Those who think that Cristiano Ronaldo is on the decline might have to change their minds with how Portugal’s superstar is playing in Russia so far. Will Ronaldo lead his team again to a victory this Monday over Iran to send the team to the next round? Or will Iran complicate matters with an upset victory? Read on for a preview of this potential barnburner in Group B.
Iran couldn’t convert on an opportunity to seize solo lead in Group B after absorbing a 1-0 loss to Spain on Wednesday. Still, there’s still hope for them to get out of the group, but they’re going to need a win against Portugal this Monday. Obviously, keeping Cristiano Ronaldo is on top of Iran’s priority list. With the way Portugal are winning games in the tournament, it’s easy to see why stopping Ronaldo is most likely going to mean stopping Portugal altogether. Then again, Iran should also worry about their offense after getting shut out by La Roja. Iran had plenty of golden opportunities to score against Spain, but they just couldn’t place the ball well, as they finished with zero on-target shots and five off-target attempts.
Betting on Portugal (-166)
LeBron James isn’t the only 33-year-old dominating his sport. Like the four-time NBA MVP, Cristiano Ronaldo just couldn’t be stopped. He has all of the Portugal’s four goals in Russia, and there could be more coming. After pulling off a hat trick in a 3-3 draw with Spain in the opener, Ronaldo knocked in a header in the 1-0 win over Morocco on Monday to give Portugal four points and move the squad a point away from clinching a sure spot in the round of 16. Ronaldo was busty all game long as he took five more shots on goal apart from that one that led to the lone goal of the contest. Other Portugal attackers will have to ramp up their activity, though, to prevent opponents from ganging up on their superstar forward.
Writer’s Prediction
Ronaldo strikes again and leads Portugal to a 2-0 victory.
