Aoba Tanaka 
In a nail-biting quarter-final showdown at Hamburg, France triumphed over Portugal in a penalty shootout to secure their place in the Euro 2024 semi-finals. Theo Hernandez scored the decisive penalty after Portugal’s Joao Felix hit the post, marking the only miss in the shootout.
The jubilant French players sprinted across the pitch to celebrate with their fans, while a dejected Portugal team, having already experienced the tension of a shootout win against Slovenia five days earlier, applauded their supporters in a somber farewell.
This match also marked the end of an era for Portugal’s legendary captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who had announced that this would be his final European Championship. Despite the pre-match hype surrounding the clash between 39-year-old Ronaldo and France’s Kylian Mbappe, neither star had a significant impact on the game. Ronaldo successfully converted his spot-kick, but Mbappe, masked due to a broken nose, was substituted during extra time and could not participate in the shootout.
The match itself was a tense and cagey affair with few clear chances. Portugal had the better opportunities, with Bruno Fernandes and Vitinha both testing France’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan. France’s best chance in regular time came when Randal Kolo Muani’s shot was deflected narrowly wide by Ruben Dias, followed by Eduardo Camavinga missing a close-range effort.
Extra time saw Portugal’s talisman Ronaldo squander a golden opportunity, sending a cutback from Francisco Conceicao over the bar to the dismay of the fans behind the goal. Ultimately, Portugal’s luck ran out in their second consecutive shootout, paving the way for France’s victory.
France will now face Spain in the semi-finals, set to take place in Munich on Tuesday at 20:00 BST.
#france #portugal #euro #qualifiers #bruno #fernandes #mbappe #football #news #footballnews #sportznews #newssportz
