Portugal vs France prediction, preview, team news and more | UEFA Euro 2020
Two European powerhouses clash in Group F of Euro 2020 as defending champions Portugal take on France at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium on Wednesday.
Portugal will aim to quickly move on from their heavy defeat against Germany, while France head into the game following a 1-1 draw with Hungary.
Portugal stormed into the Euros in style as they claimed an emphatic 3-0 victory over Hungary in their opening game.
However, they quickly came crashing back to earth as they suffered a disappointing 4-2 defeat at the hands of Germany last time out.
After Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring, the Germans upped the ante and hit back with four goals of their own to leave Portugal trailing in their wake. Liverpool man Diogo Jota halved the deficit with the final goal of the game in the 67th minute.
This saw Germany pick up their first win of the tournament and leapfrog Fernando Santos’ men into second place on goal difference, one point behind group leaders France.
France, on the other hand, failed to book their place in the knockout stages in their most recent game as they were held to a 1-1 draw by a resilient Hungary side.
Hungary took a surprise lead late in the first half through Attila Fiola, but Barcelona star Antoine Griezmann restored parity in the 66th minute.
While the result saw France’s five-game winning streak come to an end, they remain unbeaten in their last nine outings across all competitions.
Portugal vs France Head-To-Head
France have a clear upper hand in the history of this fixture, claiming 19 wins from 27 games against Portugal. The Seleção have picked up six wins, while two games have ended in draws.
The two sides made it to the final of the last edition of the European Championship which was hosted by France in 2016. Portugal prevailed on that occasion, claiming a dramatic extra-time winner against the two-time winners through substitute Eder.
Portugal Form Guide (all competitions): W-D-W-W-L
France Form Guide (all competitions): W-W-W-W-D
Also Read: David James column - Top 5 favorites to win Euro 2020
Portugal vs France Team News
Portugal
Portugal remain without the services of Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo, who tested positive for COVID-19.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
COVID-19: Joao Cancelo
France
Les Bleus will be without Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele, who picked up a knee tendon injury after coming on as a substitute against Hungary last time out.
Injured: Ousmane Dembele
Suspended: None
Portugal vs France Predicted XI
Portugal Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Rui Patrício; Nélson Semedo, Pepe, Rúben Dias, Raphaël Guerreiro; Danilo Pereira, William Carvalho, Rafa Silva, Bruno Fernandes Diogo, Jota; Cristiano Ronaldo
France Predicted XI (4-3-3): Hugo Lloris; Benjamin Pavard, Raphaël Varane, Presnel Kimpembe, Lucas Hernández; Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kanté, Adrien Rabiot; Antoine Griezmann, Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe
Portugal vs France Prediction
The 'Group of Death' promises another entertaining and nerve-racking game on Wednesday. With a place in the knockout stages potentially at stake for both sides, we expect Portugal and France to take the game to each other in search of all three points.
While they both possess a star-studded squad, France have been dominant in this fixture and appear more solid ahead of the game. We predict France will secure a narrow win.
Prediction: Portugal 1-2 France
Also Read: Paul Merson's column - 5 surprise packages of the tournament so far