Poland v Portugal Thursday October 11, 19:45 Live on Sky Sports Solid start to Nations League for Poles Poland will still be scratching their heads about went wrong in Russia. They were excellent in qualifying, had a great squad on board, an experienced manager but it just didn't happen for them. They lost their opening two games before hitting back to beat Japan when the pressure was off; it was all too little, too late. During the September international break, they secured a very good 1-1 draw away in Italy in the Nations League followed by another 1-1 draw at home to Ireland with a considerably different starting XI. As ever, all eyes on skipper Robert Lewandowski. He's started the season well with eight goals from 11 appearances for Bayern Munich but unusually for him, he's now gone three games without a goal. Bernardo Silva and Ruben Neves in the squad Where else to start? Cristiano Ronaldo isn't in the squad as Fernando Santos decided to leave him out as he faces extremely serious charges over in the States. But he may have missed out even without all that going on. He wasn't called up for a friendly against Croatia or that 1-0 win over Italy in the Nations League in September so there's a good chance the same may have happened here again. The squad includes the in-form Benfica duo of centre-back Ruben Dias and midfielder Pizzi, Ruben Neves who has been so impressive for Wolves so far and Manchester City's Bernardo Silva, an increasingly important part of Pep Guardiola's plans these days. Go with the stalemate The match winner market is pretty tight with Poland 17/10, the draw 21/10 and Portugal slight favourites at 7/5. Those prices are perfectly understandable. Going back to the 2002 World Cup, Portugal have won once, Poland have won once and then there have been three draws, the last of which was at Euro 2016. Portugal went on to win that one on penalties before going on to win the tournament, of course. If you're going to bet on the match winner, the draw is certainly the way to go. Not just because Portugal's slight superiority as a team is cancelled out by being away and Ronaldo being absent and not just because the draw has been the most common outcome when these two have played over the years. But also because it's the biggest price of the three despite being the most likely outcome. A 1-1 draw very possible but short enough It's probably not worth being too ambitious here and trying to nab the correct score rather than just the draw. Those three draws we spoke of were 2-2, 0-0 and 1-1 and any of those three outcomes are lively runners here. But if you really want to go for a bigger price than the straight draw, then 1-1 would probably be the one to go with at 4/1. But then again, that's the shortest price of any on the correct score market. Both Silvas worthy of interest Portugal have failed to score just once in their last nine games; a 0-0 in Belgium in the run up to the World Cup. So there's a pretty good chance they'll get at least one here. Who can get it? Andre Silva got that winner against Italy a month ago and has been in decent form for Sevilla with seven goals for them so far this season, including two in a 3-0 win over Real Madrid. He's 15/8 to score anytime. Benfica's Rafa has been among the goals for his club but isn't a guaranteed starter here and is yet to score for his country in 10 games so probably worth swerving at 5/1. Centre-back Pepe could have been of interest. He got the goal in that 1-1 draw with Croatia and has a further three goals for his club side Besiktas this season but a quote of 17/2 is a bit skinny on a defender who's only ever an aerial threat from set-pieces. If you want to go for a Portuguese goalscorer you might as well go with Bernardo Silva. There's nothing outstanding about a record of three goals from 13 appearances this season for club and country but the point is he's playing really well and gaining in confidence with every game that Guardiola shows faith in him. He'll almost certainly start and should play the full game so is likely to give you a decent run for your money at 4/1. For Poland, Lewandowski is their most likely source of goals and is 7/2 to sore first and 6/5 to score anytime. Arkadiusz Milik has a good record at international level with 12 in 32 games but has been in and out of the Napoli side this campaign so may be a little rusty. He's 13/5.<doc-sep>The reigning European champions got off to a strong start by collecting three points against Italy and they will be hoping to build on that Portugal will attempt to build on their positive start to the UEFA Nations League when they take on Poland in Chorzow on Thursday. Fernando Santos' side kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Italy last month, despite being without Cristiano Ronaldo, and they can take a step closer to the finals by collecting three points. Poland, meanwhile, are buoyant after they managed to hold the Azzurri to a 1-1 draw in Bologna and, with Portugal forced to do without their talisman, they will be eager to take advantage. Both sides have another game to look forward to after this encounter, with Poland locking horns with Italy once again, while Portugal face off against Scotland in a friendly. Game Poland vs Portugal Date Thursday, October 11 Time 7:45pm BST / 2:45pm ET Stream (US only) fubo TV (7-day free trial) TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial). New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser. US TV channel Online stream Univision Deportes fubo TV (7-day free trial) In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on TV on Sky Sports Red Button and it can be streamed live online using Sky Go. The game can also be followed live on Goal here. UK TV channel Online stream Sky Sports Red Button Sky Go Squads & Team News Position Poland squad Goalkeepers Fabianski, Szczesny, Dragowski Defenders Glik, Jedrzejczyk, Olkowski, Bereszynski, Bednarek, Kaminski, Kedziora, Pietrzak, Reca Midfielders Blaszczykowski, Grosicki, Krychowiak, Zielinski, Linetty, Klich, Goralski, Kurzawa, Makuszewski, Frankowski, Szymanski, Kadzior Forwards Lewandowski, Milik, Piatek Jerzy Brzeczek has been able to name a strong squad for the game, with the likes of Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, Monaco's Kamil Glik and Napoli forward Arkadiusz Milik included. It will also be a special occasion for Bayern Munich striker and team captain Robert Lewandowski, who is set to earn his 100th cap. Potential Poland XI: Szczesny; Bereszynski, Glik, Bednarek, Reca; Krychowiak, Klich, Kurzawa, Linetty, Milik; Lewandowski. Position Portugal squad Goalkeepers R. Patricio, Beto, Ramos Defenders Pepe, Cedric, Neto, Cancelo, Rui, Dias, Rodrigues, Mendes Midfielders W. Carvalho, Danilo, Sanches, Pizzi, B. Fernandes, Neves, Oliveira, G. Fernandes Forwards Eder, B. Silva, A. Silva, Guedes, Bruma, H. Costa Ronaldo has been ommitted from the squad for the second consecutive time, while other regulars such as Joao Moutinho, Joao Mario and Adrien Silva have also been left out. Raphael Guerreiro, Ricardo Quaresma and Nani are not included, but Wolves star Helder Costa and Montpellier's Pedro Mendes could be in line to win their first caps. Potential Portugal XI: R. Patricio; Rui, Pepe, Dias, Cancelo; Neves, W. Carvalho, Pizzi; Bruma, B. Silva, A. Silva. Betting & Match Odds Despite being the away side, Portugal are narrow favourites to win at 17/10 according to bet365. Hosts Poland are rated as 19/10 bets to win and a draw is available at 11/5. Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more. Match Preview The absence of Ronaldo for the second Nations League game in succession is somewhat of a blow for Portugal, but the reigning European champions have fared reasonably well without him so far. Santos has attempted to rejuvenate his squad with an injection of youth, with the likes of Ruben Neves and Andre Silva being given the opportunity to show why they deserve to lead the team into the next era. Article continues below However, the game against Poland in Chorzow will see them come up against an entirely different challenge to that of Italy and they will need to be prepared for a team that will be content to defend and counter. Of course, the star quality of Lewandowski is a potential weapon in the Polish arsenal and Santos will no doubt be instructing Pepe to stifle the Bayern Munich man's influence as much as possible. Three points for Portugal will put them out in front in the race for a place in the finals and it would leave Poland in a precarious position ahead of their second Italy game as they fight to avoid relegation to League B.<doc-sep>Portugal team news: How could Portugal line up without Cristiano Ronaldo? When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Portugal will line up against Poland in their Nations League clash with a weakened front line this evening. Cristiano Ronaldo has been omitted from the national team squad for back-to-back international breaks following the 2018 World Cup. The 33-year-old has an agreement with the Portuguese FA to be left out of the squad, though the reasons remain unclear. Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri has suggested that Ronaldo is boycotting the Nations League tournament due to a 'witch hunt' that has denied him various UEFA awards over the past year.<doc-sep>
PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images Portugal edged past Poland 3-2 on the road in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday, as the visitors claimed victory without Cristiano Ronaldo. Krzysztof Piatek gave the hosts the perfect start with a finish after 18 minutes, but the Portuguese contingent turned the screw to wrestle control. Andre Silva found the back of the net for the equaliser after 31 minutes, and Kamil Glik's own goal made it 2-1 to Portugal before half-time. Manchester City star Bernardo Silva had the away fans on their feet with a goal after 52 minutes, but the Poles fought back in the closing stages. With 13 minutes remaining, Jakub Blaszczykowski made it 3-2 after sustained possession and pressure from the hosts. Ruben Neves Must Leave Wolverhampton Wanderers To Become A Superstar Neves has been one of the surprise packages in the Premier League this term, but fans of Wolves know all about the midfielder. Video Play Button Videos you might like A player who can sit deep but still dictate the traffic ahead of him, Neves has a little bit of everything needed from a modern midfielder. The player produced one of the moments of the match for Portugal's second goal, providing a sumptuous long pass for Rafa, who saw his chance slid over the goal line by Poland's Glik. Sky Sports Football highlighted Neves's vision via Twitter: Despite missing the world-class talents of Ronaldo, Portugal have a midfield that's the envy of the world, and Neves only has to look across the park to team-mate Bernardo Silva to see what he could soon be achieving. Wolves have been excellent value in the opening weeks of the season, and Neves' midfield partnership with countryman Joao Moutinho has been one of the best in England. However, for Neves to make the next level, he will need to find his way to a much bigger club than the Molineux Stadium outfit. Neves is already at the level of a player who should be a part of Engand's top-four, and he has the ability to return to the continent with a major team. Czarek Sokolowski/Associated Press The future looks bright for Portugal as they consider their options, with Ronaldo entering the twilight of his career. Joining Neves on the cusp of greatness is Andre Silva. The young striker is showing great signs of maturity, and he has proved to be deadly for club and country. The 22-year-old has been a revelation in La Liga since joining Sevilla on loan from AC Milan, scoring seven goals in just eight appearances in the Spanish top-flight. Much like Neves, Andre Silva could soon find himself treading the boards at one of the biggest teams in Europe if his form continues.