As we head into the final round of group games at Euro 2020, France sit one point clear at the top of Group F, while Portugal find themselves third.
The two powerhouses of European football meet in Budapest on Wednesday, with both sides in a strong position to qualify for the last 16.
A training session in 33°C heat☀️for Les Bleus 1⃣ day on from the match 👊#FiersDetreBleus pic.twitter.com/ZNXgbQcyx0— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) June 20, 2021
A training session in 33°C heat☀️for Les Bleus 1⃣ day on from the match 👊#FiersDetreBleus pic.twitter.com/ZNXgbQcyx0
Having picked up one win and one draw so far, France have four points to their name. On the flip side, a win and a loss mean that Portugal sit on three points.
Portugal won their opening game 3-0, with Cristiano Ronaldo bagging a late brace to see off Group F underdogs Hungary.
However, the defending European champions were thrashed 4-2 by Germany in Munich in their previous match.
Ronaldo and Diogo Jota got on the scoresheet against the Germans, although Ruben Dias and Raphael Guerreiro both netted own goals.
Portugal were unbeaten in seven encounters heading into Saturday’s clash, having claimed five wins and two draws in the lead-up to the tournament.
But after scoring four goals in a friendly win over Israel earlier in the month, the reigning champs conceded four goals for the first time since 2014 last time out.
Despite seeing 38% of the ball in their opener, as well as registering just one shot on target, France beat Germany 1-0.
However, Didier Deschamps’ men were held to a shock 1-1 draw by Hungary in their second game, despite enjoying 67% possession.
The 2018 World Cup winners also racked up 15 shots on Saturday, yet they were frustrated by the Hungarians.
Still, let’s not forget that France remain unbeaten in nine matches, having picked up seven wins and two draws since suffering a surprise friendly loss to Finland last November.
The French have also scored in each of their previous nine outings, so they will be confident of finding the back of the net on Wednesday.
Head-to-head: Remarkably, Portugal have only won one of their last 13 meetings with France, suffering 11 losses along the way.
It is worth pointing out that Portugal beat France 1-0 in the Euro 2016 final to lift the trophy five years ago.
We also shouldn’t forget that each of the last four meetings between Portugal and France have produced under 1.5 goals.
Team news: Portugal could be without Nuno Mendes on Wednesday after the young left-back picked up a thigh issue in training.
As for France, Deschamps has a decision to make at left-back. Lucas Hernandez started the first game before Lucas Digne replaced him last time out.
When you consider the recent low-scoring encounters between Portugal and France, Wednesday’s clash isn’t likely to produce too many goals.
With so much at stake, Forebet predicts that Portugal and France will play out a goalless draw in Hungary.