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Published on Jul, 05 2024
Portugal and France meet in Friday's second UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe going head-to-head ahead of the French superstar's move to Real Madrid where he idolized the Portuguese talisman.
This was the final back in 2016 and the Selecao came out on top in Paris but this time it is a final eight matchup with Volksparkstadion the venue for what promises to be one of the most heavyweight meetings so far this tournament. Roberto Martinez's side edged out Slovenia on penalties to keep their hopes alive while Didier Deschamps' men needed a late own goal to see off Belgium in marginally more convincing style.
Monday saw Ronaldo go from villain to hero for Portugal as he saw an extra time penalty saved by Jan Oblak before scoring a crucial spot kick in the penalty shootout. The 39-year-old remains goalless at this Euro and there were tears in Frankfurt before a 3-0 win from the spot thanks to Diogo Costa's heroics between the sticks. He is now the first male goalkeeper to save three penalties in a Euro shootout and bailed his teammates out for their failure to score over 120 minutes.
This is a seventh Euro quarterfinal for the Portuguese which is more than any other nation since 1996 and their only exits at this stage came that year against Czechia and in 2008 when potential semifinal opponents Germany won en route to their final loss to the other possible final four foes -- Spain. This is already one better than their round of 16 exit at Euro 2020, but Martinez's outfit are scoreless in their last two games at this Euro, having been stunned by Georgia and then held by Slovenia.
France, though, are yet to score a goal from open play, yet still find themselves in the quarterfinal after seeing off Belgium which means that this is already more successful than their 2020 foray. It was a second placed finish in Group D for Les Bleus with an own goal from Maximilian Wober and a Kylian Mbappe penalty which was added to by a Jan Vertonghen own goal against the Belgians.
Of greater importance to Deschamps will be the three clean sheets from four games so far with Robert Lewandowski's penalty the only goal that they have conceded in their last six games. That said, not since 2013 have the French struggled this much for goals, which was much earlier in the Deschamps era and much more will be expected of Mbappe up against his idol Ronaldo even if it was Eder who made the difference in 2016.
Here's our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
Portugal topped Group F ahead of surprise quarterfinalists Turkiye and then overcame Slovenia on penalties in the round of 16. France were beaten to top spot in Group D by Austria who fell in the round of 16 to the Turkish and it was a narrow win for the French over Group E runners-up Belgium which set up this rematch from 2016.
Portugal: Martinez has no major fitness worries despite the fatigue of extra time and Ronaldo should earn a 212th cap this Friday in Hamburg. Diogo Jota and Francisco Conceicao are in contention for a place in the XI but Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao will be tough to dislodge. Vitinha and Joao Palhinha are unlikely to budge in midfield with the latter close to joining Bayern Munich from Fulham.
Possible Portugal XI: Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Pepe, Mendes; Palhinha, Vitinha; Silva, Fernandes, Leao; Ronaldo (c).
France: Adrien Rabiot is now a free agent and is suspended here after picking up a second yellow card of the tournament against Belgium. Ousmane Dembele, Eduardo Camavinga, Youssouf Fofana or Warren Zaire-Emery could come in with the Real Madrid man most likely. Kingsley Coman has been with family for the birth of his child but was unlikely to feature anyway. Rabiot has been part of a diamond midfield so that Marcus Thuram could lead the attack alongside Mbappe but Randal Kolo Muani's impact in that position suggests that he should partner his former PSG teammate instead.
Possible France XI: Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Griezmann; Mbappe (c), Kolo Muani.
Prediction
This one should be tight and logically will go beyond at least 90 minutes. Do not be surprised if France need 120 minutes or even penalties to edge past Portugal with that scenario now more daunting thanks to Diogo Costa's heroics. Ultimately, though, Les Bleus should inflict a measure of revenge for 2016 here in what could be Ronaldo's final major international tournament outing. Pick: Portugal 1, France 1 (France win on penalties).
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