Portugal possess arguably the best player at the tournament in Cristiano Ronaldo, but will it be enough to secure the trophy in France?
Qualifying Form
Portugal’s road to France began with the worst possible start, suffering a 1-0 defeat against Albania in Aveiro. Fearing the worst, the Portuguese Football Federation moved quickly to terminate coach Paulo Bento’s contract, replacing the former Sporting CP coach with Fernando Santos, fresh from an impressive showing with Greece at the 2014 World Cup.
The changed worked, as seven wins from their remaining seven matches sent the team through to Euro 2016 as winners of their qualifying group ahead of Albania, Denmark and Serbia.
Euros History
Portugal has a strong history in the Euros, having qualified for the previous five tournaments and making at least the quarter-finals in each attempt. Fans will undoubtedly still feel pain when remembering the 2004 competition, hosted in Portugal. After making the semi-finals in 2000, the home nation went one better on their own soil, entering the final as overwhelming favourites only to lose to surprise package Greece.
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Euro 2016 – Portugal coach spotlight – Fernando Santos
Euro 2016 – Portugal star player – Cristiano Ronaldo
Euro 2012 was another strong performance under Paulo Bento. Despite being drawn in easily the toughest group with Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark, the Portuguese fought their way through to the semi-finals, only to lose in a penalty shootout against eventual champions Spain.
Strengths
Given their impressive defensive results in qualifying and the strong amount of experience across the back four and goalkeeper, it’s clear that the Portuguese defence will be a tough proposition for any opponent. Central defence is particularly imposing with the likes of Pepe and Bruno Alves, ably assisted by Southampton’s Jose Fonte – arguably in the form of his career – and veteran Ricardo Carvahlo.
The Southampton link continues on the right side of defence with Cedric Soares, who will compete for his spot with Wolfsburg’s Vierinha. Left back could be a problem position thanks to the withdrawal of Fabio Coentrao due to injury, with Malaga’s Eliseu currently filling the void.
Weaknesses
Although Cristiano Ronaldo is easily his country’s best player, he is relatively unsupported in terms of quality players. Luis Nani and Ricardo Quaresma are experienced footballers, but having played their recent years in Turkey have not lived up to the potential their early careers promised. Ronaldo has found the net 56 times for his country and Nani 18, but beyond that is central defender Bruno Alves (ten). The Real Madrid star is undoubtedly the best player to take the field at Euro 2016, but he cannot do everything on his own.
Predicted Finish – Quarter-final exit
There is no doubt that the Portuguese will make it through their group of Iceland, Austria and Hungary, possessing a solid group of players from the Portuguese league and mid-range European clubs places them significantly higher than their opponents in terms of quality. However, when compared to the likes of Spain, Germany, France and England, it is clear that unless several factors align perfectly Ronaldo and co. will be unable to replicate their final four appearance of 2012.
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