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Edgar Chaput
Portugal vs. France: Euro 2024 Quarterfinal Odds, Prediction
There will be no shortage of world-class talent on the Volksparstadion pitch in Hamburg on Friday night. Continental heavyweights Portugal and France will duel for a place in the semifinal at Euro 2024. Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mpbappe, Marcus Thuram, Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, Antoine Greizmann, etc. If this game plays up to expectations, it should be a football fan’s delight.
This is a tight one, as the Euro 2024 odds have Portugal at +230 to win and France at +135. A draw, which would require extra time, is priced at +200.
Portugal vs. France Betting Odds
If history counts for anything, then it is safe to say that it is not on Portugal’s side in matchups versus the French. Les Bleus have a record of 19-3-6 (win-draw-loss) versus the Portuguese. They have defended their honour the last three times, winning once and drawing twice, the victory coming in 2020 during the Nations League. All that said, the most recent Portugal win was one of the biggest in the country’s history, coming in the Euro 2016 final and in France no less.
France has a tricky history in this competition. They’ve won it twice (1984, 2000) and have been runners-up once (2016), which is quite impressive. That said, unless they make it to the final, they tend to fail in the group stage or very early in the knockout rounds. In the five tournaments since 2000, they have not gone further than the quarterfinals four times.
Portugal has a strong tally in the quarterfinals, having won four of its seven participations at this competition stage, although they were ousted by Belgium in the Round 16 three summers ago.
Portugal
Whoever said games that go to penalties at 0-0 are boring failed to catch the Round of 16 contest between Portugal and Slovenia.
It was a breathtaking affair, perhaps a little too close for comfort for Portugal who were the obvious favourites, but neutral have given quite a treat. To no one’s surprise, the Portuguese dominated the ball with 72 per cent possession and produced the lion’s share of the scoring chances, but that’s not the say the Slovenians didn’t give their opponents a scare or two, particularly in extra-time. Benjamin Sesko was gifted a dream chance on a semi-breakaway, only for Diogo Cota to bravely repel the shot with an outstretched leg.
It was a night to remember and to forget for Ronaldo, who missed all his free kicks, some by mere inches. He also had a penalty saved in extra-time, but the legendary player made up for it by netting the first of three successful takes by Portugal in the shootout to win 3-0. Bernardo Silva was a threat all night long, and Diogo Jota provided the Portuguese much-needed fresh legs when he was subbed on in the 65th minute.
France
It will be back-back highly anticipated matchups for the French. Just as their quarterfinal contest against Portugal is being hyped up, so was their Round of 16 challenge versus Belgium.
It was a curious match to watch unfold. France largely outplayed Belgium, even though the ball possession numbers suggest it was a close game (55.1 per cent to 44.9 per cent). Didier Deschamps ensemble looked sprier, played with more intent, and created far more serious opportunities. The back of the net largely eludes this 2024 French squad, though. Aurelien Tchouameni had chance after chance, yet sent most of his attempts over the bar or wide, as did Mbappe. Marcus Thuram was also in the right place a few times to open the scoring but could not. It’s not as though France played poorly, but as with their earlier games at Euro 2024, they aren’t scoring for whatever reason.
The decisive moment was quite late, the 85th minute, when some clever passing inside the Belgian box allowed Randal Kolo Muani to take a shot that deflected off Jan Vertonghen and into the Belgian net. Make the final, 1-0 for France.
