In a repeat of the 2016 Euro final, Portugal and France will clash at the Volksparkstadion on Friday in a high-profile Euro 2024 quarterfinal. Neither team delivered a convincing performance in the Round of 16. With both teams struggling to find their best form, Portugal vs France promises to be a tightly contested affair. The 2016 winners will rely on their defensive resilience and the heroics of Diogo Costa, while France will look to their attacking talents, despite their recent scoring struggles, to make the difference.
Portugal vs France Preview
Portugal started strong, winning their first two group stage matches against the Czech Republic and Turkey, the latter a commanding 3-0 victory that secured top spot. However, their perfect start was marred by a 2-0 defeat to Georgia in their final group game, where a much-rotated XI was fielded.
In the last 16, the Euro 2016 champions faced a stern challenge from Slovenia. Despite their efforts, Portugal couldn’t break through the Slovenian defense, and Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty in extra-time. The match went to a penalty shootout, where Diogo Costa emerged as the hero by saving all three Slovenian attempts, securing Portugal’s advancement.
France, meanwhile, had a lackluster group stage performance. Despite being in a group with the Netherlands, Austria, and Poland, they were expected to top the group. They began with a narrow win over Austria, relying on an own goal to secure victory. Subsequent back-to-back draws followed—a goalless stalemate with the Netherlands, who had a goal disallowed for offside, and a 1-1 draw with Poland, where both goals came from penalties. In the last 16, France faced Belgium and scraped through with an unconvincing 1-0 win.
Portugal vs France Team News
Portugal Team News
Portugal’s manager Roberto Martínez and the physios will need to conduct thorough checks on players who completed 120 minutes on Monday. However, it’s likely that an unchanged XI will be fielded on Friday. Diogo Jota and Francisco Conceição may be considered for promotion from the bench, but Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leão have secured their spots in the attack, while Vitinha and João Palhinha are expected to retain their midfield positions.
France Team news
France will be forced to make at least one change to their lineup, as Adrien Rabiot is suspended due to accumulating his second yellow card of the tournament in the win over Belgium. Potential replacements for Rabiot include Ousmane Dembélé, Eduardo Camavinga, Youssouf Fofana, or Warren Zaire-Emery. Rabiot was part of a diamond midfield formation in Dusseldorf, supporting Marcus Thuram and Kylian Mbappé in attack. Kingsley Coman is the only other potential absentee for France, as he had previously left the camp for the birth of his child.
Portugal vs France Predicted XI
Portugal Predicted XI:
Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Pepe, Mendes; Palhinha, Vitinha; Silva, Fernandes, Leao; Ronaldo
France Predicted XI:
Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Kolo Muani
How to watch Portugal vs France Live in India?
Sony Sports Network has the broadcast rights to UEFA Euro 2024 in India and the Indian subcontinent, including Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD in English, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD in Hindi, Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD in Tamil & Telugu, and Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD in Bengali & Malayalam. All UEFA Euro 2024 matches will be live-streamed on the SonyLIV app and website.
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