Portugal vs France Preview: News, Lineups and Prediction (1/4 finals)

*Odds are subject to change

Two own goals and one Kylian Mbappe penalty have been enough to guide France into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. The pre-tournament second favourites have failed to light up the competition thus far, but with such a talented squad, they could spring into action at any time.

If you can accuse Les Bleus of underperforming in Germany, you can say the same about Portugal. After losing to Georgia, the lowest-ranked team in Euro 2024, they then needed a penalty shootout to see off Slovenia in the round of 16. Diogo Costa proved the hero in the shootout, saving three consecutive penalties, but will he get the chance to play such a pivotal role again?

It has not been a vintage tournament for either of these nations thus far, but a win here would give either side real belief that they have what it takes to go all the way.

• Location: Hamburg
• Stadium: Volksparkstadion
• Date: 5 July 2024
• Kick-off Time: 21:00 CEST (20:00 BST)
• Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
• VAR: Pol van Boekel (Netherlands)

Portugal Team News

There are no injuries or suspensions for Roberto Martinez to worry about ahead of this one. This will please the Portugal manager as he has a strong idea about who his strongest eleven is. The Spaniard may wish to consider giving veteran defender Pepe a rest after a 116-minute effort against Slovenia during which he rode his luck at times, but the 41-year-old is perhaps too essential to replace.

Cristiano Ronaldo will surely also be deemed undroppable, but his emotional breakdown during the Slovenia match, combined with his lack of goals, does not suggest his head is in the best place.

France Team News

Adrien Rabiot has started all four of France’s matches in Euro 2024, but this run ends here. The Juventus midfielder collected his second yellow card of the tournament in the win over Belgium, meaning he must serve a one-game ban. One of the Real Madrid duos, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouameni, is likely to take his place.

Didier Deschamps has no other absentees but will remain concerned about Kylian Mbappe’s mask situation. The French boss said, “There’s a delay with his peripheral vision” when talking about his star striker. Although Mbappe still needs the mask, changes will be made to the existing design, which may help.

Portugal vs France H2H Record and Key Numbers

Portugal had endured 10 consecutive defeats against France but ended this run by beating Les Bleus in the final of Euro 2016. This still represents their only win against Les Bleus since 1975, although they battled their way to a penalty-laden draw in the group stages of Euro 2020.

Both these teams have been very wasteful in front of goal this tournament. France has the largest xG underperformance (-3.9), with Portugal trailing in third (-2.65). Les Bleus do at least have the benefit of a superior defensive record. With just one goal conceded and a total xGA of 2.63, they have been the most solid team of Euro 2024.

Possible Lineups

• Portugal (4-3-3): Costa – Cancelo, Pepe, Dias, Mendes – Fernandes, Palhinha, Vitinha – Jota, Ronaldo, Leão
• France (4-2-3-1): Maignan – Koundé, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernández – Kanté, Tchouaméni – Dembélé, Griezmann, Thuram – Mbappé

Where to Watch Portugal vs France Euro 2024 – TV and Online Live Streaming

In France, the game will be shown on both M6 and beINSports 1, while in Portugal, it will be aired on Sport TV 1. Within the UK, the TV channel you need is BBC.

Prediction

Neither country has managed to impress so far this tournament but for France, this is less of a concern. Deschamps’ men seem to have a knack for grinding out results even when not at their best, in part thanks to their robust defence. Scoring goals may continue to be an issue as Mbappe’s mask woes persist but I think they’ll only need one to progress. Just as they managed against Belgium, I am backing Les Bleus to win 1-0.

Fore more Portugal vs France tips you can see our predictions page with stats, odds and other data.