In the second round of the Algarve Cup, the Matildas will face off against host nation, Portugal.

This match sees the highest ranked team at the tournament face the lowest ranked. Both teams are coming off wins in their first group matches, with Portugal beating China PR 2-1.

Interestingly, Australia has never won a match against Portugal as the last and only meeting was back in 1999 at the Algarve Cup, which finished in a goalless draw.

Portugal has never managed to finish within the top four at the Algarve Cup with their best result being fifth in the inaugural tournament in 1994 but 2017 saw a mixed bag of results for the team.

For the first time, they qualified for the 2017 European Women’s Championships, winning against Scotland and suffering losses to both England and Spain.

In late 2017, they managed to equal their biggest win with an 8-0 thrashing of Moldova, while in January this year they beat Ireland 1-0 in a friendly.

Key Player Portugal: Claudia Neto

One player for the Matildas to keep an eye on is Portugal’s top goal scorer and captain, Claudia Neto.

Neto scored a goal at the European World Cup Qualifiers and five goals while playing friendlies in Europe.

She plays in the Damallsvenskan (Swedish Women’s Football Championship) with Linkopings FC where they have won the last two Swedish Championships and set to face Manchester City in the quarterfinal of the UEFA Women’s Championships.