Chelsea legend, Chris Sutton, believes Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will cost his country a place in the World Cup quarter-final when they face Switzerland in the last-16 on Tuesday night.
Portugal will face Switzerland in the round of 16 of this year’s FIFA World Cup after topping Group H despite a shock 2-1 loss to South Korea last Friday.
Ronaldo, 37, has started all three games for Fernando Santos’ men at the tournament, scoring the first goal in their 3-2 win over Ghana in their first fixture of the World Cup.
But Sutton believes it is risky to start Ronaldo against Switzerland, adding that the former Manchester United will miss a penalty during the encounter.
According to him, the match will end 1-1, and Ronaldo will miss his spot-kick.
Providing his prediction, Sutton said in his column for the BBC, “This will be close, and I have a feeling Cristiano Ronaldo will have a big say in the outcome – although not necessarily in a positive way.
“It is a risk versus reward scenario for Portugal if they pick Ronaldo, because his influence on the team is massive but they might have a better starter who should be in the side. If this tie goes the distance, how long should he stay on the pitch?”
“Sutton’s prediction: 1-1 – Switzerland to win on penalties after extra time, with Ronaldo missing the decisive spot-kick.”