Portugal – $1.53 at Sportsbet
Draw – $4 at Sportsbet
Iceland – $9 at Bet365.com
Portugal could hardly have asked for a better draw at the 2016 European Championships.
Grouped alongside Iceland, Austria and Hungary, the stage is set for the Seleccao to glide through to the knockout rounds for the sixth time in a row.
Their form coming into France is hard to read, with easy victories over Norway (3-0) and Estonia (7-0) punctuated by a 1-0 friendly defeat to England.
The other issue is whether or not the Portuguese have brought anything new to the table.
They were found wanting at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, failing to progress from a tricky group containing Ghana, the United States and eventual champions Germany.
Many of the same old names remain, including Eduardo, Nani, Pepe, Bruno Alves, William Carvalho, Joao Mario, Joao Moutinho and a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Also back in the fold are the veteran pair of Ricardo Quaresma and Ricardo Carvalho, neither of whom made the cut for Brazil 2014.
But plenty of familiar faces are out, such as Hugo Almeida, Fabio Coentrao, Raul Meireles, Helder Postiga and Miguel Veloso – all players with more than 50 international caps.
Despite the prodigious technical ability at their disposal, the Portuguese have been accused of taking an overly defensive, Ronaldo-reliant approach to major tournaments in the past.
But Fernando Santos has outlined a much more aggressive gameplan for Tuesday’s Group F opener against a physical and well-drilled Iceland outfit.
“The players can’t wait to get started,” the Portugal coach told reporters.
“It goes without saying that we want to have a good EURO and, in order to achieve that, our aim is still the same. We go into every match to win.
“[Iceland] are more than just physically strong. They are strong, tactically well organised, and they know exactly how to act in defence and in attack.
“They will do everything to break Portugal’s will to win the match and they’ve got every right to do so.”
It’s a momentous occasion for Iceland, who have never before reached the finals of a major football tournament.
They got there with an impressive performance in one of Euro 2016’s toughest qualifying groups, defeating the Netherlands both home and away en route to securing second place.
The star of that run was Swansea midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, who topped the Group A scoring charts with six goals.
Just as important was a stingy back line that conceded only six times in 10 qualifying matches.
The Nordic stoppers will need to be at their most frugal on Tuesday when they come up against one of the game’s all-time greats.
“Everyone knows Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world,” joint Iceland coach Lars Lagerback said to the press.
“It’s about playing against the whole team but of course we will try to close him down.”
According to Lagerback’s co-coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, the Icelanders must offer more than sheer stubborn defence against a shrewd and multi-faceted Portugal side.
“Psychologically I would think they want to knock us out of our stride as soon as possible,” he told the media.
“It’s no surprise they picked Norway and Estonia to play before the finals – both play similarly to us. They come into this game brimming with confidence.
“They are not a team that play only one way so it’s difficult to play against them – in return, we can’t play just one kind of defensive style against them.
“There is a lot to look out for but hopefully we have prepared well enough.”
Cristiano Ronaldo betting specials
For all the talk of a new and improved Portugal, there’s no denying who the main man is.
Ronaldo has carried this team on his back for more than a decade, and not always to great effect.
While 58 goals in 126 internationals is nothing to sneer at, it pales in comparison to his record at club level.
His output at major tournaments is especially lacklustre – a mere eight goals in total across three Euros (2004, 2008, 2012) and three World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014).
Fresh off UEFA Champions League success, the Real Madrid superstar will be determined to make his mark on France 2016 from the get-go.
Check out these Cristiano Ronaldo specials online at our trusted Euro 2016 betting sites:
Ronaldo to score anytime – $1.85 (William Hill)
Ronaldo for man of the match – $2.25 (Bet365)
Ronaldo to score first goal – $3.40 (Bet365)
Portugal to win and Ronaldo to score first goal – $4 (William Hill)
Ronaldo to score two or more goals – $4.80 (William Hill)
Ronaldo to score from outside 18-yard box – $6 (Sportsbet)
Ronaldo to score a header – $6 (William Hill)
Portugal to win 1-0 and Ronaldo to score anytime – $8 (Bet365)
Ronaldo to score in both halves – $10 (William Hill)
Ronaldo to score in first 10 minutes – $15 (William Hill)
Ronaldo hat-trick – $19 (William Hill)
