ANTOINE GRIEZMANN and his France team-mates hope to bounce back with a second win in the tournament after their surprise draw with minnows Hungary.
And the World Cup winners will also be out for revenge against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal who beat them in the finals of the 2016 contest in Paris.
The clash between Les Bleus and Portugal in Hungary’s Ferenc Puskas Stadium will kick-off at 8pm tonight and will air on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer.
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What’s the form?
Despite losing to a resurgent Germany on matchday two – and conceding TWO own goals – Fernando Santos’ men will be hoping to pull off an upset against France.
But skipper Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates face a tough task against Didier Deschamps’ side.
France have won three of the last five international duels between the sides since October 2014 conceding just twice.
And Portugal will want to prevent any costly defensive errors with Rúben Dias and Raphaël Guerreiro both netting own goals during their team’s clash with Joachim Low’s aces.
Who’s in and who’s out?
Portugal will be without striker Joao Felix and left-back Nuno Mendes for their final group F clash with both players having missed their side’s loss to Germany.
Atletico Madrid ace Felix, 21, is reportedly contending with hamstring problems.
And Sporting Lisbon starlet Mendes, 19, who is reportedly a Man United transfer target, is out of action due to a thigh strain.
It is thought Santos could look to make some minor changes to his midfield line-up.
Rafa Silva is reportedly in contention to make an appearance after helping the reigning Euros champs trounce Hungary.
The Benfica playmaker came on as a second-half substitute contributing to his side’s 3-0 win in their first fixture of this year’s tournament.
And Renato Sanches could also be set to make his first start for Santos’ side in the tournament.
The Lille midfielder, 23, became the youngest player to ever feature in European Championship final in 2016 at the age of 18
And Sanches’ positive attacking display helped skipper Ronaldo net a late brace against Hungary.
Meanwhile France suffered a blow to their attacking ranks with Ousmane Dembele ruled out for the rest of the tournament.
The winger sustained a knee injury during France’s 1-1 draw with Hungary with the French FA confirming the player would miss the rest of his side’s fixtures.
And reports claim Lucas Hernandez could return as a left-back for Deschamps side, replacing Lucas Digne who started against Hungary.
Watch out for……
Cristiano Ronaldo. At the age of 36 the Juventus frontman remains a dangerous threat in attack.
The former Man United winger has emerged as the Euros all-time top scorer – with 11 goals – beating the record set by France’s Michel Platini.
And Ronaldo currently has a tally of 107 goals in 176 games for his national team.
Super-sub Sanches is another Portugal player to keep an eye on with the forward almost breaking the post with his ferocious strike against Germany.
France’s Kylian Mbappe will also be keen to impress following his pivotal role in his nation’s 2-0 win against Germany.
The Paris Saint-Germain star was allegedly on the receiving end of racial abuse during Les Bleus’ scoreless draw with Hungary on matchday two.
If the game’s rubbish
April Ivy will be among the supporters hoping Portugal will reach the Euros knockout stages.
The singer-songwriter, who is the partner of Portugal centre-back Ruben Dias, reached number one in her country’s iTune charts with her hit “Be Ok”.
And the Lisbon-born musician is currently signed to Universal Music France.
Fancy a punt?
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Match odds?
- Kylian Mbappe first goalscorer 4/1 @ Betfair
- Portugal to win 14/5 @ Betfair
- France to win 13/10 @ Betfair
*All odds correct at time of publication
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.sportingexcitement.com/football/euro2020/england-have-a-high-tactical-level-and-a-great-chance-in-the-next-round-but-the-pressure-will-ramp-up-from-here
