Latvia vs. Portugal: World Cup 2018 Qualifying Live Stream, Preview

Portugal will be out to keep the pressure up on Switzerland at the top of FIFA World Cup qualifying Group B on Friday, as they travel to Latvia.

The Selecao have enjoyed a solid beginning to their qualifying campaign, with a loss to the Swiss in their first match the only blot on the record so far. Fernando Santos' men must now be impeccable, as they wait for the group leaders to slip up.

Against Latvia, they shouldn't have any problems. The minnows' only win in Group B so far came against Andorra, suffering disappointing subsequent losses to the Faroe Islands and Hungary.

Here are the key viewing details for the game and a look ahead to this vital encounter at the Skonta Stadium in Riga.

Date: Friday, June 9

Time: 7:45 p.m. (BST), 2:45 p.m. (ET)

TV Info: Sky Sports 5 (U.K.), ESPN 3 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go (U.K.), Watch ESPN (U.S.)

Match Preview

Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images

For Portugal, the dust has started to settle on their UEFA European Championship win last summer and the team is getting down to the challenge of qualifying for the World Cup in Russia.

Given the loss to Switzerland came in their first competitive game since that memorable triumph in Paris, perhaps it's little surprise there was some complacency from the Selecao stars. But they've responded to that defeat well and found some swagger again.

In preparation for this encounter, Portugal beat Cyprus 4-0. And while there's a lot of exciting youngsters in this squad, 30-year-old midfielder Joao Moutinho offered a reminder of his class.

As we can see courtesy of Samuel Rooke, he netted two superb free-kicks in that match:

In addition, the likes of Bernardo Silva and Andre Silva were huge threats throughout the contest; they're set to be joined by Cristiano Ronaldo for this one too.

The Portugal skipper didn't feature in the friendly, as he helped Real Madrid to UEFA Champions League glory against Juventus. The 32-year-old was in scintillating goalscoring form, netting a brace in the 4-1 win and seeing Los Blancos to a remarkable 12th European Cup.

JAVIER SORIANO/Getty Images

The striker's compatriots will be hoping he still has something left in the tank at the end of this draining season. As noted by sports journalist Jan Hagen, Ronaldo has looked in positive spirits ahead of his return to the national team:

The forward has been in excellent form for Portugal as of late, too, netting 10 times in his last six matches. Per Eurosport UK, there aren't many players who have been as prolific as the former Manchester United man on the international stage:

Provided Ronaldo is fit and firing on Friday, you'd expect him to add to his haul for Portugal, as Latvia have been far from convincing.

Granted, Aleksandrs Starkovs' side dug in well in their last outing against Switzerland, keeping their illustrious opponents out for 66 minutes. However, they've struggled to pose a threat in the final third, with just two goals scored in the five qualifying matches so far.

When these two teams met in November, the Selecao were far too strong in all departments, eventually emerging as 4-1 victors. Although they are on home soil this time, it's difficult to see Latvia avoiding a similarly heavy defeat.

Prediction: Latvia 0-3 Portugal