After getting their hands on a piece of silverware at Euro 2016 last summer, Fernando Santos’ side will hope to enjoy yet more success in Russia this time around. This competition is clearly not as important or prestigious as the European Championship or the upcoming World Cup, but Portugal will still be keen to give a good account of themselves and consolidate the winning feeling they experienced around 12 months ago. The primary objective for Santos, though, will be to hand more competitive game time to some of the youngsters within his squad, as well as settling on a system and style that will give the country the best chance of triumphing at the World Cup.
Mexico will also take part in the Gold Cup this summer, with the CONCACAF tournament set to begin just days after the conclusion of the Confederations Cup. El Tri have made their intentions clear by naming a strong squad for the first competition in Russia, with Javier Hernandez, Hector Herrera, Andres Guardado, Hector Moreno and Guillermo Ochoa among the Europe-based stars included. Juan Carlos Osorio’s men will be desperate to make amends for their disastrous showing at the Copa America Centenario last year, when they were thrashed by seven goals to nil in the semi-finals by eventual winners Chile.
Captain and star man Cristiano Ronaldo could start up front rather than on the left-hand side for Portugal, which means Santos may line his team up in a 4-4-2 formation. Manchester City playmaker Bernardo Silva will be keen to make an impression after missing the Euros through injury, while fellow youngsters Andre Gomes, Andre Silva and Raphael Guerreiro will seek to make the most of any opportunities that come their way. There is a slight concern over the age of the defensive unit, with Pepe, Jose Fonte and Bruno Alves all aged 33 or over.
It is not yet clear which setup Osorio will be using at the Confederations Cup, with the Colombian having trialled 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 in recent months. Mexico have plenty of talented attackers to call upon, so they may ultimately opt for whichever systems permits them to include as many as is realistically possible. El Tri may cede possession and play on the counter-attack at Kazan Arena, but first and foremost they will have to be solid defensively if they are to pick up a result on Sunday.
This is a tough match to call, with both teams likely to have designs on winning the trophy this summer. On balance, though, it is probably worth backing Portugal to come out on top this weekend, perhaps in a match in which both teams find the back of the net. Ronaldo is the obvious choice in the anytime scorer market, meanwhile, but it would instead be wise to plump for someone like Andre Silva, who is available at much more favourable odds.
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