Real Madrid team-mate so far. Both will be eager to perform in the semi-final and in tight games, a moment of brilliance from such a star could prove to be the difference.
Match Odds
The odds from betting and online casino sites give Portugal the edge at 2.20 and they’ll go into the game as the favourites. However, this will suit Wales as they prefer the underdog title and as seen against Northern Ireland, sometimes struggle when they’re billed as the favourites.
After overturning the odds against Belgium, they won’t be afraid of causing another upset. However, the game could go either way as shown by the bookies odds and the team that handles the pressure of the occasion best will progress.
Over/Under 2.5 goals
The market is favouring a low-scoring affair with under 2.5 goals trading at 1.47 in the goals markets. Barring the 6-goal thriller against Hungary, all of Portugal’s games have consisted of 2 goals scored or less.
The opposite can be said of Wales, with their 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland being their only game that has generated less than 3 goals. This suggests that there may be value in backing goals but Ramsey’s suspension should be factored in as the loss of his creativity will limit Wales’ output.
Verdict
Many have billed this encounter as a battle between Ronaldo and Bale but that simply isn’t fair to either squad who have worked incredibly hard and performed admirably to get to the semi-finals. This will be a thrilling game and one where it may simply come down to which side is more clinical with their limited chances and refuses to let the occasion affect their game.
Recommended Football Tips
Back Wales or Draw @1.70
Back over 1.5 goals @1.50
Author Credit: Jonathan Day
Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cristiano_Ronaldo_20120609.jpg
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