Neither Portugal nor France have been at their free-flowing best so far at EURO 2024, but this mouth-watering match-up offers both teams the chance to truly stake their claim as genuine contenders.

There will be star players all across the pitch, but while Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé may gain the most attention, it could be the defences that hold the key.

Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa came to the rescue against Slovenia with three saves in the penalty shoot-out, while France have kept three clean sheets in their four games so far, the likes of Jules Koundé and William Saliba particularly impressing. Who will get the upper hand in Hamburg?

Possible line-ups

Portugal: Diogo Costa; Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Pepe, Nuno Mendes; Palhinha, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes; Rafael Leão, Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva
Misses next match if booked: João Cancelo, Ronaldo, Francisco Conceição, João Palhinha, Pedro Neto, Rúben Neves

France: Maignan; Koundé, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernández; Kanté, Tchouameni, Griezmann; Dembélé, Thuram, Mbappé
Suspended: Rabiot
Misses next match if booked: Dembélé, Griezmann, Mbappé, Tchouameni

Route to the quarter-finals

Portugal

Group F
2-1 vs Czechia (Hranáč og 69, Francisco Conceição 90+2; Provod 62)
3-0 vs Türkiye (Bernardo Silva 21, Samet Akaydin og 28, Bruno Fernandes 56)
0-2 vs Georgia (Kvaratskhelia 2, Mikautadze 57 pen)

Round of 16
0-0 aet, 3-0 pens vs Slovenia

France

Group D
1-0 vs Austria (Wöber og 38)
0-0 vs Netherlands
1-1 vs Poland (Mbappé 56 pen; Lewandowski 79 pen)

Round of 16
1-0 vs Belgium (Vertonghen og 85)

Expert predictions

Carlos Machado, Portugal reporter

After a massive scare against Slovenia in the last 16, Roberto Martínez’s team now take on a fancied France side. This will be a test for Portugal and will require tactical adjustments, as, perhaps for the first time in Germany, the Seleção will have to defend for long periods. They may also get fewer chances at the other end and need to make sure they take them when they come – of course, they have done just that against Les Bleus before.

Alex Clementson, France reporter

This is a game that many would see as befitting of a final. The success France have achieved in successive tournaments isn’t something to be taken for granted, but there is a sense that this side have more levels in their locker. Profligacy in front of goal has again been at the forefront of the narrative after Belgium, and it is something coach Didier Deschamps will need to address in order for his side to overcome Portugal.

Views from the camps

Roberto Martínez, Portugal coach: “We’re now focused and ready for France. They are very strong but might leave space behind the lines. They can cause problems, but hopefully we will create more chances. The tournament now has different details, because you can win on penalties and you can create moments of individual quality.”

Didier Deschamps, France coach: “We’ve got the quality and talent, but there are a lot of teams that have that. At the highest level, there’s a need to be solid and work hard together. Everyone is progressing, and there’s a common denominator between all these matches: the athletic intensity being at the very highest level.”