Key events
12 min: An outrageous piece of skill out on the left touchline, as Rafael Leão nutmegs Koundé with a back-heel, sending Nuno Mendes into acres of space. Sadly the subsequent cross is a nightmare. Such a shame that didn’t lead to something tangible for Portugal.
11 min: … and again he dispatches a poor, flat effort that’s easily cleared. “Thank heavens the game is now underway, and I have 45 minutes of freedom from Fox TV’s mindless contributions to the occasion,” sighs Eric Peterson. “From their pre-game analysis, if you can even call it that, the next couple of hours should simply be Mbappe and Ronaldo playing tennis at Wimbledon, for all we can tell. Apparently, the other 20 players and concepts like strategy and tactics are supposedly beyond the ken of the American audience. So infuriating to once again see Fox (and the equally guilty ESPN) treat its football audience so condescendingly.”
You’ll enjoy this.
10 min: Bruno Fernandes takes. His flat delivery isn’t particularly good, but Koundé hacks out for a corner. Fernandes will take this set piece as well …
9 min: It’s Arsenal versus Manchester United out on the Portuguese left, and Saliba skittles Bruno Fernandes to the floor. A chance for Portugal to load the box.
8 min: Leão sends Nuno Mendes into space on the overlap down the left. Mendes crosses but Koundé clears.
6 min: Portugal enjoy a bit of sustained possession for the first time. Both teams putting feelers out, nothing more.
4 min: Rafael Leão takes on Upamecano down the left flank. He gets ahead of his man then cuts inside to leave him sprawling. The ball infield is no good, but that’s a positive sign for Portugal. Could Leão have the big defender’s number?
3 min: Bruno Fernandes takes Portugal’s first significant touch, attempting to release Rafael Leão down the left with a long diagonal rake. Upamecano intercepts and France get back to stroking it around again.
2 min: France are immediately on the front foot all the early possession. Hernández probes down the left, Kanté down the right. Kolo Muani finds a pocket of space to the right of the box but can’t find anyone with his low pass infield.
The coaches Roberto Martinez and Didier Deschamps embrace warmly, the captains Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé exchange pennants, Mbappé pulls on his mask … and France get the ball rolling. Here we go, then! Spain await!
The teams are out! Portugal in red shirts with green trousers, France in second-choice white tops with blue breeks. A rare old atmosphere at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg. We’ll be off once coins are tossed and fists bumped.
The national anthems. Rendered in cutting-edge 16-bit …
… and 8-bit technology.
Spain have just knocked out the hosts Germany to reach the semis. They’ll lie in wait for the winners of this match in Munich on Tuesday evening. Barry Glendenning has the details of a slow-burning match that finished in extremely dramatic fashion.
While we’re on a retro tip, here’s what happened last time round to both teams at Euro 2024. (This still technically counts as retro, just not so retro.)
Portugal and France have met at the Euros on two other occasions. Here’s what happened the last time they locked horns …
… and here’s the time before that, the high-water mark in the Seleção Portuguesa de Futebol’s history.
Those classic semi-final showdowns. Presented lovingly for your retro pleasure.
Both teams, having come this far, are in no mood to make radical changes to a winning formula. Portugal name the same XI that started the goalless draw with, and subsequent penalty shootout victory over, Slovenia. France make two changes after their 1-0 win over Belgium. Eduardo Camavinga and Randal Kolo Muani come in for Marcus Thuram, who drops to the bench, and the suspended Adrien Rabiot.
The teams
Portugal: Costa, Joao Cancelo, Dias, Pepe, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Palhinha, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Leao, Ronaldo.
Subs: Rui Patricio, Nelson Semedo, Dalot, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, Jose Sa, Danilo Pereira, Inacio, Joao Neves, Matheus Luiz, Ruben Neves, Jota, Silva, Pedro Neto, Francisco Conceicao.
France: Maignan, Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez, Kante, Tchouameni, Camavinga, Griezmann, Mbappe, Muani.
Subs: Samba, Pavard, Mendy, Giroud, Dembele, Zaire Emery, Fofana, Coman, Clauss, Areola, Konate, Barcola, Thuram.
Referee: Michael Oliver (England).
Preamble
These two need to up their game. After their underwhelming performances in the round of 16, which palled in comparison with the entertainment laid on by the likes of Spain, Germany, Austria and Turkey, Portugal and France owe us one. Another of those exhilarating back-and-forths, please, like the pair contested in the 1984 and 2000 semis, and we’ll forget the Slovenia and Belgium games ever happened. Kick-off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!