Portugal emerged victorious from their semi-final against Wales in Lyon on Wednesday, recording what was - rather remarkably - their first win of the competition inside 90 minutes. The match was closely fought with little to choose between the two sides in the first half, but Portugal's solidity at the back and clinical edge inside the opposition's penalty area ultimately made the difference as they booked their place in Sunday's showpiece event at the Stade de France in Paris with a 2-0 triumph thanks to goals from former Manchester United teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani. It is a formula that has worked for Portugal throughout the knockout stage, during which they have never really played brilliant attacking football going forward but have nevertheless always found a way to come out on top - whether in normal time, extra time or via a penalty shoot-out.
France made it through to the final by beating world champions Germany 2-0 at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Thursday night. The host nation - who won both the European Championship in 1984 and the World Cup in 1998 on their own soil - had to weather a German storm in the first period as Joachim Low's men controlled possession and dominated proceedings, but a penalty on the stroke of half-time gave France a lead that their general play did not really merit.
Didier Deschamps' side did improve after the break, though, causing problems on the counter-attack and limiting Germany's ability to create clear-cut chances at the other end. While the Germans' display in the opening 45 minutes was mostly excellent - the only thing they really did wrong was fail to find the back of the net - France also deserve credit for ensuring their opponents did not turn their territorial dominance into a flurry of goalscoring opportunities.
Deschamps could restore N'Golo Kante to the starting XI for Sunday's showdown in an effort to stiffen up the France midfield, although that would probably involve Antoine Griezmann being moved back out wide from the central role in which he has excelled in the knockout rounds up to now. Portugal, meanwhile, are expected to have William Carvalho and Pepe available for selection once more following suspension and injury respectively, with the midfielder and defender both set to return to the Selecao's line-up.
This could be a tight and tense affair, with Portugal likely to focus on frustrating France and taking the sting out of their play; having said that, the hosts have been much improved in their last two outings and may simply have too much going forward for Santos' men to deal with. It is therefore worth backing a France win in Paris, perhaps by a 2-1 or 3-1 margin, while Atletico Madrid forward Griezmann is the obvious option for the game's first goalscorer.
.png)
.png)
