Portugal begins their  Euro 2016 match with a tricky fixture against the unpredictable Iceland later today at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in Saint-Etienne. The Cristiano Ronaldo fans may be lured into thinking that this is the Euro equivalent of Real Madrid vs Grenada, where CR7 can have a blast. But it is not. Iceland has done enough giant-killing to warrant grudging respect. The odds at bet365 (1/2 for a Portugal win, 3/1 for a draw and 8/1 for an Iceland win) may not reflect Iceland’s potential. But ask the Dutch fans. They will all have a warning to the Ronaldo fans: Iceland can be hot.

Portugal

Portugal, under the new coach Fernando Santos, is trying to break from the image that it is a one-man army. It is no longer just about Ronaldo. Portugal was solid in the qualifying stages, qualifying comfortably from a group comprising Denmark and Serbia, among others. They have continued their good form into the preparation matches before the Euro 2016, beating the likes of Norway, Belgium and most recently Estonia.

Portugal scored seven goals against Estonia. The star of that 7-0 rout, forward Ricardo Quaresma, is likely to miss out this fixture due to injury. It will add further burden to Ronaldo, who will have Nani, João Moutinho and João Mário for company. Iceland defence is a bit shaky, but they play an intimidating physical game. Expect frequent cries of anguish from CR7.

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Iceland

Iceland does not have any star-power to match Portugal’s. But they have a bunch of committed team-men who always punch above their individual weights. This is the first time Iceland is playing in the Euros. Nobody expected them to pass through a qualifying group comprising the Netherlands, Turkey and Czech Republic. But they did, beating the Netherland twice and beating Turkey and Czech Republic once each.

Nobody expects them to advance further from the group stage at the Euro 2016. But they could spring a few surprises, particularly if they can start well against Portugal. Gylfi Sigurdsson will be the most potent attacking threat for Portugal. Aron Gunnarsson, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, Alfred Finnbogason and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson too can trigger match-turning moments.

Portugal - Iceland match facts

• The two teams have met twice in 2010 and 2011 for the Euro 2012 qualifying. Portugal won both the matches.
• Portugal is a poor starter at the Euros, having won only twice in the six opening games so far.
• Iceland scores mostly from set-pieces: 9 out of their 17 qualifying goals resulted directly from set-pieces.

Portugal - Iceland Betting tips

Iceland or Draw 13/8 (2.62) @ Bet365.com