Portugal vs. Denmark Qualifiers 2016: Preview, Stream, Lineup, Schedule, Predictions
Cristiano Ronaldo has struggled to find his form for both club and country. He has been called a "bad big game player."
He will look for redemption on Thursday when Portugal takes on Denmark in the Euro 2016 qualifiers.
The situation is actually rather simple for Portugal's captain and talisman -- win and you're in.
Portugal has 15 games with six games played while the Danish have played seven of their eight. A win for Portugal puts it six points ahead of Denmark, clinching the top spot in the group and a berth in the tournament. A loss would put Portugal level in points with Denmark, forcing the team to draw or win in Serbia on Sunday in the final group game.
The trouble for both teams comes from Albania, which has two games left to play and is just one point behind Denmark and four behind Portugal. Albania gets to finish off its quest for qualification by playing Armenia and Serbia in its final two matches. One could almost imagine the team getting a full six points out of that set.
For Portugal, a draw here is almost all it needs to qualify but Denmark really has no choice but to win.
For Ronaldo this is a moment in which he can find some degree of redemption. Last time these teams met in Copenhagen, he scored a last-second goal to give Portugal the three points that currently have them in the lead.
Another big performance from him here to clinch the group and almost all that talk about failing in the clutch will, for the moment, dissipate.
Ronaldo was big early on in this qualifying round for Portugal, but has recently disappeared. He went missing in the 1-0 win over Albania on Sept. 7, though he did score a splendid hat trick against Armenia in June.
Prediction: A 1-1 draw with Ronaldo providing Portugal's goal.
The game starts at 2:45 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN Deportes.
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