- France through to Euro 2024 semi-finals with win against Portugal
- Selecao beaten on penalties with Joao Felix missing crucial spot kick
- Les Bleus still yet to score or concede from open play this tournament
France squeezed into the semi-finals of Euro 2024 with a penalty shootout win against Portugal on Friday night.
Two of the tournament's remaining heavyweights couldn't be separated after a drab 120 minutes of football and spot kicks decided the outcome of their quarter-final tie in Hamburg.
Joao Felix was the only player to miss his penalty and the Selecao went crashing out, while Les Bleus. who have still not scored or conceded from open play all tournament - advance to take on Spain on Tuesday.
How the game unfolded
A dreary first half came and went without even any added time, with both sides reduced to potshots from distance in the opening 45 minutes.
Shortly after the break, Portugal had a penalty appeal dismissed when Nuno Mendes flew over the leg of Dayot Upamecano, but a spot kick was not forthcoming and he quickly got back to his feet to avoid any assertions of diving.
France went agonisingly close to an opener when Theo Hernandez's cross through the six-yard box was just too strong for Randal Kolo Muani to get on the end of.
The first clear-cut chance came on the hour mark when Joao Cancelo picked out Bruno Fernandes running free into the France box, but the midfielder's shot was palmed away by Mike Maignan.
France survived a scramble soon after when Vitinha was denied by Maignan at point-blank range, while the Milan goalkeeper blocked behind Ronaldo's back-heeled rebound.
A similar chance for France went begging down the other end when Jules Kounde's dink over the backline met a racing Kolo Muani, whose skewed volley was blocked behind by the retreating Ruben Dias.
Les Bleus again went close after Ousmane Dembele's low cross ricocheted into Eduardo Camavinga, who dragged his shot from inside the six-yard box inches wide.
Mbappe brought one last save out of Diogo Costa before extra-time loomed in Hamburg.
Portugal conjured up extra-time's first opening as Francisco Conceicao nipped to the byline and cut back for Cristiano Ronaldo, who skied the chance to put the Selecao ahead.
Dayot Upamecano then came to France's rescue with a block to keep Rafael Leao at bay, while Mbappe had to be withdrawn from the game's finale after taking a blow to his broken nose.
A few Portugal fans thought the ball had crept into the France net when Joao Felix headed a Conceicao delivery towards goal, but they would have been disappointed to realise it smacked the side-netting instead.
As the clock ticked over the 120th minute, Portugal were afforded one last chance, which fell the way of Nuno Mendes, but Maignan was equal to his effort and the game went to penalties.
France took first and scored all five of their efforts, while Joao Felix's strike bounced back off the post and Portugal were sent home.
Penalties
Portugal - 3 | France - 5 |
|---|---|
Cristiano Ronaldo (scored) | Ousmane Dembele (scored) |
Bernardo Silva (scored) | Youssouf Fofana (scored) |
Joao Felix (missed) | Jules Kounde (scored) |
Nuno Mendes (scored) | Bradley Barcola (scored) |
N/A | Theo Hernandez (scored) |
Portugal player ratings (4-2-3-1)
GK: Diogo Costa - 6/10 - Couldn't recreate his heroics in the shootout. Hardly tested during the match.
RB: Joao Cancelo - 6/10 - Made some strange decisions in his own half though was a live-wire when higher up the pitch.
CB: Ruben Dias - 8/10 - Arrived out of seemingly nowhere to block Kolo Muani's goal-bound strike behind in the second half.
CB: Pepe - 8/10 - Just keeps on chugging even at 41. Matched Thuram - fresh off the bench - in a foot race and celebrated blocking Mbappe shots.
LB: Nuno Mendes - 7/10 - Knew when to stay in defensive shape and then leap forward to join attacks.
CM: Vitinha - 7/10 - The most comfortable operator in midfield all night long. Could have done with more movement ahead of him.
CM: Joao Palhinha - 7/10 - The perfect foil for the slight but wonderfully gifted Vitinha.
RW: Bernardo Silva - 3/10 - Ronaldo will be the one Portugal player to take pelters for their performance but criticism should too come the way of Silva, who again put in an anonymous display.
AM: Bruno Fernandes - 5/10 - Tried to drive Portugal forward early on but his influence waned as his side looked for breakthroughs down the wings instead.
LW: Rafael Leao - 6/10 - Sought to bring the game to life and was the chief entertainer for the first hour or so, only for France to nullify that impact as a long match wore on.
CF: Cristiano Ronaldo - 3/10 - Another pitiful display from one of the game's greatest ever players. Portugal cannot go on being so orientated around one man.
Substitutes
SUB: Nelson Semedo (74' for Semedo) - 6/10
SUB: Francisco Conceicao (74' for Fernandes) - 7/10
SUB: Ruben Neves (90' for Palhinha) - 5/10
SUB: Joao Felix (106' for Leao) - 4/10
SUB: Matheus Nunes (119' for Vitinha) - N/A
Subs not used: Rui Patricio (GK), Jose Sa (GK), Diogo Dalot, Danilo Pereira, Antonio Silva, Goncalo Inacio, Joao Neves, Pedro Neto, Diogo Jota, Goncalo Ramos
Manager
Roberto Martinez - 5/10 - Portugal were solid defensively but far too static on the ball and Martinez still hasn't wrestled control away from Ronaldo.
France player ratings (4-3-1-2)
GK: Mike Maignan - 8/10 - Didn't need to make a save in the shootout but was called into action consistently to allow the game to get to that point.
RB: Jules Kounde - 6/10 - Put in a blender by Leao early doors before steadying the ship.
CB: Dayot Upamecano - 7/10 - Didn't give Ronaldo an inch until the veteran's one missed chance in extra-time.
CB: William Saliba - 8/10 - Magnificent once again. The only major blemish on his record was a foul on Conceicao, which only came about because the winger is roughly ten inches shorter than him.
LB: Theo Hernandez - 7/10 - An almost mirror image of Mendes for Portugal. One of his side's better decision makers. Scored the winning penalty.
CM: N'Golo Kante - 7/10 - An understated performance. Looked technically off it when the game kicked off but his incredible stamina allowed him to boss it more later in the evening.
CM: Aurelien Tchouameni - 6/10 - Kept things safe in the heart of midfield. Unadventurous if steady, though that was France's problem.
CM: Eduardo Camavinga - 6/10 - Popped up all over the place reclaiming possession. Had some nice ideas on the ball but they rarely came to fruition.
AM: Antoine Griezmann - 4/10 - Slowed play down and overlooked clear openings. The first player to be hooked amid France's attacking malaise.
CF: Randal Kolo Muani - 5/10 - Seemed to be off the same wavelength as the rest of his teammates. Missed a chance eerily similar to his infamous one at the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
CF: Kylian Mbappe - 5/10 - Clearly still troubled by his broken nose and the mask that protects it. Taken off at half-time of extra-time after taking a whack to the face.
Substitutes
SUB: Ousmane Dembele (67' for Griezmann) - 7/10
SUB: Marcus Thuram (86' for Kolo Muani) - 6/10
SUB: Youssouf Fofana (91' for Camavinga) - 6/10
SUB: Bradley Barcola (106' for Mbappe) - 7/10
Subs not used: Brice Samba (GK), Alphonse Areola (GK), Benjamin Pavard, Jonathan Clauss, Ferland Mendy, Ibrahima Konate, Warren Zaire-Emery, Kingsley Coman, Olivier Giroud
Manager
Didier Deschamps - 5/10 - France were terrible to watch again. And yet they still won again. The paradox continues.
