Sun Nov 16 14:30:00 UTC 2025: News Article:

Portugal Faces Armenia in World Cup Qualifier Without Ronaldo

Porto, Portugal – Portugal will host Armenia this Sunday, November 16th, at 11 AM (Brasília time) for their sixth match in Group F of the European Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The match will take place at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, with live broadcast on Sportv.

The Portuguese side, currently leading Group F, are strong favorites, but will be without star player Cristiano Ronaldo due to suspension following a red card received against Ireland. Gonçalo Ramos is expected to take Ronaldo’s place in the starting lineup. Bruno Fernandes returns to the squad after serving his own suspension and is poised to start. Coach Roberto Martínez is also considering other changes to the lineup after a lackluster performance in Dublin, potentially including Nélson Semedo.

Portugal is expected to field the following lineup: Diogo Costa; Nélson Semedo, Inácio, Rúben Dias, Dalot; Rúben Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha; Bernardo Silva, Gonçalo Ramos, and Rafael Leão.

Armenia, managed by Yeghishe Melikyan, are the underdogs. They are at the bottom of Group F with only three points, having won only one match out of five. Armenia’s chances to reach the repescagem are over. The Armenians are coming off a 1-0 defeat to Hungary and are expected to field a similar lineup. Eduard Spertsyan, their captain and leading scorer with 10 goals, will likely feature in midfield.

Predicted Armenia Lineup: Henri Avagyan; Erik Piloyan, Sergey Muradyan, Mkrtchyan, Tiknizyan; Hovhannisyan, Karen Muradyan, Eduard Spertsyan; Edgar Sevikyan, Shaghoyan, and Grant-Leon Ranos.

Portugal has a strong record against Armenia, remaining undefeated in their last seven encounters, including a dominant 5-0 victory in their previous match in September. The statistics favor a low-scoring game, as Armenia has struggled to score in the qualifiers so far, with the worst attack in the group.

A win for Portugal would solidify their position at the top of Group F and bring them closer to World Cup qualification. Armenia, on the other hand, will be looking to end their qualifying campaign on a high note.

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