Portugal and Colombia meet in Miami with Group K lead at stake

Colombia and Portugal meet Saturday in Miami with first place in World Cup Group K on the line. Al Jazeera reported that both teams have secured places in the round of 32, but the winner of the group is expected to receive a more favorable opening knockout assignment.

The match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. local time at Hard Rock Stadium, or 23:30 GMT, according to Al Jazeera. Colombia enter the final group game on six points, two ahead of Portugal, meaning Nestor Lorenzo’s side need only avoid defeat to stay top.

Miami crowd expected to favor Colombia

Al Jazeera reported that a capacity crowd is expected, with ticket demand high and resale prices reportedly reaching thousands of dollars. The Athletic said Colombia-Portugal drew five million ticket requests in the first 24 hours of December’s Random Selection Draw, making it the most requested group-stage match.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said his team expects an atmosphere closer to an away match because of the large Colombian American community in the Miami area. Martinez joked that he had to buy tickets for his family in November because he knew they would be difficult to get.

Martinez also said the attention around the game showed football’s pull during a difficult period globally, saying the sport can bring “unity,” “passion” and “inspiration,” according to Al Jazeera.

Ronaldo and Vitinha central to Colombia’s plan

Lorenzo described Portugal as one of the contenders to win the tournament and said Colombia would need “special tactical discipline,” Al Jazeera reported. He said Colombia would try to keep its identity while accounting for Portugal’s strengths.

Lorenzo singled out Cristiano Ronaldo and Vitinha as key threats. Ronaldo scored twice in Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, while Vitinha was identified by Lorenzo as a central figure in Portugal’s buildup play.

“Both Vitinha and Ronaldo are decisive players,” Lorenzo said, according to Al Jazeera, citing Vitinha’s role in organizing play and Ronaldo’s finishing.

Group K standings and knockout path

Al Jazeera reported that Colombia lead Group K with six points, followed by Portugal with four. DR Congo sit third on one point, while Uzbekistan have none before their final group match.

Under the format outlined by Al Jazeera, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups advance, along with the eight best third-placed teams. DR Congo must beat Uzbekistan to keep alive a chance of advancing through the third-place route.

Portugal can finish first only by beating Colombia, according to Al Jazeera. A draw or defeat would leave Portugal second, with England or Croatia listed by Al Jazeera as possible tougher knockout opponents if Portugal do not win the group.

Prediction, form and team news

Opta’s supercomputer gives Portugal a 48.9 percent chance of winning, compared with 26 percent for Colombia and 25.1 percent for a draw, Al Jazeera reported. Opta also gives Colombia a 53.32 percent chance of finishing first in the group.

Portugal’s recent form is listed by Al Jazeera as W-D-W-W-W across their last five matches. Colombia’s is W-W-W-W-L. At this World Cup, Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1 and DR Congo 1-0, while Portugal drew 1-1 with DR Congo before beating Uzbekistan 5-0.

No injuries have been reported by either side, according to Al Jazeera. Colombia’s projected lineup is Vargas; Munoz, Sanchez, Lucumi, Mojica; Puerta, Lerma, Arias; Rodriguez, Suarez, Diaz. Portugal’s projected lineup is Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha; Neto, Fernandes, Felix, Ronaldo.

How to watch

Al Jazeera listed the match on DSPORTS, RCN, Caracol and DGO in Colombia; RTP 1, RTP Play, LiveModeTV and SPORT.TV5 in Portugal; BBC iPlayer, BBC One and Red Button 1 in the United Kingdom; and FOX, Telemundo, Peacock and related streaming platforms in the United States.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.