Colombia vs Portugal betting Tips and Stats

Look for both teams to score when Colombia take on Portugal in what is essentially a Group K decider.
Colombia are rightly regarded as a tough nut to crack and a side that rarely gives much away defensively.

That said, clean sheets have been harder to come by recently than their reputation suggests. Prior to their 1-0 victory over DR Congo on matchday two, Los Cafeteros had posted just 2 shutouts in their previous 7 outings.Moreover, BTTS would have been a winning selection in 5 of those 7 matches, including their 3-1 success over Uzbekistan in their World Cup opener.

A similar trend can be seen with Portugal. While the Selecao possess plenty of quality in attack, they are susceptible to the occasional lapse in concentration at the back. Both teams found the net in a home win over Armenia in qualifying and away at Hungary, and the same was true in each of their final two World Cup warm-up matches. Roberto Martinez’s men then opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo, and I think that same correct score looks like a real runner here.

Back Nuno Mendes to be fouled at least twice when Portugal face Colombia on Sunday. Mendes has been fouled more often than any other Portugal player across the opening two rounds of World Cup action. Indeed, Mendes has won his side a combined total of 7 free-kicks so far, drawing 3 fouls against DR Congo before being brought down 4 times against Uzbekistan.

Mendes’ foul-drawing ability was also on display during World Cup qualifying, where he forced an average of 2.21 fouls per 90 across his five appearances.

His domestic numbers from last season add to the appeal as he was drawing 1.80 fouls per game in Ligue 1 and 1.41 fouls per 90 in the Champions League for PSG.

The Portuguese ace is likely to come up against Colombia duo Daniel Munoz and Gustavo Puerta, who have each committed 3 fouls across their 2 World Cup appearances so far.

Another player I’m keen to back to be fouled 2+ times is Jefferson Lerma. The Colombian is well renowned for his combative streak and for being in the thick of any midfield battle, which often sees him attract plenty of close attention from opposition markers. That is reflected in the fact he has been fouled exactly twice in each of Colombia’s opening two World Cup matches.

The case grows even stronger when you look at Lerma’s numbers towards the end of last season with Crystal Palace. In fact, the 31-year-old was fouled in 9 of his final 10 Premier League appearances of the season, securing two or more set pieces in five of those contests.

Lerma is likely to be involved in plenty of direct duels with Portugal’s Vitinha, who has committed 3 fouls in two appearances at the World Cup so far, including 2 against Uzbekistan last time out.