Twice in two tournaments under Sven-Goran Eriksson, England have been bundled out in the last eight, suffering the crushing disappointment of early exits at championships they had entertained hopes of winning.

The common thread linking those twin ejections at the 2002 World Cup and European Championship in 2004 is Portugal coach Scolari.

Unsurprisingly, Saturday's instalment has been billed as a duel between the larger-than-life Scolari and the passionless Eriksson, whose team have stumbled into the last eight without coming close to producing their best form.

Eriksson, who has insisted that England will be able to raise their game when it counts, may never have a better chance of getting the Scolari monkey off his back as Portugal struggle to regroup after suspensions to key players.

But if Eriksson sees Saturday's showdown as a personal shoot-out with his nemesis, he is not letting on in public.

"I don't feel it's me against Scolari at all," he said. "It's England against Portugal, it's the quarterfinal of the World Cup, and it's important to win it. I think we can."

Eriksson's pointed refusal to view the contest as a time to settle a score with Scolari is partly his problem, according to the Swede's critics.

A more formidable character would seek to use past defeats as a motivational tool to inspire his players.

Eriksson, however, does not do revenge and makes no apologies for his reserved dug-out demeanour, which is in stark contrast to the arm-waving, gesticulating touch-line histrionics of Brazilian Scolari.

"I couldn't care less," Eriksson said when asked if he was bothered by the unflattering comparisons of his management style to Scolari.

"I've heard it for 30 years. Every time you lose a football game, something is wrong with the manager. I have no intention of changing. And if I haven't changed by now then I probably never will."

Yet regardless of whether Eriksson's management is to blame, it is undeniable that England have been far less than the sum of their parts in four matches so far.

Having started the tournament lined up in 4-4-2, Eriksson is expected to persist with a 4-1-4-1 formation against Portugal.

With Gary Neville expected to return from a calf injury, Owen Hargreaves is likely to move into the holding role, allowing midfielders Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard licence to surge forward in support of lone striker Wayne Rooney.

David Beckham knows that another below-par performance could well spell the end of England's World Cup.

"It has to click," the England skipper said. "Because we're talking about the quarterfinal of a World Cup, the biggest competition in the world.

"If it doesn't click now, we have to sit back and look at why it hasn't done. There are certain times in games where we have come together for moments -- that has to happen for the whole of the match."

Beckham's loyal lieutenant Neville said that there could be no more excuses if England failed again.

"I believe there is a time and a moment for players to deliver, and I believe it is Saturday," said Neville.

"If we fail then we have to hold our hands up and say, 'we haven't delivered, that the talk about us being potential world champions was rubbish.' So this is it for us."

Eriksson has drilled into his players the need for discipline against Portugal, with John Terry, Jamie Carragher and goalkeeper Paul Robinson all just one yellow card away from suspension.

Portugal's players were involved in what was officially the dirtiest match in World Cup history on Sunday, when they downed Holland 1-0 in a brutal encounter that saw 16 yellow cards and four sending off.

Among those to see red were key playmaker Deco and midfield enforcer Costinha, both of whom will be suspended against England.

Despite the blood-curdling nature of Portugal's second round win over the Dutch, Eriksson is not expecting a similar contest on Saturday.

"I'm not afraid of the behaviour of Portugal's footballers," Eriksson said. "I would be very surprised if there's a problem. Portuguese football is not known as violent or unfair and I worked in that country for five years. "But we have to be careful. Four years ago you could do some tackles that you would get away with but today you don't get away with anything.

"You get a yellow card for the smallest thing. So it's important not to make bad tackles when you absolutely don't need to do."

Key Quotes

Portugal coach Scolari: "Eriksson is a competent coach with a proven track record. Both of us have ability and respect for each other. A win or a loss (on Saturday) won't change that".

Teams

Portugal (4-5-1)
1-Ricardo; 13-Miguel, 16-Ricardo Carvalho, 5-Fernando Meira, 14-Nuno Valente; 8-Armando Petit, 18-Maniche, 11-Simao Sabrosa, 7-Luis Figo, 17-Cristiano Ronaldo; 9-Pauleta

Head To Head

1961: Portugal 1 England 1 (Lisbon)

1961: England 2 Portugal 0 (London)

1966: England 2 Portugal 1 (London)

1986: Portugal 1 England 0 (Monterrey)

1995: England 1 Portugal 1 (London)

1998: England 3 Portugal 0 (London)

2000: Portugal 3 England 2 (Eindhoven)

2002: England 1 Portugal 1 (Birmingham)

2004: Portugal 1 England 1 (Loule)

2004: Portugal 2 England 2 (Portugal won on pens 6-5) (Lisbon)

Tactics

ENGLAND
Defence: Central defence, traditionally an English strength, has been a worry in Germany. Woeful defending at set-pieces allowed Sweden to score twice in the 2-2 Group draw as John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and substitute Sol Campbell all looked poor while a Terry error almost gifted Ecuador the lead in the second round.

Ever-reliable right-back Gary Neville is set to return after a calf injury and should link well with former Manchester United team mate David Beckham while fleet-footed Ashley Cole on the left has probably been England's most reliable performer.

Midfield: England arrived in Germany boasting "world class midfielders" in the shape of Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard but the trio have failed to shine as a unit, Lampard especially off-beam with his shooting.

Joe Cole has been an occasional threat cutting in from the left while Owen Hargreaves, set to get the holding role, is solid enough but England have never really looked comfortable away from 4-4-2.

Attack: In the absence of injured Michael Owen everything will flow through powerhouse Rooney who will be winning his 33rd cap at the age of 20. He has looked menacing and purposeful rather than dangerous so far as he regains sharpness after his broken foot layoff.

Both sides will remember how the game swung dramatically in Portugal's favour when he went off injured in their Euro 2004 quarterfinal.

If England fail to make progress then Sven-Goran Eriksson can throw on big striker Peter Crouch and revert to 4-4-2 and also has the speed of winger Aaron Lennon to introduce from the bench.

PORTUGAL
Defence: The back four have vulnerabilities but have proved rugged and determined, held the Dutch at bay and have conceded only one goal in four games.

Centre backs Ricardo Carvalho and Fernando Meira will be happier trying to contain Rooney on the ground than Crouch in the air while fullbacks Miguel and Nuno Valente sometimes appear to enjoy getting forward more than holding position.

Midfield: Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has had to make adjustments to cover for suspended duo Deco and Costinha but his regular squad rotation means that the new men are also very experienced and should slot in without too many dramas.

Armando Petit will replace Costinha in the holding role while Simao Sabrosa should step in for Deco - though captain Luis Figo may be switched inside from the wing to provide the through balls on which Pauleta thrives.

Maniche has been impressive so far, looks full of running and has two goals, while Cristiano Ronaldo, should he overcome a thigh injury, will need to be at his absolute best to get the better of Cole in a repeat of a battle within a battle that was one of the tactical highlights of the Euro 2004 quarterfinal.

If Ronaldo fails to make it then Tiago will come into the middle with Figo staying wide.

Attack: Pauleta took his tally to 47 goals in 85 games when he scored the winner against Angola but has been pretty well shackled since. He knows his role well though and makes endless runs off the ball to provide a target for the midfield quintet.

General: England have done little to strike fear into any opponent so far but their tournament history is littered with slow starts followed by big displays when it really matters.

They rarely excel against teams they are expected to beat but Portugal offer the sort of opposition that brings the best out of them.

Many players owe Eriksson a performance while England's vociferous supporters can be relied upon to deliver uplifting backing.

Scolari has plotted victories over England in the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup with Brazil and Euro 2004 with Portugal but this is his toughest test as he is forced to re-mould his team because of the suspensions.

However, all his players know each other well, the system is tried and tested and the squad is no longer overawed by the world's big-name teams.