Portugal vs Uzbekistan: Surprise Vitinha odds you should back for World Cup clash

Portugal were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their opening match of the World Cup 2026, but a win against Uzbekistan in their next outing would change the mood in the Portuguese camp.

Four points will likely be enough to advance to the knockouts, and should they beat Colombia in their final Group K clash too, then they will have a great chance of topping the group.

Vitinha has emerged as a key player for both club and country, having helped Paris Saint-Germain win back-to-back Champions League titles and remaining the heartbeat of Portugal's midfield.

He is as far as 5/1 (6.00) with Ladbrokes to assist against Uzbekistan, and this article will aim to show why you should back those odds…

Vitinha's impressive stat vs DR Congo

Despite Portugal's draw with DR Congo, many stats went in theirs, and Vitinha's in particular, favour.

Indeed, no player completed more than his 121 passes in the first round of World Cup fixtures, and the tally was also the most ever by a Portuguese player in a single match at the finals, surpassing Adrien Silva’s 101 against Iran in 2018.

Portugal also recorded their highest-ever possession (75.4%), passes (783), and passing accuracy (92.5%) in a match at the finals against DR Congo, which could all be broken again when they face debutants Uzbekistan.

Opta give the Asian nation just an 8% chance of beating Portugal, while Roberto Martinez's side are given a 78% chance of winning.

Vitinha to assist vs Uzbekistan?

With Portugal such big favourites to beat Uzbekistan, Vitinha is expected to get some joy in the middle of the park.

Always available to receive and play a pass to his teammates, he should be given more licence to go forward and try to play the killer assist to break Uzbekistan down, especially considering Portugal need to chase the win.

Vitinha recorded 10 assists in all competitions for PSG last season, with seven of those coming in Ligue 1 – only Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele matched his tally in the squad.

It is therefore surprising that the bookies have as many as 15 players with shorter odds than Vitinha to record an assist against Uzbekistan, and so we believe they are worth backing.