England vs. Portugal: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream and TV Info

The final two teams to play in Round 1 of the Under-21 European Championships are England and Portugal, who lock horns on Thursday evening to complete the first sweep of games.

Portugal enter the tournament as one of the three strongest nations taking part and boasting a strange, alternate blend of football not often seen at this level. England have Premier League star power and goals aplenty, but will it finally translate to tournament football?

The Details

Group B

Venue: City Stadium, Uherske Hradiste

Date: June 18, 2015

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST 

TV & Live Stream: BT Sport 1 & HD (UK) / UEFA.tv live stream

England Preview

Gareth Southgate has three different formations at his disposal, and he's left us guessing as to which one he will use. Each of the choices require a small amount of sacrificing when it comes to fitting names into odd positions.

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The smart money, perhaps, is on England utilising a 4-3-3 with Harry Kane as the central striker. His berth is assured, but what becomes of Saido Berahino? He'll be pushed wide and his effectiveness will be blunted.

James Ward-Prowse will probably start, but the other two midfield slots are question marks. Nathaniel Chalobah would provide balance and seems an obvious choice in the anchor role, but what of the other? There are five players who could fill it, but Tom Carroll is the most likely name called.

Update: John Stones (concussion) and Saido Berahino have been ruled out, the former for two games and the latter from the tournament. Calum Chambers/Michael Keane and Alex Pritchard will be the favourites to replace.

Portugal Preview

Here's where it gets interesting: Rui Jorge has been praised back in Portugal for experimenting with "other" formations—i.e. not a 4-3-3—and has found success with an obscure 4-4-2 diamond model.

The two driving factors are clear: Portugal continue to fail to produce any typical No. 9s and so must shoulder a sub-par striker by sticking with an orthodox 4-3-3, and the country currently has top-class central midfielders coming out of their ears.

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If Jorge opts for the diamond, he can play William Carvalho/Ruben Neves at the base, Sergio Oliveira and Joao Mario in the middle and Bernardo Silva as a No. 10. He'll play wide forwards/loose strikers up top in loose formation that revels in its ability to morph.

If the 4-3-3 is selected, only one typical No. 9 has been called up: Goncalo Paciencia. 

Where The Game Will Be Won

If Portugal opt for the unorthodox diamond, and their formation doesn't click, they'll be short on goal-mouth action. Raphael Guerreiro will be bombing forward from left-back to create width, and England will need to get tight on Silva to stop him ripping the defence to shreds.

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Perhaps this is why Chalobah is a must-play: He's the only one in England's 23-man squad, bar one-cap Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who has the natural defensive instincts to wrap up such a premium playmaker.

England are at their best moving the ball quickly between the lines and picking out the runs of Kane and Berahino in the channels, but Os Seleccao's midfield could flatten out and block the lanes. What is Southgate's Plan B?

Prediction

There are so many unknowns with these two teams that it's difficult to get a good read on them before kick-off, but we'll plump for a score draw between two strong sides. 

Neither defence can be trusted to keep the opposing attack out, such is the firepower available to both managers, and an even match could lay down a marker for an extremely tight group.

England 1-1 Portugal

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