Portugal
Reigning champions no longer so reliant on Ronaldo
OVERVIEW
After waiting until 2016 for their first major trophy, another one followed just three years later in the inaugural Nations League. As a result, Portugal head to the Euros with a squad packed with match-winning experience.
They couldn’t have asked for a tougher group, drawn alongside world champions France and Germany – whom they will face in Munich – while their most winnable fixture, against Hungary, is in Budapest. The Magyars held them to a 3-3 draw at Euro 2016.
Gone are the days of “Cristiano Ronaldo plus ten”. Joao Felix, Diogo Jota, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva are exceptional attacking talents starring for Europe’s biggest clubs.
The attritional football that won Euro 2016 has evolved into a more expansive style, yet they have lost none of the defensive solidity or will to win infused by coach Fernando Santos. They are real contenders to retain their crown.
TACTICS
A strong advocate of 4-4-2 for much of his tenure, coach Fernando Santos has drifted towards 4-3-3 recently in order to maximise the formidable array of attacking options at his disposal. Ronaldo and Joao Felix tend to alternate between left-wing and centre-forward.