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56′ Portugal 0-0 France
Fair play, Ronaldo. He works a pass across the pitch and Camavinga deflects it out for a bit of a needless corner.
France have a bit of defending to do in their own box but survive, with Mbappe down holding his nose after taking a whack flush from the ball.
Then France break, Griezmann appears to get fouled by Palhinha towards the Portugal penalty box, but Michael Oliver waves play on.
To add to the chaos, Oliver’s yellow card pops out of his pocket. It was nice of Vitinha to hand it back without a faux booking.
Short in the box
53′ Portugal 0-0 France
That cutback situation has happened for France again and again this tournament — Hernandez in-behind and fizzing it through the six-yard box, but without any support.
Their midfield diamond has got more support further forward, Kante especially down the left side, but France are really lacking a box presence.
Upping the threat levels
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51′ Portugal 0-0 France
Sparks of life. Mbappe fires on goal, straight at Costa.
Mendes then bursts forward and opts to throw himself to the floor rather than continue his run. He’s a lucky guy, not to be booked for simulation.
The game is a little stretched now, even if clear spaces are still in short supply.
Short of support
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48′ Portugal 0-0 France
One of the issues there for Portugal. It’s a great break clear from Vitinha after Griezmann loses the ball, but Vitinha is then painfully short of support — and him losing the ball becomes inevitable.
In fairness, Camavinga does a great job of tracking his opposite number too.
SECOND HALF: Back under way
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46′ Portugal 0-0 France
Portugal kick us back into gear for the second half.
No changes in personnel for either side.
Changes afoot?
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All of Portugal’s subs are out having a kick about to my left. To my right are eight groundsmen and no French subs in sight.
A noteworthy detail
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That’s the first game at Euro 2024 to see less than 0.2 xG in the first half. An achievement, of sorts.
Half-time stats zone
There doesn’t look like much between the two teams on the pitch, and the numbers back it up. Here they are for the first half…
HT: Portugal 0-0 France
Possession: 56% — 44%Shots: 2 — 3On target: 0 — 1XG: 0.07 — 0.08Big chances: 0 — 0Blocked shots: 1 — 1Duels won: 16 — 12Dispossessed: 4 — 3You already imagine this is going to be decided by a moment of brilliance or the finest of margins. Who will blink first, if anyone?
You will have a wait to see France cut loose
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The fourth France game in a row at this tournament that is 0-0 at half-time.
That isn’t particularly significant for most tournaments but Euro 2024 has been packed with early goals.
Deschamps said pre-match that “it’s not always football to win 5-4”. France continuing to showcase the best defence at the tournament.
And in fairness, his France haven’t ever won 5-4 under Deschamps (although they have won 4-3 at the 2018 World Cup).
A shining light in midfield
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Vitinha is having a quietly excellent game so far.
His line-breaking carries have been Portugal’s most successful way of advancing possession — at the moment, he’s their most significant attacking player.
I was worried he might be athletically outmatched by France’s midfield — more than holding his own so far.
Mbappe falling short
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This game was pitched as the changing of the guard, as Mbappe took the baton from Ronaldo before kick-off — but the France captain will soon want to forget the first 45 minutes.
In the opening stages he uncharacteristically passed the ball straight to Portugal’s midfield, then he was flagged offside from Kante’s pass and moments ago not one of his team-mates was on the same wavelength as his pass down the left channel went out for a goal kick.
I can’t believe I’ve not mentioned the mask yet, and Mbappe said he wouldn’t use it as an excuse.
Either way, he’s way off his best.
HT: Portugal 0-0 France
And that is half-time. A 45 minutes that threatened to get going occasionally, but never really did.
The honour is Bruno’s
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42′ Portugal 0-0 France
Tasty tackle on Vitinha gives us our first direct free-kick opportunity of the game. Ronaldo makes a beeline for the ball, but it’s Fernandes who is given the honour of actually taking the shot.
That wouldn’t have happened against Slovenia.
Not that the result was any different. Fernandes’ shot drifts over the bar. As you were.
Ronaldo still falling short
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39′ Portugal 0-0 France
And if you’re wondering the level Ronaldo is at, he’s just lost a race against Saliba for a channel ball, despite having a head start.
Saliba turned away from him and dribbled out. He’s physically and tactically one of the weaker players on the pitch now.
France are being aggressors
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38′ Portugal 0-0 France
I’ve been impressed by France’s counter-pressing in the first 30 minutes.
Portugal certainly have threats on the break but France have reacted quickly and got bodies around the ball.
They’re stacked with the right midfield profiles to play this way but executing it is something else entirely.
A complete contrast to their settled out-of-possession strategy, which is to really sit off.
Both sides keeping it tight
36′ Portugal 0-0 France
We’ve got 10 minutes remaining of this first half in Hamburg and in truth, we’ve had very little in terms of genuine chances so far.
Some lovely build-up work, but it’s often been short at the end — and that final defensive action has usually been good too.
Mbappe needs to be on the receiving end too
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34′ Portugal 0-0 France
It feels like France have the wrong personnel in those positions. Kante was acting as a winger surging forward to unleash Mbappe, and their most potent offensive threat was delivering the cross — but with very few French targets in the box.
All he could see from his limited masked vision was a sea of Portugal shirts.
One battle to follow
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33′ Portugal 0-0 France
Kounde versus Leao is a good battle. A proper dribbler against a good one-v-one defender.
Leao getting the better of him so far but only on the outside, and he’s getting corners rather than shooting or cutback situations.
France are trying to double-up by Kolo Muani joining Kounde.
The Pepe mastery continues
31′ Portugal 0-0 France
Oh, that is outstanding from Pepe. Kolo Muani looks like wriggling into the penalty box and working a shot.
Then out of nowhere, Pepe is on hand to get his body in the way and roll the France forward out of shooting contention — and then out of possession.
Like a fine wine eh?…