Iran v Portugal Match Preview
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MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- This is Iran and Portugal’s second World Cup encounter. In 2006, Cristiano Ronaldo’s first World Cup goal, and one from Deco, earned Portugal a 2-0 win.
Iran
- Iran have never won their final World Cup group stage game (D1, L3), scoring three and conceding 10 in those matches.
- Team Melli are winless against European opposition at the World Cup, losing six of their seven fixtures.
- Iran failed to register a shot on target against Spain for the first time in 14 World Cup games.
- The defeat to Spain was a first in 24 competitive matches overall.
- Iran are aiming to win two group games at the World Cup for the first time.
- During his time coaching Portugal, Iran boss Carlos Queiroz oversaw their biggest World Cup victory, a 7-0 win over North Korea in 2010.
Portugal
- Portugal have won three of their four World Cup games against Asian opposition, losing against host nation South Korea in 2002.
- Portugal’s 1-0 win over Morocco last time out was their first World Cup clean sheet in six attempts, since a goalless draw with Brazil in 2010.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored his country’s last five goals at the World Cup. The last player to do so for one nation was Russia’s Oleg Salenko in 1994, who scored six in a row.
- Ronaldo has successfully converted all four of his shots on target at this World Cup.
- Joao Moutinho could earn a 113th cap against Iran, overtaking Nani (112) to become Portugal’s third-most capped player. Only Ronaldo (152) and Luis Figo (127) have more.
TEAM NEWS
Iran may be without Olympiakos defender Ehsan Hajsafi, who sustained a thigh injury against Spain.
Milad Mohammadi, who plays his club football for Akhmat Grozny in Russia, is likely to come in if Hajsafi is ruled out.
Portugal midfielder Joao Moutinho is a doubt after missing several days of training through illness.
Raphael Guerreiro has recovered from a minor leg injury but struggled against Morocco and could be replaced.
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