Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News
July 5 – Another goalless performance by France saw them eventually beat Portugal on penalties in Hamburg and set up a semi-final against Spain.
Billed as Kylian Mbappe against Cristiano Ronaldo, it had all the makings of the exhilarating 2022 World Cup final match-up between Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
Ultimately neither of the superstars were able to step up, Ronaldo not quite being able to find enough space, Mbappe clearly troubled by his mask and perhaps life in general.
The rest of their teams did step up in a match that proved a goalless draw can still be a thrilling game of football. At times breathlessly end-to-end, it was roared on by two sets of expectant fans, though the Portuguese edged that battle.
It was perhaps inevitable that this match would go to penalties. France have now gone five matches without a goal in open play, having netted just three times through an Mbappe penalty and two own goals.
There is something of an irony in a team that struggles to finish their opportunities in open play but were so clinical from the penalty spot.
The match also marked the end of Ronaldo’s Euros odyssey. Perhaps Europe’s greatest ever, it wouldn’t have been the way he wanted to end his stardom over the years in this tournament, but he did so graciously, and without tears.
Roberto Martinez kept the same starting eleven that overcame Slovenia, while Didier Deschamps made two changes to his team that squeezed past Belgium.
With Aurelien Rabiot carded out Eduardo Camavinga came in. Randal Kolo Muani was preferred to Marcus Thuram.
Portugal lined up 4-3-3 looking to use the width with Rafael Leao on the left and Bernardo Silva on the right while France line up 4-3-1-2 with Antoine Griesman behind the more direct approach of Kylian Mbappe and Kolo Muani.
There is much to like about both these teams, not least in the simplicity and ease they hold and move the ball, pushing and probing for gaps.
France kicked off and kept the ball for two minutes before…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/07/05/clinical-french-shatter-portugals-dream-big-finish-ronaldo-penalty-shoot/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-07-05 21:52:40
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