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.
Match Preview
Getty Images
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.
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.
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