Portugal can edge nervy World Cup clash with Sweden

After losing just once during qualifying – at eventual Group F winners Russia – Portugal can feel somewhat unfortunate not to have booked their place at the 2014 World Cup by now.

Paulo Bento’s side host Sweden in the first leg of their World Cup qualifier and while Cristiano Ronaldo and co should justify 8/13 favouritism, PSG hotshot Zlatan Ibrahimovic can give his country something to hold on to ahead of the return leg in Stockholm.

Portugal to win and both teams to score @ 21/10

The Seleccao have not lost a competitive game at home since September 2008 and dug deep to beat Fabio Capello’s impressive Russian outfit 1-0 in Lisbon back in June.

Despite raining down 16 shots to their opponents three, Portugal could not get the three points they needed to go top of their group against Israel in October and memories of that miserable deadlock will be fresh in the minds of Bento’s players against the Blue-Yellows.

The home side contain internationals of a much higher calibre than their opponents and Sweden’s forward three includes Fulham’s Alex Kacaniklic and Norwich’s Johan Elmander, who have scored a single goal between them in 16 Premier League appearances in 2012/13.

However, Portugal have kept just one clean sheet in their last five games – at home to Luxembourg – and Sweden have found the net in each of their last eight outings, so the visitors look good value for a goal.

Ronaldo to score the first goal @ 3/1

Tipping any other Portugal player to score first would be an act of rank contrarianism, as the man from Madeira is clearly his country’s main goal threat from free-kicks, penalties, corners and anywhere else on the pitch really.

Helder Postiga – who is next in the betting for the hosts at 5/1 – has not scored for his club Valencia since the start of September and Nani has been in and out of the Manchester United team under David Moyes this term.

Ronaldo has scored three hat-tricks in 2013/14 for Real Madrid and bagged three strikes for his country against Northern Ireland in qualifying.