Russia v Portugal Luz - Lisbon, 7.45Make or break stuff this for the Portuguese who must win if they are to seriously revive their hopes of making the quarter-finals.
Luiz Felipe Scolari has no shortage of options if he decides to make changes to the team that performed so poorly against the Greeks at the weekend and Porto midfielder Deco may well be in line for a start at the expense of Rui Costa.
Also looking vulnerable is Pauleta, who barely put a foot right on Saturday evening. Nuno Gomes, who came on during the second half, is the most obvious replacement while Petit, the Benfica midfielder, or his more prolific club-mate Tiago could take over from Maniche as Costinha's partner in central midfield.
The Russians will also be making at least one change in that department after Alexander Mostovoi became the first player to be sent home from the tournament by his manager. The hugely experienced Celta Vigo midfielder criticised his coach's handling of the team's preparations for the championship in the wake of Saturday's defeat by Spain.
Having suggested that the players were all tired because of the heavy training schedule they had been subjected to by Georgi Yartsev the 35-year-old has been handed some enforced R&R back in his homeland.Dmitri Loskov is in line to take over the team's playmaking duties. Alexei Bugaev, meanwhile, is set to replace the suspended Roman Sharanov.
"The loss to Spain leaves us little chance of progressing so we will have no fear going into this game," says Russian defender Dmitri Sennikov. "But the Portuguese will be under pressure. They have no option but to beat us, or the tournament will be over for them. That could work in our favour."
With the hosts likely to be run out of town if they lose again, there will certainly be pressure but Scolari's men should have the beating of the Russians if only they can be a little more effective around their opponents' area.
PROBABLE TEAMS. PORTUGAL: Ricardo; Ferreira, Couto, Andrade, Rui Jorge; Figo, Costinha, Petit, Simao; Deco; Nuno Gomes .
RUSSIA: Ovchinnikov, Evseev, Smertin, Bugaev, Sennikov, Radimov, Aldonin, Alenichev, Loskov, Izmailov, Bulykin.
