West Ham United star Tomas Soucek starts in the middle of the park alongside Alex Kral. How the duo cope with the tried and tested midfield in the Portuguese Premier League could set the stage for the pace at which the game is played. Vaclav Cerny and Adam Hlozek will probably start at the front, with Schick leading the way. The Bayer Leverkusen duo in particular will cause the Portuguese defense a lot of headaches and will have to act clinically at night. Probable line-up (3-4-3): Vaclik; Zima, Brabec, Jemelka; Coufal, Kral, Soucek, Zeleny; Hlozek, Schick, Cerny.

The Iberians cannot rely on Joao Cancelo, who scored in the second leg earlier this year. The Manchester City star is suspended for the game following a caution against Switzerland, paving the way for Manchester United star Diogo Dalot to take his place. Defense stars Pepe and Raphael Guerreiro are also injured and are unavailable tonight. Add to that the international retirement of Rafa Silva and Santos has several decisions to make.

Less than a win will be unthinkable for the former champions. Joao Félix has been photographed alone in training and will probably not start the game tonight either. Portugal is expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, which is freely flexible depending on the situation. Rui Patricio should start in goal behind the back four of Dalot, Ruben Dias, Danilo Pereira, and Nuno Mendes. All four players have been regulars for their club this season and will be ready to heed Santos’ call.

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