Two-time world champions Uruguay arrive as heavy favorites but a wounded one. The twin calf injuries to Ronald Araujo and Giorgian De Arrascaeta strip Bielsa of both his first-choice defensive anchor and the creative passer who would normally pry open a parked bus, leaving a side that must lean on Valverde's drive and Darwin Nunez's individual threat to find a way through.

Cabo Verde, the tournament debutants, could hardly have sent a louder message than their 0-0 against Spain — 90 minutes of disciplined, compact defending that neutered the European champions. That same low-block organization is precisely the puzzle a creativity-light Uruguay is least equipped to solve, and a second straight clean sheet against another South American heavyweight is far from fanciful.

Expect a tense, low-scoring grind rather than a cruise. Uruguay's collective class and must-win desperation should eventually manufacture a single decisive moment for a controlled 1-0, but with the attack blunted and the draw rate high in this World Cup, Cabo Verde grinding out another point is a live and respectable outcome.