Les Bleus beat the Portuguese on penalties and qualify for the semi-finals

France eliminated Portugal (0-0, 5-3 on penalties) on Friday in Hamburg.

Some players like Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud said they still had the defeat in the Euro final in 2016 stuck in their craw. Eight years after the disappointment at home, Les Bleus took their revenge against Portugal on Friday July 5 in Hamburg (Germany), by qualifying for the semi-finals of the Euro (0-0, 5-3 on penalties). In a tight match, Didier Deschamps’ players had fewer chances than in their first games, but managed to secure their qualification on penalties, an exercise that had not been successful for them since 1998. They join Spain, who beat the German hosts, in the semi-finals.

This time, the match was not “boring”. Sure, the goal was slow in coming, but that was more due to a tight game during which both teams played pretty good football, even better by the Blues than the Portuguese. It didn’t take long to realize that a goal would be deserved, as both teams had trouble touching the ball in the opposing area.

They each alternated their highlights in the first half. And while Rafael Leao put Jules Koundé to the test with his speed, the Portuguese were not very dangerous before the break. The Blues, for their part, had only tried from afar, through Theo Hernandez (20th) and Eduardo Camavinga (28th). The game got wild after the break, after a shiver ran through the French supporters when Kylian Mbappé took the ball in the face while blocking a header from Vitinha, causing his mask to move and his nose to fracture.

But the captain of the Blues stayed on the pitch to help his teammates while the Portuguese attacks became more and more dangerous. Mike Maignan, in front of Bruno Fernandes (61st) then twice in front of Vitinha and Ronaldo (63rd), turned into a savior to keep the Blues afloat. In reaction, Randal Kolo Muani tried his luck but saw his shot blocked by Ruben Dias (66th), a situation that recalled another, unfortunate one in 2022. Eduardo Camavinga also had his chance, but the midfielder crossed his attempt too much which grazed the post.

The Blues then tried to force their destiny, with shots from afar, but extra time seemed inevitable. An extra time during which the Seleçao, pushed by their noisier crowd, had more control and were more dangerous. To try to break the Portuguese lock, Didier Deschamps tried a big move by replacing Kylian Mbappé, with an ice pack on his nose, with Bradley Barcola, but nothing worked, the nets did not tremble.

The penalty shootout, so dreaded by the French, whose last success in this exercise dates back to 1998, has begun. And the Blues, who this time had worked on them in training, were able to exult when their five shooters, Ousmane Dembélé, Youssouf Fofana, Jules Koundé, Bradley Barcola and Theo Hernandez succeeded in their attempts, while Joao Felix had sent his on the post on the Portuguese side.

The fate is doubly conjured: the Blues win after playing extra time for the first time since Euro 2000, and above all, they finally win a penalty shootout after those lost in the World Cup final against Italy in 2006, in the round of 16 of the Euro in 2021 against Switzerland, and in the final of the 2022 World Cup against Argentina.