Hello and welcome to Eurosport's LIVE text commentary of Portugal's World Cup qualifier with Luxembourg. Having slipped behind Serbia in the race for the automatic spot, Fernando Santos' side are under pressure to get all three points this evening. Let's grab the team news ahead of this 19:45 kick-off!
World Cup Qualification UEFA / Matchday 8
Estádio Algarve / 12.10.2021
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- Cristiano Ronaldo(9' PEN, 14' PEN, 88')
- B. Fernandes(19')
- J. Palhinha(70')
Live
Live Updates
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Updated 12/10/2021 at 21:39 GMT+1
19:42
It's time for the national anthems. Luxembourg, in their white kit, are up first...
19:40
The national flags are being waved, 'Live is Life' is belting out around the stadium... the atmosphere is cranking up as we approach kick-off at Estadio Algarve!
19:35
Forget MNM - Messi, Neymar and Mbappe - it's all about RSS - Ronaldo, Andre Silva and Bernardo Silva. Does that work?
19:30
Strong words from Thibaut Courtois earlier this week has prompted Graham Ruthven to dive into the topic of fixture congestion...
19:25
Portugal and the aforementioned Serbia are the runaway leaders in Group A, the latter one point clear of the former, albeit with one more game played. Fernando Santos's side have won four of their five games and are almost guaranteed a playoff place now. They'll hardly settle for that, though. Sunday, November 14 is a date you should really mark in your calendar - the day Portugal play host to Serbia. The winner, you would imagine, will seal top spot and qualify automatically for Qatar next winter.
19:20
Harry Kane to Newcastle United? Back in March this sounded ludicrous. Now? Perhaps not. Check out today's Inside Football!
19:15
Ronaldo was the hero as Portugal came from behind to beat Luxembourg back in March...
19:10
Gerson Rodrigues, who broke the deadlock in this fixture's reversal back in March, features from the off after missing the 1-0 defeat to Serbia due to suspension. He partners Huddersfield Town's Danel Sinani in attack.
19:05
Having been suspended for the World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan, Cristiano Ronaldo is back and leads Portugal's attacking line this evening, hoping to add to his record 112 goal tally. After playing a number of fringe players in the 3-0 friendly victory over Qatar - in which Ronaldo scored - boss Fernando Santos restores Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Pepe and Ruben Dias to the fold, with Joao Moutinho playing the anchor man in midfield.
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Image credit: Getty Images
19:00
TEAMS - Portugal XI: Rui Patricio, Cancelo, Pepe, Dias, Nuno Mendes, Palhinha, Moutinho, Fernandes, Ronaldo, Andre Silva, Bernardo Silva.. subs: Lopes, Costa, Dalot, Semedo, Fonte, Danilo, Carvalho, Leao, Guedes, Neves, Nunes, Mario. /// Luxembourg XI: Moris, Pinto, Carlson, Chanot, Jans, Thill, Barreiro, Martins Pereira, Sinani, S Thill, Rodrigues.. subs: Schon, Kips, Malget, Dzogovic, Selimovic, Pimental, Veiga, Sanches, Deville, Skenderovic, Muratovic, Omosanya.