Official Euro 2012 - Portugal (The Navigators)

Portugal - Team & Tactics

Since reaching the UEFA EURO 2004 finals, Portugal have become fixtures in the knockout stages of major tournaments. Semi-finalists at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and quarter-finalists at UEFA EURO 2008, they were unlucky to encounter eventual winners Spain in the last 16 in South Africa two summers ago. A fifth successive UEFA European Championship final tournament was in jeopardy when Paulo Bento replaced Carlos Queiroz two games – and just one point – into UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying. He made an immediate impact, culminating in a resounding play-off triumph against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, the team features some dynamic players. If they can work together, this could be one of the most feared teams in the competition. They have firepower from all over, and if it comes together, this team could be the European champions.

This year, for Portugal to succeed, Cristiano Ronaldo must continue on his Real Madrid form. Ronaldo featured for the 2004 and 2006 team, but as the torchbearer he has yet to win a knockout round. Ronaldo is the captain. He’s in his competitive prime. If Portugal are to advance from this arduous group, he must carry them.

Obviously, a team featuring Ronaldo, Pepe and Nani have to face the threat of inconsistency. They can lose their heads in a match, and that could end Portugal's chances instantly. However, if the team stays focused, they will be in great shape.

Qualification: Portugal finished second to Denmark in Group H. They had a 5-2-1 record and a +9 goal difference. They lost at Denmark and Norway and drew Cyprus 4-4 at home. The Portuguese beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 6-2 on agg in the playoff to reach the tournament.

In a mouth-watering Group B, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Portugal were all drawn together. It is easily the toughest Group of Euros this term with Germany, Holland and Portugal bringing squads capable of competing for glory. Portugal will kick off their tournament on the second day (9th June) when they will face the last term's Finalists Germany. The complete schedule for group stages could be found here.

The Manager - Paulo Bento

Portugal's 42-year-old head coach will not want to be reminded of the last time he was involved in the finals of the European Championships.

A defensive midfielder for the 'Seleccao' at the 2000 edition in the Low Countries, Bento was one of a number of Portuguese players who violently raged at officials after France were awarded a late winning penalty in a closely-fought semi-final. He was later handed a five-month international ban for his pains.

On hanging up his boots four years later, Bento turned to coaching and following a reasonably successful four-year stint at the helm of Sporting Lisbon, was appointed to succeed the ill-fated Carlos Queiroz as national team coach in the autumn of 2010.

With just one point from their opening two qualifiers, Portugal were in a shambolic state and though Bento was not exactly greeted with open arms by the local media - who believed he was just as dull and negative as Queiroz - the new man turned out to be much better than anyone imagined, not only leading Portugal to Euro 2012 qualification via the play-offs but getting them to play with enterprise and style.

A confirmed disciplinarian, Bento rules with an iron fist and it was no surprise at all that he spectacularly fell out with established national team defenders Ricardo Carvalho and Jose Bosingwa, vowing the pair would never play for him again. Some say the Portugal coach cannot think outside the box, but at least he does not stand idly by when all is not going to plan.

The Squad

GOALKEEPERS

Rui Patricio (Sporting) : One of the most highly-rated young keepers in Europe, blessed with great reflexes, speed and concentration. Had an excellent season both in the Domestic League and the Europa League, demonstrating his talent with a last minute save against Man City in the final minute of stoppage time.

Eduardo (Benfica) : Shone for Portugal at the 2010 World Cup and had a key role in Braga's impressive 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons, but lost place after he joined Benfica last year. A good shot-stopper, decent at saving penalties, but can sometimes struggle in the air.

Beto (Cluj) : Moved from Porto to Romania's Cluj last year saying he wanted to improve and return to the Portuguese champions in the future. Agile and courageous, does not allow his small stature to prevent him from dealing with high balls.

DEFENDERS

Bruno Alves (Zenit St Petersburg) : Uncompromising, powerful and aggressive, Alves poses problems for even the most lethal forwards, using his height and heading ability effectively at both ends of the pitch. A fans' favourite while at Porto, now an important player for Zenit. Also an exquisite free-kick taker.

Rolando (Porto) : Cape Verde-born lanky centre-back who used to form a solid club partnership with Alves for Porto, but whose form has been inconsistent this season. Criticised at times for being slow, he remains a tidy player who keeps things simple. At ease in the air.

Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid) : Originally a winger, Coentrao was the driving force in Benfica's 2009-2010 league title triumph and his consistency earned him a 30 million euro move to Real Madrid. Has struggled to retain his place, but remains a first-choice for his country.

Pepe (Real Madrid) : Intense and battle-hardened defender who can also play as a holding midfielder. Has suffered recurring injuries, but remains a quick, tall and workmanlike player who covers a lot of ground and is influential in the squad. Known for his enthusiasm and occasionally wild moments, for which he has apologised several times.

Joao Pereira (Sporting) : A rebel in character and playing style, attacking full-back Pereira likes to catch opponents balance. Runs often leave his flank unguarded and the defence exposed. Bad-tempered for some, a natural fighter for others, his commitment cannot be questioned.

Ricardo Costa (Valencia) : An experienced defender who can play in both central defence and on the flanks. Played at the top level in Portugal, France and Germany before moving to Spain. His versatility was a prized asset at the last World Cup in South Africa.

Miguel Lopes (Braga) :

MIDFIELDERS

Miguel Veloso (Genoa) : Versatile and owner of a fine left foot, he is a product of Sporting's academy. Once criticised for concentrating more on fancy hairdos than his game, he has matured since moving to Italy's Genoa and has been linked to a move to Inter. A free kick expert.

Raul Meireles (Chelsea) : Heavily-tattooed and tactically astute midfielder, may have lost some of his former mobility, but remains a crisp passer of the ball and owns a powerful shot. Reliable and willing, he can bring something extra to any midfield.

Joao Moutinho (Porto) : Fans were scratching their heads trying to understand why Moutinho was not in the squad for the South Africa World Cup. Often singled out for his consistency and tactical awareness, as a hard-working holding midfielder, has above-average passing skills. Sets the rhythm in transitions from defence to attack.

Hugo Viana (Braga) : Enjoying one of the best spells of his career, a refined midfielder at ease organizing attacks and spraying accurate passes around the field. His dangerous inswingers from set pieces can also cause havoc.

Ruben Micael (Zaragoza) : Mobile midfielder whose great strengths are his work-rate and passing ability. Stood out when playing for Nacional, the island of Madeira club. Moved to Porto, but never won a regular place, sold to Atletico Madrid last year and then loaned to Zaragoza.

Silvestre Varela (Porto) : Destined to be second-choice winger behind Ronaldo and Nani, Varela is a lively presence, always making aggressive runs down the flanks and producing dangerous crosses.

Custodio (Braga) :

FORWARDS

Nelson Oliveira (Benfica) : Coach Paulo Bento handed Oliveira his debut against Euro 2012 co-hosts Poland in Warsaw in February and labelled him as Portugal's future. Jumped into the spotlight at Under-20 World Cup, where he scored four goals as Portugal reached the final.

Hugo Almeida (Besiktas) : Tall, powerful striker who gives Portugal presence in the air, but sometimes lacks mobility. Scores some spectacular goals from time to time with his powerful left foot.

Helder Postiga (Real Zaragoza) : Central striker, strong in the air. After a career of ups and downs, moved to Real Zaragoza this season after failing to convince at Sporting. Has moments of brilliance and was pivotal in Portugal's Euro 2012 qualification, scoring five goals.

Nani (Manchester United) : A top-class dribbling and goal-scoring winger, has shrugged off Cristiano Ronaldo's ghost at both Manchester United and in the national shirt. Delights with electric pace, pinpoint crossing and long-distance scoring. Outstanding work-rate.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) : The world's most expensive player and Portugal captain will be one of the main attractions at the finals with his tricky runs and clinical finishing. Record-breaking Ronaldo is at the peak of his career and his terrific combination of incredible pace and quick stepovers will surely make Portugal fans dream this summer.

Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas) : Quaresma had disappointing stints at Barcelona, Chelsea and Inter, but has rediscovered his form at Besiktas. Nicknamed 'the Magician' or 'Harry Potter' because of his unpredictable dribbles and above-average technical ability, Quaresma's trademarks are his crosses and shots with the outside of the foot.

The Supporters

Cheeky, I know

Portugal have evolved in the last 18 months in the image of their coach Paulo Bento; discreetly, but decisively. Gone is the miserable circumspection of the Carlos Queiroz era. The current crop is no 2004 vintage, but they move the ball fluently and attack with vim.

The key to this is a happier Cristiano Ronaldo, allowed to flourish under Bento while he was fettered by Queiroz's system. The movement of the midfield three also means Portugal are now an entertaining prospect.

The Idea is simple, Play the Real Madrid way. In Ronaldo and Coentrao, you already have a flourishing partnership on the left flank and Veloso is the natural left-footed defensive midfielder who can easily deputize and slot into the left full back position, allowing Coentrao to run on flank.

As already pointed in OP and this post on Gaurdian, Bento plays a 4-3-3. Three defensive midfielders sit narrowly protecting the back four. They will look to absorb pressure and counter-attack quickly down the wings. That’s the game that suits Ronaldo and, thus, Portugal.

In Football Manager terms, it is a Balanced 4-3-3 set on counter-attack with Cristiano Ronaldo given a free role (maximum creative freedom and high roaming). Coentrao and Pereira both set as wing backs, Nani & Ronaldo are your inside forwards who can also switch flanks to disturb opposing fullbacks.

This is how Portugal may look when on the attack.

Attacking fluidity

In the 2010 World Cup, Fabio Coentrao stole the headlines and was Portugal's best player. He was allowed to maraud up and down the left side of the pitch and caught the eye on many occasions.

This stifled Ronaldo, but Bento has found a way to utilise them both and for this reason, a lot of the excitement happens down Portugal's left side.

Ronaldo has the ability to stretch defences, taking them down the line and widening the gaps between players or cutting inside with deadly effect.

Quite often, you'll see sides hit a "brick wall" of sorts when they enter the final third, but that's not the case when you've got Ronaldo performing as he is.

He attracts double-, sometimes triple-coverage. His team can take advantage of this and create overloads in the central areas—particularly on the edge of the penalty box.

Raul Meireles, Hugo Viana and Ruben Micael were all able to score in this fashion during the qualifying and friendly campaigns.

The Weak Spot - Defensive instability

Portugal have suffered with the same chronic ailment for years - a dearth of high quality strikers and none of the current batch (Helder Postiga, Hugo Almeida or the raw Benfica youngster Nelson Oliveira) are remotely good enough.

Portugal play a relatively high line which is susceptible to pacey attacks.

Under Carlos Queiroz, they managed to concede four against Cyprus with the long ball simply killing them. Bento has repaired some of this damage, but a quick, incisive attack would see the flat-footed Bruno Alves and Pepe in trouble.

They do have an insurance policy, as Miguel Veloso—or whoever sits deep in the midfield—is able to cover for the marauding full-backs, but you get the impression a few perfect diagonals from a Xabi Alonso-esque player could open them right up.

In their warm-up friendly against Macedonia, they were stretched multiple times by an extremely average opposing attack.

If you run at Portugal, they will struggle.

Moreover, the centre-backs Pepe and Bruno Alves have a tendency to lose their composure and make reckless challenges. Red cards and suspensions are no stranger to this pair.

Equally worrying is the lack of variety in the middle of the field, a sector full of neatness and box-to-box energy but lacking in real playmaking magic. Unfortunately for Bento, the days of Deco or Rui Costa are long gone.

If they are able to clear the Group, there is no stopping them before the semifinals.

I'd support her as well.

Oh, and nice thread BTW.

Can we forget about tactics and have more pictures of supporters please

Nice write up

An excellent write up.

I wonder if Ronaldo will swap with Nani to create a diversion on the right, stretch the defence and thus up gaps on the left for Nani (who is good off the ball), Coentrao and probably Meireles (who is pretty dire but does spot a gap well) to hit. Veloso and Moutinho are both good with the ball at their feet and could thrive with lots of energy and movement in front.

Maybe Oliveira will burst on to the scene and light things up for them.

I'd agree that I don't think they can really handle quality attacks against them but with holding and defensive mids maybe they'll be alright in that dept.

Omg what a beautiful...... girl in this thread :o

An excellent write up.

I wonder if Ronaldo will swap with Nani to create a diversion on the right, stretch the defence and thus up gaps on the left for Nani (who is good off the ball), Coentrao and probably Meireles (who is pretty dire but does spot a gap well) to hit. Veloso and Moutinho are both good with the ball at their feet and could thrive with lots of energy and movement in front.

Maybe Oliveira will burst on to the scene and light things up for them.

I'd agree that I don't think they can really handle quality attacks against them but with holding and defensive mids maybe they'll be alright in that dept.

I suspect Ronaldo will swap constantly with Nani. I also think at times in the game the shape will be more of a 4-2-2-2 with Ronaldo pushing up to play alongside Postiga.

Going forward I think Portugal are as good as anyone. It's the defensive side of their game what lets them down. However with Ronaldo in the side anything is possible.

Great write up, wonderful photography. I see you have grasped what the public want

Portugal should play a striker-less formation. Every year they are commented on how they lack good quality strikers and I would say that the wingers crossing ability is less than exceptional, that they need a big centre forward so could easily play Ronaldo through the middle. He's done it for Madrid.

Can we forget about tactics and have more pictures of supporters please

Nice write up

I risk to say that we, Portugal, have the most beautiful women in the world. And they are fire hot.

Enough with the women. Obviously, this will be the team my eyes will be on. I have to say, though, I have watched many of Portugal's matches (shame on me). I think paulo bento is a great manager. In my point of view, he should have never left Sporting, and I support, furiously, Benfica, their eternal rivals. But, thankfully, he was fired from Sporting and now I can support him without betraing my team.

Tactically speaking, you will see a lot of swapping in the wings. Just as Cleon said, Ronaldo and Nani, or Quaresma, will be swapping sides a lot. It is typical In portugal football. One thing I don't quite agree is the position of Moutinho. He is, normally, the playmaker in the midfield, living Meireles and Veloso to destroy (they all are there to destroy game, but Moutinho is a little more creative). This is mainly because Bento lets is players play a little like they play for their teams and that's Moutinho's role at Porto. Since they are all familiarised with the roles they usually play, Bento takes advantage of it. Unlike Queiroz. Which can bring us to great results. But, I'm no expert and I might be compltely wrong.

About Portugal winning the championship... I'm portuguese, and I love this team, but Germany is too strong, Holland has a great team and Denmark, well we already know what they did to us. It is going to be hard. Let's hope for the best.

Hope my english is correct. Cheers.

Your English is left.

I suspect Ronaldo will swap constantly with Nani. I also think at times in the game the shape will be more of a 4-2-2-2 with Ronaldo pushing up to play alongside Postiga.

Going forward I think Portugal are as good as anyone. It's the defensive side of their game what lets them down. However with Ronaldo in the side anything is possible.

We trust too much in wing backs. This leaves us exposed in the flanks. And the high D-line is not so great, because Bruno Alves and Pepe are not that fast. That's a big problem. Another little problem is Alves and Pepe's temperament. They lose it quite easily, and I believe many of you have seen what Pepe is capable of, and what Alves did to Rodrigo in the Zenit-Benfica match. They are too rough and risk too much. Though they are great defenders, they are brutes. Ok we have Rolando, but, unfortunately, the guy is far from being as good as the other two. Let's see how it goes.

Your English is left.

No it is not, now it's correct.

Thank you guys..

As I said above Portugal have potential and they can pip Holland if they play with their HEADS. (too much to ask?)

Anyways Looking forward to another Battle of Nuremberg between these two.

They have the potential to beat any of the teams in that group. They just don't play with their heads much. Which is a shame. We have great players, but no much of a team. And a team will beat any group of individuals. As I said above, I'm, me and every portuguese, hoping for the best. I bet we are all looking forward to see these boys playing some football.

If you have seen the match against Macedonia, they played really well, just missed to score. Am excited to see what they will do today against Turkey. But the most important match is next week's against Germany. If they beat Germany, I trully believe they will go through to the second phase.

The Match against Turkey was a total disappointment, as pointed Defense is crumbling. Portugal are not only letting in the crosses from Byline a poor positioning from Alves and Pepe adds to the misery. They need more coordination.

Ronaldo missed a penalty again.

And then... there's Eduardo. He has butter fingers. That third goal... I have no words for it. And the chances Portugal created were too many to lose 3-1. Our problem is in the front and at the back. Hope they fix them in time for the Germany match. But, though al the bad things, Portugal played really wellm which was good.

I think Portugal should play 4-3-3 with Quaresma, Ronaldo, and Nani up-top. The truth is that Portugal does not have world class strikers,but they do have 3 world class players who can pass by any defender. Though usually described as wingers, I believe that only Quaresma is a true winger. Ronaldo and Nani are perfectly capable of playing in the middle. If Bento is able to design an attack where these three would be constantly moving around, a sort of carousel, Portugal would reveal itself an offensive threat. I do agree with most who say that the defense is the weakest link, but despite all criticism a couple years ago, I do believe that playing Pepe as the defensive midfielder and having Alves-Rolando duo at the back would allow for both Meireles and Moutinho create plays. It would also allow Coentrao and Pereira to be more offensive and getting involved in attack. Portugal is lacking a true destroyer on the back, someone like Costinha or Petit, and Pepe could be the answer.

On the other hand, I know Bento won't play like this, so I hope I'm dead wrong and that the right way to play will be Bento's way.

I think Portugal should play 4-3-3 with Quaresma, Ronaldo, and Nani up-top. The truth is that Portugal does not have world class strikers,but they do have 3 world class players who can pass by any defender. Though usually described as wingers, I believe that only Quaresma is a true winger. Ronaldo and Nani are perfectly capable of playing in the middle. If Bento is able to design an attack where these three would be constantly moving around, a sort of carousel, Portugal would reveal itself an offensive threat. I do agree with most who say that the defense is the weakest link, but despite all criticism a couple years ago, I do believe that playing Pepe as the defensive midfielder and having Alves-Rolando duo at the back would allow for both Meireles and Moutinho create plays. It would also allow Coentrao and Pereira to be more offensive and getting involved in attack. Portugal is lacking a true destroyer on the back, someone like Costinha or Petit, and Pepe could be the answer.

On the other hand, I know Bento won't play like this, so I hope I'm dead wrong and that the right way to play will be Bento's way.

You are right. Putting Pepe on the DM spot would free Moutinho and Meireles. But we would still have a problem. The same problem, slow Centre Backs. We would have a destroyer in front of the defense, but we would still have two slow defenders. In what comes to attack, you're spot on. Having Ronaldo, Nani and Quaresma as a trio would definitely help scoring some goals. I know that Bento will change something, don't know what but he will do. Just it isn't the 3-2-5 he tries in the final minutes of yestarday's match.

If I had to pick an XI out of the players Bento have sellected I would probably have gone with this:

it may look a tad odd, but I think that an attempt to recreate Spalletti's Roma system from 06-07 and 07-08 would be the best way to get as much as possible out of this squad, the strikers just ain't good enough, while the midfield and wide players is probably the strongest part of the team

.......but sadly that would not happen irl

- Varela is a winger therefore he could never be put in the CM slot;

- Moutinho as a DM would mean less passing quality in the opposition half, and he doesn't have the defensive attributes a 'pure' DM needs;

- Hugo Viana has great technique and creativity but he's far from being an AMC, much less a trequartista. IRL Viana's role is a deep-lying/advanced playmaker, always in the CM slot.

- Varela is a winger therefore he could never be put in the CM slot;

- Moutinho as a DM would mean less passing quality in the opposition half, and he doesn't have the defensive attributes a 'pure' DM needs;

- Hugo Viana has great technique and creativity but he's far from being an AMC, much less a trequartista. IRL Viana's role is a deep-lying/advanced playmaker, always in the CM slot.

I have to agree with kingjericho. That would'nt work. Viana wouldn't be that good as the Trequartista kind. Having him dropping back would leave an empty space upfront and nobody to score goals. Ronaldo and Nani will be heavely marked, they won't be able to move that easily to cut inside and score goals. The solution is to have a trio with Quaresma, or Varela on the right, Nani on the left and Ronaldo as a striker.

As to Moutinho as a DM, I couldn't disagree more. Moutinho can not destroy play. At least not as Meireles and, with the slow defenders, we can't afford to have a guy holding up the ball in the place. If he loses the ball there, a through ball will be to dangerous through Pepe and Alves, or Rolando and Alves. You lose Meireles' creativity, placing him has a DM, but you win a destroyer. Other option is the one already discussed, using Pepe there. We don't want beautiful creative football. We want football that produces results. Portugal played really beautiful football against Turkey, yet they lost. Germany won't be so kind, nor will Holland, or Denmark. We need efficiency.

Don't take me wrong. Viana is a good player but, maybe, to play in the centre alongside Moutinho, or Veloso. Unfortunately, Portugal doesn't have a true destroyer. We have a few Dm but all creative playmaker types. Something, as stated, I don't believe will work.

Edit: I keep forggetting about Ricardo Costa. He may be our fastest defender and he may be a great "secret weapon". Having him starting a match, alongside one of the beasts would confuse our opposition. Giving the defence a little stability.

The way I see it Bento is playing with a flat midfield, playing to the strengths of midfield trio (Veloso-DLP, Meireles-BBM and Moutinho-AP) which is good I guess as evident from the match against Turkey. Only thing letting them down is their finishing. Portugal missed a string of chances to make their domination of Turkey count in the early stages which then resulted in lower morale and with no clear Leader (Ronaldo, The Captian missed a penalty) on the pitch they went downhill.

I think they have to find an answer to some legitimate concerns going into the opening match against Germany. Even a draw will be great morale boost.

Edit: I keep forggetting about Ricardo Costa. He may be our fastest defender and he may be a great "secret weapon". Having him starting a match, alongside one of the beasts would confuse our opposition. Giving the defence a little stability.

I agree, Disguise is Bento's biggest weapon. He does keep some surprises.

The way I see it Bento is playing with a flat midfield, playing to the strengths of midfield trio (Veloso-DLP, Meireles-BBM and Moutinho-AP) which is good I guess as evident from the match against Turkey. Only thing letting them down is their finishing. Portugal missed a string of chances to make their domination of Turkey count in the early stages which then resulted in lower morale and with no clear Leader (Ronaldo, The Captian missed a penalty) on the pitch they went downhill.

I think they have to find an answer to some legitimate concerns going into the opening match against Germany. Even a draw will be great morale boost.

Totally agree. Bento is indeed playing a flat midfield. And he is leaving a gap to big between defence and midfield. That's why I defend the destroyer theory. And I also agree with your view on the team's attack. They hd too many opportunities, but lost'em all. Some of them I know Ronald wouldn't miss. As long as it is not a penalty, we are safe with Cristiano upfront. But that's only a theory. Let's see how they line up saturday, and what they do.

Here's Euro 2012 tactical preview from ZonalMarking.net

Faviourite thread all ready, I wonder why :o

Faviourite thread all ready, I wonder why :o

Thanks jimbobBRFC, I guess we'll be revisiting each others thread

Here's Euro 2012 tactical preview from ZonalMarking.net

I just don't agree with Postiga. But I'm not the manager. On another hand, heard yesterday that, in the afternoon "peladinha" (that game where you throw half the team each side and make them play eachother), 40 minutes of football produced... tchan, tchan, tchan, tchan... 2 goals. And one of them was an own goal, scored by Patrício. The other one, if I'm not mitaken, was Ronaldo. Those strikers...

I just don't agree with Postiga.

If you read the full article and couple of other write-ups on net about Postiga. I think u'll agree.

Postiga may not be the actual finisher but he can drop deeper to link-up play and allow Ronaldo to play higher. Also he is marginally better than Almeida in air and can hold the ball upfront until Ronaldo or Nani makes the final run.

Edit: I know referring articles alone is not good enuf. But I have seen him play in some of the qualifiers.

Sorry, I missed my own point. Yes it is true, Postiga is a lot better than Almeida. He is good on the ball and drops deeper leaving Ronaldo free. But it is a personal preference of mine. I know he's a good player. I just prefer Ronaldo up top. But, as I said, I'm not the one to choose and if he plays I hope is for the best. Even though I'm a huge Benfica fan (really huge) and I love Nelson Oliveira, Postiga is our best striker, I have to agree.

I just don't agree with Postiga.

As I said, is a personal oppinion. Postiga would so a lot better than Almeida. I really miss Nuno Gomes, but he is old. Benfica treated him badly which hurts me as a Benfiquista.

Euro 2012 Preview: Germany vs Portugal

The mighty Germans take on the dark horses Portugal in a truly exciting Group B match at the European Championships on June 9th at the Arena Lviv in Lviv, Ukraine. Germany are the favorites to win the tournament, but the Portuguese lead by world's best player, Cristiano Ronaldo (only Messi could challenge him for that title), can cause upset in a group where no result is a foregone conclusion. This will be a vital game for both teams as they belong to the Euro 2012 Group of Death along with Denmark and Holland.

Germany:

I wanted to wait for NorthernGooner to complete his article and then to point that for the introduction.

Beaten finalists in Euro 2008, the bookmakers once again make Germany the most likely challengers to Spain. Germany breezed through qualifying with a 100% record to book their place in these finals early doors.

If there is a weakness it may well be in defence but the Germans are always known to score one more than their opponents. Said that, the Germans have scored in all bar one of their last 23 matches since losing (to Spain 1-0) in the World Cup semi finals.

Key Player: Mesut Ozil

Injury: Just in.. Lars Bender might get a nod ahead of Boateng. Low is not happy with Boateng particularly cause of breaching prescribed team discipline.

Portugal:

Portugal has several top-class players, but the team has never lived up to its true potential by lifting a major trophy. They had a glorious chance to win Euro 2004 but lost the Final 1-0 to surprise runners Greece. On paper, they are the best attacking team of the tournament but their lack of a true target man and suspect defending at times could cost them.

Key Player: Cristiano Ronaldo

Injury: Nani is a fitness concern for Portugal, as he may not be fully fit to feature in Saturday's match against Germany. His pace on and off the ball has proven to be an important factor for a Portuguese front line that lacks a killer instinct in front of goal.

Head to Head

Germany vs Portugal (W-D-L::8-5-3)

In the last three meetings between these two dating back to Euro 2000 in Belgium and Netherlands, the Germans have a 2-1 advantage over the Portuguese.

Euro 2000 (Group Stage) Portugal 3-0 Germany

World Cup 2006 (Third Place Match) Germany 3-1 Portugal

Euro 2008 (Quarter-Finals) Portugal 2-3 Germany

Recent Form Analysis

Portugal head into Euro 2012 on two negative results in their final two preparation matches. A poor performance against Macedonia ended in a scoreless draw and raised a lot of questions from the Portuguese fans and media.

In their final test before heading to Poland, Turkey stole the show at the Estadio da Luz as they defeated the host 3-1. The Portuguese may have dictated the run of play for periods of the game, but their lack of a true target man and suspect defending at times cost them once again.

For Germany, they were able to end their preparation on a positive note, but they will certainly not forget the 5-3 defeat to Switzerland. With Schweinsteiger out due to injury and the German back line looking extremely vulnerable, the Swiss had a match to remember. Their final match against Israel ended in a 2-0 victory for the Mannschaft, allowing them to head into Euro 2012 on a positive note.

Probable Line ups:

Germany (4-2-3-1):Manuel Neuer; Philipp Lahm, Mats Hummels, Holger Badstuber, Jérôme Boateng; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira; Thomas Mueller, Mesut Ozil, Lucas Podolski; Mario Gomez

The Germans play in a very flexible formation with their game being possession based. The front four are very fluid and the wingbacks Lahm and Boateng will keep bombing forward to support in attack. Sami Khedira and Schweinsteiger are expected to play in a defensive midfield role and carry the ball from defence to attack to the ever dangerous quartet of Muller, Ozil, Podolski and Gomez. Hummels and Badstuber are likely to be the central defensive pair and Neuer would be between the sticks.

Portugal (4-3-3): Rui Patrício, João Pereira, Bruno Alves, Pepe, Fábio Coentrão, Miguel Veloso, Raul Meireles, João Moutinho, Nani, Hélder Postiga, Cristiano Ronaldo

Patricio would be the shotstopper and Pepe and Bruno Alves would be expected to from the tough central defensive pairing. Coentrão and Pereira would burst forward from their wing back positions as often as possible. Raul Meireles will play in a central role, picking out passes and getting the wingbacks into play. Moutinho and Veloso will assist him in midfield. Captain and danger man Cristiano Ronaldo will attack from the left wing, with his Manchester United successor Nani controlling the opposite flank. Postiga would be the target man up top and will hold up the ball till he gets support.

Prediction:

An attacking but cagey game is expected as none of these teams would like to lose. The first goal would be important. Once a goal is scored, it would be an end-to-end affair as both these teams having plenty of pace and skill. It should be a great game with some of the best players in the world on display. Germany are expected to nick it because of better balance in their team and some excellent possession play.

Though I wish it to be a draw but realistically

Germany 2-1 Portugal

Great preview would be ace if everyone did one for every game, although cant see that happening

2-0 for Germany. No brainer.

2-0 for Germany. No brainer.

Don't be so confident. Portugal has surprised Germany more than once. I can see them taking one point from that game. It's taking too long to be saturday.

Don't be so confident. Portugal has surprised Germany more than once. I can see them taking one point from that game. It's taking too long to be saturday.

I'll come back saturday night to claim my glory

Great.. I can see the need of a betting thread as well.

Kingjericho, you got it right. We lost. But Portugal played really well. Unfortunately our little problem persists. We can't score and if we don't score we will never win. Well, there's always the next match. Let's hope we can beat Denmark.

Cheers, and good night.

Germany had the luck of the game, the Pepe and Varela occasions had to be goal.

Luck? WTF? You make your own luck..had Portugal decided to play football around 70 mins earlier perhaps they would have had more "luck." The Portuguese have a good team their coach needs to start letting them play football.

Luck? WTF? You make your own luck..had Portugal decided to play football around 70 mins earlier perhaps they would have had more "luck." The Portuguese have a good team their coach needs to start letting them play football.

Agreed.

Portgula looked good going forward but only in the last 20 minutes. A team like Portugla should be looking to set up to win the game, not draw it.

Even when they were not playing too attacking, they created chances. They should have pushed a little further, before Germany went on to defend the small victory. We should have scored first. Game history would have been a lot different. And Postiga... I don't know who is the best option for striker, I honetly don't know. But it was a good match. Better than that Holland-Denmark.

Germany were the better side for the first 60-70 minutes and were the only side who were creating anything going forward. Portugal only really started to play when they went a goal down. Portugal seemed really negative and it wasn't a great game due to how Portugal had set up to draw the game. Once they were behind though it became a great game of football as they looked dangerous going forward. But up until that point you never wanted to win the game or offered anything going forward imo.

Agreed.

Portgula looked good going forward but only in the last 20 minutes. A team like Portugla should be looking to set up to win the game, not draw it.

Agreed, Porgula should be looking for the win. But Porgutula have 3 primarily defensive midfielders so it's hard for them. Porgula? No, that's not it. Pogulatla? Nope..hang on... Portsmouth? No definitely not. Oh, never mind

Ok, I'll be serious.

I thought the game was pretty boring, both teams happy to try and play for the draw. Can't say I blame them but Germany are always better equipped to do that.

I didn't see Nani do much (apart from stitching Lahm by nicking it over his head!) and Ronaldo really had to work hard for any opening, which I thought Boateng did well with all night.

For all the press the new coach has got I was expecting to see Portugal far more exciting and adventurous, even with 3 'solid' midfielders. Meireles had a shocker, I don't rate him but either ask him to be more adventurous going forward or replace him for the next game. It may well of been different had the Dutch won of course.

Totally agree with you guys. Portugal should have played to win and not to draw. But there's always that mentality that Germany is far better and last we meet Germany beat us 3-1, so our boy must have thoght that a draw would be good enough. Unfortunately, us we say here, a team that doesn't score is risking to conced. That's what happened. Denmark's next. That game we will win... or maybe not.

Edit: Got it wrong, last time we faced Germany was at the 2008 Euro Championship and they beat us 3-2.

Agreed, Porgula should be looking for the win. But Porgutula have 3 primarily defensive midfielders so it's hard for them. Porgula? No, that's not it. Pogulatla? Nope..hang on... Portsmouth? No definitely not. Oh, never mind

Ok, I'll be serious.

I thought the game was pretty boring, both teams happy to try and play for the draw. Can't say I blame them but Germany are always better equipped to do that.

I didn't see Nani do much (apart from stitching Lahm by nicking it over his head!) and Ronaldo really had to work hard for any opening, which I thought Boateng did well with all night.

For all the press the new coach has got I was expecting to see Portugal far more exciting and adventurous, even with 3 'solid' midfielders. Meireles had a shocker, I don't rate him but either ask him to be more adventurous going forward or replace him for the next game. It may well of been different had the Dutch won of course.

I disagree there, Germany played to win, the problem was they were quite disjointed, it certainly was not as fluid as two years ago.

With regards to the Portuguese, they clearly have some great weapons to work with but looked shackled last night. I always think the Germans have a tendency to be carved open ala the last 20 minutes last night. I thought Boateng did alright against CR7 but when CR7 ran at him he was lost. I wonder what Mourinho made of the tactics last night.

I disagree there, Germany played to win, the problem was they were quite disjointed, it certainly was not as fluid as two years ago.

With regards to the Portuguese, they clearly have some great weapons to work with but looked shackled last night. I always think the Germans have a tendency to be carved open ala the last 20 minutes last night. I thought Boateng did alright against CR7 but when CR7 ran at him he was lost. I wonder what Mourinho made of the tactics last night.

I don't know, both FB's can be very attacking and weren't whilst Khedira/Schweinsteiger very very rarely made a move forward. I can understand the midfielders because them sitting is part of the tactic but if they were really going for the game or chasing a game I'd expect at least Lahm to play really quite advanced which in turn allows Podolski to push forward. I can understand the FB's being reluctant to move forward and leave space for Nani and Ronaldo but it's not an aggressive attacking move. Gomez only touched the ball 13(!) times in the first 70 mins or so. I'm sure they wanted to win but when your striker hardly received the ball (the next lowest number of touches was Neuer with around 35) you know that they definitely don't want to lose.

Will be more interesting to see how Portugal approach the Holland game where they have to win but are still playing against (supposedly) quality opposition. Although the same could be said of the Denmark game I guess.