It will be one of those encounters wherein all the eyes will be on Kylian Mbappe and Euro’s all-time leading scorer Cristiano Ronaldo. France Profile | Portugal Profile | News
Portugal have won only one of their last 13 matches against France. The last win came in the UEFA European Championship final in 2016 which lifted Portugal from a relatively unknown side to one of the powerhouses of football in Europe. That generation along with its leader Ronaldo are again chasing history.
Portugal are coming off a drubbing at the hands of Germany. A 2-4 loss must have shaken the defending champions, who were put ahead by Ronaldo in a stunning counter-attack. This can be a reality check for the side playing in group of Death.
As Germany face Hungary in another match, Portugal will hope things fall into place for them against France.
Portugal’s fate in this game lies in the tactics employed to stop the France trio of Mbappe, Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann. The trio have been at the core of France teams in every game.
Portugal for once are not being considered underdogs or dark horses. With the likes of Ruben Dias, Diogo Jota, Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes supporting Ronaldo, the team has enough talent to match the best in the world. This will be the fifth match between Portugal and France at a major tournament.
On four previous occasions the two sides have met in semifinals of Euro 1984, Euro 2000, World Cup 2006 and once in Euro 2016 final.
France have won first three while Portugal claimed Euro 2016 Trophy.
Here’s one more interesting fact for fans to ponder Portugal’s five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo has never scored against France.
Head-to-Head: The two sides have met 27 times. France has won 19 matches with two draws. Portugal has won six matches
Match and telecast details
Match: UEFA European Championship 2021, Group F match between Portugal and France
Date: June 24 (Thursday), 2021
Time: 12:30 aM IST
Venue: Puskás Aréna - Budapest
TV Channels: Sony Sports Network
Live Streaming: SonyLIV, Jio TV
Likely XIs:
Portugal: Rui Patricio; Nelson Semedo, Ruben Dias, Pepe, Guerreiro; Danilo, Renato Sanches, Joao Moutinho; Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Diogo Jota
France: Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Kimpembe, Hernandez; Pogba, Kante, Tolisso; Griezmann, Benzema, Mbappe
