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Portugal vs. France, picks, odds, live stream, lineup prediction: Where to watch Euro 2024 online, TV channel

It’s Cristian Ronaldo vs. Kylian Mbappe in a heavyweight quarterfinal matchup

Portugal will face France Friday in the second UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal with global superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe going head-to-head ahead of the French superstar’s move to Real Madrid where he idolized the Portuguese talisman. This matchup was the final of the tournament back in 2016 and the Selecao came out on top in Paris but this time it is a final eight matchup with Volksparkstadion the venue for what promises to be one of the most heavyweight meetings so far this tournament. Roberto Martinez’s side edged out Slovenia on penalties to keep their hopes alive while Didier Deschamps’ men needed a late own goal to see off Belgium in marginally more convincing style.

Monday saw Ronaldo go from villain to hero for Portugal as he saw an extra time penalty saved by Jan Oblak before scoring a crucial spot kick in the penalty shootout. The 39-year-old remains goalless at this Euro and there were tears in Frankfurt before a 3-0 win from the spot thanks to Diogo Costa’s heroics between the sticks. He is now the first male goalkeeper to save three penalties in a Euro shootout and bailed his teammates out for their failure to score over 120 minutes. This is a seventh Euro quarterfinal for the Portuguese which is more than any other nation since 1996 and their only exits at this stage came that year against Czechia and in 2008 when potential semifinal opponents Germany won en route to their final loss to the other possible final four foes — Spain. This is already one better than their round of 16 exit at Euro 2020, but Martinez’s outfit are scoreless in their last two games at this Euro, having been stunned by Georgia and then held by Slovenia.

France, though, are yet to score a goal from open play, yet still find themselves in the quarterfinal after seeing off Belgium which means that this is already more successful than their 2020 foray. It was a second placed finish in Group D for Les Bleus with an own goal from Maximilian Wober and a Kylian Mbappe penalty which was added to by a Jan Vertonghen own goal against the Belgians. Of greater importance to Deschamps will be the three clean sheets from four games so far with Robert Lewandowski’s penalty the only goal that they have conceded in their last six games. That said, not since 2013 have the French struggled this much for goals, which was much earlier in the Deschamps era and much more will be expected of Mbappe up against his idol Ronaldo even if it was Eder who made the difference in 2016.

Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:How to watch and odds
Date: Friday, July 5 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Volksparkstadion – Hamburg, Germany
Watch: Fox or Fubo (try for free)
Odds: Portugal +230; Draw +200; France +140
How they got here
Portugal topped Group F ahead of surprise quarterfinalists Turkiye and then overcame Slovenia on penalties in the round of 16. France were beaten to top spot in Group D by Austria who fell in the round of 16 to the Turkish and it was a narrow win for the French over Group E runners-up Belgium which set up this rematch from 2016.

Team news
Portugal: Martinez has no major fitness worries despite the fatigue of extra time and Ronaldo should earn a 212th cap this Friday in Hamburg. Diogo Jota and Francisco Conceicao are in contention for a place in the XI but Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao will be tough to dislodge. Vitinha and Joao Palhinha are unlikely to budge in midfield with the latter close to joining Bayern Munich from Fulham.

Possible Portugal XI: Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Pepe, Mendes; Palhinha, Vitinha; Silva, Fernandes, Leao; Ronaldo (c).

France: Adrien Rabiot is now a free agent and is suspended here after picking up a second yellow card of the tournament against Belgium. Ousmane Dembele, Eduardo Camavinga, Youssouf Fofana or Warren Zaire-Emery could come in with the Real Madrid man most likely. Kingsley Coman has been with family for the birth of his child but was unlikely to feature anyway. Rabiot has been part of a diamond midfield so that Marcus Thuram could lead the attack alongside Mbappe but Randal Kolo Muani’s impact in that position suggests that he should partner his former PSG teammate instead.

Possible France XI: Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Griezmann; Mbappe (c), Kolo Muani.

Prediction
This one should be tight and logically will go beyond at least 90 minutes. Do not be surprised if France need 120 minutes or even penalties to edge past Portugal with that scenario now more daunting thanks to Diogo Costa’s heroics. Ultimately, though, Les Bleus should inflict a measure of revenge for 2016 here in what could be Ronaldo’s final major international tournament outing. Pick: Portugal 1, France 1 (France win on penalties).Portugal and France collide in a mouthwatering EURO 2024 quarterfinal in Hamburg on Friday, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe center stage once again.

[ MORE: EURO 2024 schedule, bracket ]

Roberto Martinez’s Portugal squeezed past Slovenia on penalty kicks in the last 16 as Ronaldo had his penalty kick in extra time saved, which led to him being in tears, but Portugal’s hero on the night was goalkeeper Diogo Costa who saved all three of Slovenia’s spot kicks in the shootout. This Portugal side are supremely talented and even though Ronaldo is still their main man up top, they have so many other talents in Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota and Rafael Leao buzzing around to support their veteran talisman.

France were sluggish but got there in the end against Belgium in the last 16 as Didier Deschamps’ side have yet to hit their best form. They have two own goals and a penalty kick to their name through their opening four games of the tournament as all eyes will be on Kylian Mbappe as he’s yet to really hit top form after suffering a broken nose. France have looked solid defensively with N’Golo Kante and William Saliba excellent and it feels like this game, a repeat of the EURO 2016 final, will be won in midfield.

How to watch Portugal vs France, stream link and start time
Kick off: 3pm ET, Friday (July 5)
Stadium: Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
How to watch on TV, stream in USA: Fox Sports

Portugal team news, focus
The main issue for Portugal is that they have to stop giving up big chances on the counter. It has happened all tournament long and Costa bailed them out against Slovenia. Veteran defender Pepe has been excellent and he will probably start again due to a lack of central defensive options. Portugal have so many attacking options with Joao Felix, Pedro Neto and Goncalo Ramos not even getting off the bench in the last 16.

France team news, focus
There will be at least one change for Deschamps as Adrien Rabiot is suspended for this quarterfinal due to yellow card accumulation. That means Eduardo Camavinga is likely to start in central midfield alongside Kante and Aurelien Tchouameni. France’s back four is extremely solid, while Mike Maignan made some big stops in goal against Belgium. The key for France is continuing to create big chances and the next step is now being more clinical and getting Mbappe on the ball as much as possible with Antoine Griezmann nearby.

Portugal vs France prediction
This feels like a game too far for Portugal. They have supreme quality in attack but so do France and Les Bleus look more solid defensively too. Portugal 0-1 France.