Underdogs Portugal will be looking to deny Les Bleus the Euro trophy on home soil at the Stade de France tomorrow morning.
After finishing third in their group behind the unlikely duo of Hungary and Iceland, Fernando Santos’ side was thoroughly disregarded as a contender for the trophy. However, thanks to a fortuitous draw and some gutsy performances, the Seleção das Quinas were able to send home Croatia, Poland and Wales on their way to the final.
France came through their group undefeated care of some late heroics in wins against Romania and Albania, but have found their stride in the knockout stages by beating Ireland, Iceland and the reigning world champions Germany.
The last time the French hosted a major tournament, the 1998 World Cup, current coach Didier Deschamps captained his side to victory in the final against Brazil. Can he lead this star-studded squad to another piece of silverware on home soil? France should be the ones to lift the trophy.
Key Battle – Cristiano Ronaldo vs Antoine Griezmann
Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann will be experiencing a sense of déjà vu at the Stade de France, having come up against each other in the UEFA Champions League final just six weeks ago. Real Madrid and Ronaldo walked away triumphant in Milan, with the Portuguese captain converting the winning penalty in the shootout, but this time, it is Griezmann and France who enter the match as favourites.
The 25-year-old started the tournament slowly, struggling to exert his influence upon matches from the right-flank. However, after being shifted centrally against Ireland, Griezmann has shown his true level of brilliance by scoring five goals in three matches, including both goals in the semi-final victory against Germany. Playing behind striker Olivier Giroud, he has been given the freedom to move across the attacking-third of the field in search of spaces to exploit, thus far to devastating effect.
Ronaldo has not lived up to his incredibly high standards but has still scored three times, including the crucial opening goal against Wales. Portugal’s second in the semi-final was also created by the Real Madrid man, with Nani deflecting his teammates shot past Wayne Hennessey to send his side on their way to victory. Having tasted defeat in the 2004 final as a teenager, Ronaldo will surely be looking to erase those demons and lead his nation to a famous victory.
Team News
The only potential absentee for Portugal would be Real Madrid defender Pepe, who missed the semi-final victory over Wales with a thigh injury. Should the 33-year-old be passed as fit, he would slot into central defence alongside Jose Fonte, with Bruno Alves relegated to the bench. William Carvalho missed the Wales clash through suspension, but will likely regain his place over Sporting’s Danilo.
Deschamps has no injury concerns to speak of, but is reportedly weighing up tinkering with the line-up that defeated Germany. N’Golo Kante could be added to the midfield for a more defensive approach, while Dimitri Payet’s underwhelming performance could see him dropped in favour of Kingsley Coman or Anthony Martial. However, the XI that did the job against Germany should be able to produce a similar result against Portugal.
Head-to-head
France enjoy a far superior head-to-head record, notching up 18 wins compared to Portugal’s five. The two teams also shared the points in a 1928 draw.
Previous Meeting
Portugal hosted Les Bleus in Lisbon during September last year, but it was the visitors who finished the match happiest thanks to Mathieu Valbuena’s 85th minute winner.
Prediction
With the weight of their nation behind them in Paris, France should be the ones to lift the trophy, but with a strong defensive line-up, Portugal certainly will not go down without a fight.
Portugal 1 France 2
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