Portugal face “Old” France in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals on Friday in what is theoretically their biggest test since Roberto Martinez took over at Quinas.
For the first time since the Spanish coach took over the Portugal team in January 2023, Portugal will take to the field as non-favourites to win the tournament, in which they will face a higher-ranked team, with the 2022 world runners-up Gaul in second place and Portugal sixth.
Portugal reached the quarter-finals after winning Group F, beating the Czech Republic (2-1) and Turkey (3-0) and thrashing Georgia (2-0) before eliminating Slovenia in the last 16. The game was decided on penalties (3-0) and then 0-0 at the end of extra time.
The French finished Group D in second place with a win over Austria (1-0) and two draws with the Netherlands (0-0) and Poland (1-1). In the 1/8 finals, France beat Belgium with a score of 1:0.
The Portugal national team is attempting to reach the semi-finals of a continental competition for the sixth time after appearing in 1984, 2000, 2004, 2012 and 2016. At Euro 2004, Portugal reached the final and lost to Greece, while at Euro 2016, they won the competition in the final against France with a historic goal from Eder in extra time.
For the fifth encounter between the two teams at the European Championship, the first in the quarter-finals, Roberto Martinez will have to keep the same eleven that was on the field against Slovenia and Turkey, with only doubts about the physical condition of some players.
Goalkeeper Diogo Costa, the “hero” of the match against the Slovenians, who saved three penalties and made the decisive save in extra time from a shot by Cesko, will be in goal, and on the flanks there should again be João Cancelo, on the right, and Nuno Mendes (on the left).
Ruben Dias and Pepe are expected to be present in the defensive axis, although the 41-year-old Portuguese-Brazilian central defender showed great fatigue in the last match and was even substituted in extra time.
João Palinha will be in the holding midfield position behind Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes, while the attack should feature Bernardo Silva on the right, Rafael Leão on the left and captain Cristiano Ronaldo in the centre, who is still looking for his first goal at Euro 2024.
The key figure of the French team is striker Kylian Mbappe, who was “camouflaged” after the first match of the tournament after breaking his nose. In addition to the striker, who will strengthen Real Madrid, France has a solid “offensive arsenal”, which includes players such as Griezmann, Thuram and Kolo Muani.
But it is not only in attack that the French offer a variety of solutions, they exist in all sectors, such as midfielders Kante, Tchouameni, Rabiot or defenders Saliba, Kounde or Theo Hernandez, and coach Didier Deschamps also has several quality options in reserve.
This will be the third time in a row that the two teams will face each other at the European Championship, as after the final in Paris in 2016, Portugal and France also faced each other at Euro 2020, which will be held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, then in the groups, the game ended in a 2-2 draw.
The game between Portugal and France is scheduled for Friday at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg and kicks off at 21:00 local time (20:00 in Lisbon).
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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