Portugal welcome Serbia to Lisbon on Sunday with both sides guaranteed a top two finish and the hosts in a slightly better position due to their tighter defense. In terms of top spot, this is winner takes all with the loser dropping down to the playoffs instead of an automatic berth in Qatar next year.
Here is how you can watch the match and what to know:
Viewing information
Date: Sunday, Nov. 14 | Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
Location: Estadio da Luz — Lisbon, Portugal
TV and live stream: ESPN+
Odds: Portugal -250; Draw +350; Serbia +700 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Portugal: Marginally better-placed to advance in the event of a draw, the Portuguese cannot afford to lose as they will be consigned to the playoffs. The mission is clear for Fernando Santos’s men: repeat or better their 2-2 draw with Serbia back in March to advance.
Serbia: Equally, the mission for Dragan Stojkovic’s side is simple: beat the Portuguese in their own backyard to confirm an impressive World Cup qualification. Serbia will one of the teams to be wary of in the playoffs if that is where they end up, but Portugal’s fatigued stars need to be up for the fight against a hungry Serbian side.
Prediction
Serbia to pull off a shock win and send Portugal into the playoffs. In Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic, the visitors have two of Europe’s most in-form strikers and they will come up big here. Pick: Portugal 1, Serbia 2.
