By

Eniola Olatunji

Les Bleus of France breezed past hard fighting Portugal via 5-3 penalty shootouts at the VolksParkstadion in Hamburg on Friday night before 47,789 fans that looked German in Conduct routing for France.

It was a great revenge for the 2016 Euro final when Portugal defeated France 1-0 to lift the trophy after Extra time. The two teams had gone into extra time at the 2000 Euro Semifinal which France won 2-1. 

Portugal was not twice lucky as the team had dismissed Slovania 3-1 on penalty shootout in their last Round of 16 making the only country that had to try advancement through the kick of death in the tournament. France scored all the five kicks they had while Portugal scored three and did not technically need to go further again. 

24 year old Barca Forward, Joao Felix lost his kick playing into the French goalkeeper and it was a sign of pop of the wine for the French Boys and ‘Go Home’ for Christiana Ronaldo, Pepe and their folks.

Portugal wasted 11-4 corner kicks advantage as the French Defenders were always ready to diffuse the springing jumps of Ronaldo to nod home from corner kicks.

Portugal was better with their crisps passes stringing 869 – 587 passes with 60 – 40% ball possession but the French Boys were ready to play rough to save their day committing 13 fouls to Portugal’s 8.

France will meet Spain on Tuesday, 9th July in Munich in the semifinal. Please not that EUFA cancelled 3rd place matches.
  
At the 2000 Euro semifinal, France beat Portugal 2-1 after extra time where Henry and Zidanne scored from France and Nuno Gomes scored for Portugal. In the friendly of 2001, France won 4-0; at the semifinal of the 2006 world cup France beat Portugal 1-0.

 In a friendly match played in 2014 France won 2-1 and in another friendly played in 2015 France won again by a lone goal. Portugal clinched important victory at the 2016 Euro final by a lone goal after extra time. At the two legged League A Group 3 of 2020, France won 1st leg 1-0 and the 2nd leg was goalless. Lastly at the 2021 Euro Championship Group F, it was 2-2 draw.

Portugal won Group F with 6 points scoring 5 goals and conceding 5. She beat Czech 2-1; slaughtered Turkey 3-0 in her 2nd match but was shocked by debutante Georgia 2-0 in the group matches. The team won the first penalty shootout of the tournament, 3-1 after goalless match with Slovania.

France was 2nd in Group D with 5 points scoring a meager 2 goals and conceding one. France beat Austria by a lone goal; played goalless with Netherlands and 1-1 with Poland in the group games. France was dashed an own goal by Vertonghen of Belgium in the 85th minute of the Round of 16 match at Dusseldorf.

This is the 17th edition of the European Championship that has now seen 103 goals scored with 2,375,722 attendaces as at today (54,000 for Germany vs Spain match and 47,789 for Portugal vs France match making 101,789 for today just included). There are four joint top scorers in Georges Mikautadze of Georgia; Jamal Musiala of Germany, Cody Gako of Netherlands and Ivan Schranz of Slovakia all having three goals each.