England vs. Portugal International Friendly 2016 Preview, Predictions, Schedule, Streaming Info As Ronaldo Sits Euro Cup Preparation Match

Created by Staff Reporter Jun 01 2016, 09:08 AM EDT

England and Portugal will contest an exciting international friendly game on Thursday at 2:45 p.m. EDT as the two sides finish up preparations for the Euro 2016.

No Ronaldo for Portugal

The big story will be the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still resting up after a long and grueling season with Real Madrid. The Portuguese superstar has just capped a solid year that saw him score 51 goals in 48 games while also providing the final goal of Madrid's season in the Champions League final.

Without Ronaldo Portugal will have a tall order to deal with. The nation has never been particularly sharp without its talisman, often relying on him for the big goals. This game could be a good indicator of just where Portugal stands without the Madrid superstar in its ranks.

Portugal has a relatively "easy" group to deal with in the upcoming tournament with the likes of Hungary, Iceland and Austria providing the challenges. Austria is undeniably the toughest of the set but if things go right for Portugal this time around, the team could give Ronaldo much needed rest as it preps for the deeper parts of the tournament.

Easy is not how you would describe England's group in the this summer's Euro. Russia, Wales and Slovakia stand in the English's way toward the second round of play.

History of the rivalry

England holds a stronger record against Portugal, winning nine of 22 contests. Portugal has won just five and the two teams have drawn eight in their history. That said, Portugal has had the upper hand over the last 40 or so years, only losing once in that span, a 3-0 defeat in 1998 in an international friendly. Since 1974, Portugal has a record of four wins, six draws and only one defeat against the English.

The two sides famously met in the 2006 World Cup in the quarterfinals. That match went to penalties after a 0-0 draw with Portugal winning the shootout. In 2004, the teams contested a 2-2 draw in the Euro 2004 quarterfinals with the Portuguese also winning in the shootout.