Portugal vs Germany
European Championship this season
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Preview: Portugal vs Germany
As Portugal's dynamic frontline, led by the record-chasing Cristiano Ronaldo, squares off against a German side eager to rebound from a frustrating start at the Allianz Arena, both teams will face pivotal moments in this exhilarating UEFA Euro 2020 Group F clash.
Portugal
Portugal hit the back of the net three times in six minutes to secure three points against Hungary on Tuesday, the 15th. Diogo Jota made the game’s first attempt on goal, but Hungary's goalkeeper, Peter Gulacsi, stopped the ball from crossing the goal line.
The remarkable goalkeeper, who was in fantastic form, denied the Liverpool forward once again from close range after his half-turn shot. Moments later, Cristiano Ronaldo failed to hit the target after a clear-cut chance, and Gulacsi stopped Pepe's goal-bound header.
The 31-year-old was simply everywhere, denying Portugal from scoring in a fashion similar to Spiderman's web-slinging antics from a Marvel Cinematic Universe flick, as he kept shot after shot out with a web of saves. Later on, Bruno Fernandes fired at goal, but Gulacsi, who now appeared to be a mirage of prime Buffon, spun out another fantastic save, keeping his side in contention for a draw and earning candidacy for man-of-the-match.
Hungary's Szabolcs Schön thought he had put his side in front, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Three minutes after Schön’s short-lived celebration, Portugal scored. Raphael Guerreiro (84’) saw his shot deflected, leaving Gulacsi watching agonizingly as the ball rolled into goal.
Later, Cristiano Ronaldo (87’ P.) beat Gulacsi from the penalty spot to become the first player in the history of European Championship finals to score 10 goals, before adding another to his record (90’) moments after. The 3-0 victory leaves Portugal unbeaten in six games: WDWDWW, ahead of Match Day 2 with a goal difference of +3 and at the top of Group F after 1W, 0D & 0L.
All eyes will be on Portugal’s top scorer, Ronaldo (106 goals), in Fernando Santos’ probable 4—2—3—1 formation as he continues to chase down Iranian Ali Daei’s record of 109 international goals.
Germany
Meanwhile, Germany failed to pick up any points from Tuesday’s encounter against France. They started on the front foot but found themselves less dominant as the game progressed, with France switching seamlessly between defense and attack.
Germany were fortunate not to concede earlier, when Paul Pogba missed a fine chance. However, they weren’t so lucky moments later, as Mats Hummels scored an own goal in the 20th minute, firing the ball past his own goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, in a failed attempt to clear the lines.
Germany pressed forward but failed to find a breakthrough, with France putting plenty of bodies behind the ball. Karim Benzema later saw his goal ruled out for offside before the game came to an end.
The defeat left the outgoing coach Joachim Low frustrated, as he gesticulated from the sidelines while the incoming coach Hansi Flick watched from the stands. Germany have no points and a goal difference of -1 after 0W, 0D & 1L, returning on Match Day 2 behind a form that reads: WWLDWL.
Joachim Low might move away from Tuesday’s 3-4-2-1 formation to a 4-3-3 setup, potentially replacing the unconvincing Serge Gnabry with Timo Werner in attack.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.