Both France and Portugal have reached the Euro 2020 knockout stage after playing out an exhilarating 2-2 draw in Budapest.
France were already assured of their place in the last-16 after taking four points from their opening two games, but Portugal could have been eliminated depending on the result between Germany and Hungary in Munich.
It was a game notable for its penalties. Cristiano Ronaldo put Portugal in front from the spot, before his former strike partner at Real Madrid, Karim Benzema, levelled from 12 yards.
Benzema was on target again after the restart, before Ronaldo pegged France back, with a second penalty which took him to 109 goals in Portugal’s colours.
Here’s what it all means for both countries as they prepare for the knockout round:
France and Portugal’s next fixtures
Belgium vs Portugal
- Date: Sunday 27 June
- Time: 8pm
- Venue: La Cartuja Stadium, Seville
France vs Switzerland
- Date: Monday 28 June
- Time: 8pm
- Venue: National Arena, Bucharest
France scouting report
Surely it’s only a matter of time before Kylian Mbappe remembers he is one of the most feared forwards on the planet? It hasn’t quite happened for the PSG frontman at this tournament so far, at least in front of goal, and he was guilty of squandering a good early chance when put through one-on-one with Rui Patricio.
Switzerland will be wary of facing an Mbappe with a point to prove next Monday.
In contrast, Karim Benzema is starting to find his feet for Les Bleus. Despite missing a penalty against Wales before the tournament had kicked off, Benzema stepped up again after a contentious award against Nelson Semedo and this time made no mistake, sending Patricio the wrong way.
It was Benzema’s first France goal over five years and he only had to wait two minutes to score his second, latching onto a magnificent Paul Pogba pass before sliding a cool finish in off the post. That moment alone will strike fear into the heart of France’s upcoming opponents Switzerland. The weight of pass, timing of the run and execution of the finish were all perfect.
At the other end of the pitch, Raphael Varane has cut a nervous figure over the last two matches and Didier Deschamps will be hoping that his defensive lynch pin rediscovers his top form and fast. The Real Madrid defender almost gift-wrapped a goal for his old colleague Cristiano Ronaldo but was relieved to see him drag a shot wide.
On the injury front, Lucas Digne’s tournament appears to be over after he limped off with a thigh issue just five minutes after coming on at half-time. The Everton left back will join Ousmane Dembele in the French treatment room after he had to be replaced in the previous match against Hungary.
Portugal scouting report
Ronaldo moved level with Ali Daei at the top of the international men’s goalscoring charts, scoring his 108th and 109th goals in Portugal’s colours in a frantic, end-to-end classic against France.
???????? Levels Ali Daei with the most international goals of all time (109)
— i sport (@iPaperSport) June 23, 2021
More goals at the Euros and World Cup combined than any other player in history
Just another day in the life of Cristiano Ronaldo ????#EURO2020 #POR #PORFRA pic.twitter.com/WL1bVtFkR5
The 36-year-old was presented his first chance from the spot after Hugo Lloris had punched Danilo Pereira flush in the face while attempting to clear the ball and then added his second when Jules Kounde was penalised for handballing Ronaldo’s attempted cross.
Ronaldo’s first goal took him to 20 in the World Cup and European Championship making him the first European to reach that landmark. Another day, another record. He now has five goals already in this tournament, despite starting off in unquestionably the hardest of the six groups.
Suffice to say, keeping Ronaldo quiet will be essential to Belgium’s hopes in the last 16. Although he doesn’t offer as much outside of the penalty area as he used to, he remains absolutely clinical inside the box and plays in a team that is completely geared towards creating chances for him to score.
Fernando Santos’ side is packed full of talent – so much so that Manchester United’s MVP Bruno Fernandes was dropped down to the bench against the French – but they all work to provide for Ronaldo. Bernardo Silva and Diogo Jota, superb players in their own right, essentially do his running for him from their wide attacking positions.
Considering Ronaldo’s goal output thus far, it is a strategy that has worked pretty effectively for Portugal. Indeed, their moment of the tournament came in the one game that they lost, when Silva, Jota and Ronaldo combined for the opening goal against Germany after a brutally executed counter-attack.
Nelson Semedo, upgraded from reserve to starter after Joao Cancelo’s positive Covid-19 test, is the obvious weak link at right back, as evidenced in Portugal’s previous game against Germany. That being said, he was hugely unfortunate to be penalised for bumping Mbappe to the ground.
More from i on Euro 2020
- England aren’t ‘rubbish’ and Southgate isn’t a ‘fraud’ – we just need a bit of patience
- What the Premier League could learn from Euro 2020’s controversy-free referees
- The football nomad who became a hero for his role in saving Eriksen’s life
- How Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola stunt could change the face of football sponsorship
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3h4pji3
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