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The World Cup is getting closer to the end. Friday marks the start of the decisive battles - the quarterfinals. In one of the most intriguing matchups on Saturday, the swords will clash between old and well-known rivals - the blank-playing English and the dramatically advancing Portuguese in the quarterfinals.
England - Portugal Time: 18:00 (Lithuanian time) Location: Gelzenkircheno Veltins Arena (52,000 seats) Referee: Horacio Elizondo (Argentina)
Predictions Foreign bookmakers consider the English national team as the clear favorite for this match. However, football fans and experts should not be surprised by a Portuguese victory either. Most predictions suggest that two very strong and worthy opponents will face each other in the quarterfinals. The English seem to be most concerned about the lackluster and unsatisfactory performance of the team in the first four matches. Despite three victories and one draw, the team considered among the favorites of the championship has yet to live up to expectations on the field. Now or never - with such a creed, the footballers who traveled to Germany face tough times after losing.
European vice-champions from Portugal face much less pressure. After a dramatic battle against the powerful Dutch team and a fun show by the Russian referee Valentin Ivanov, Luiz Felipe Scolari's team, who gave their all in the match against the English, even if they lose, are unlikely to face so much harsh criticism and pressure from their compatriots - after all, they reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup after a 40-year hiatus and only the second time in history.
