Few teams in world football can boast a midfield as talented as Portugal’s. Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha and João Neves are all capable of controlling possession and dictating the tempo of matches.
However, the opener against DR Congo highlighted a major concern. Despite enjoying long spells on the ball, Portugal struggled to create meaningful opportunities and rarely looked threatening in the final third. Their inability to convert dominance into chances became one of the biggest talking points after the match.
Against Uzbekistan, the midfield will need to be far more incisive. Creating space, increasing the tempo and supplying quality service to the forwards could prove decisive as Portugal seek a much-needed victory.
