Saint-Denis (AFP)
France-Portugal, Sunday in Saint-Denis (8:45 pm), will be much more than a League of Nations match: the Blues want to erase a final of Euro-2016 that they have "not forgotten" and take the 'ascendant on Cristiano Ronaldo's team, before finding it in June at the European Championship.
The big reunion, four years after the Portuguese coronation of 2016 (1-0 ap) and the tears of the Stade de France, should have been held on June 24 in Budapest for the last day of Group F of Euro-2020.
But the novel coronavirus pandemic caused the shock to be postponed, turning this autumnal Nations League match into a veritable trial run for the world champions before the duel announced against Seleçao on June 23, 2021 in Hungary, 364 days after the initial date.
"It's a great confrontation with two of the best European and even world teams. We can assess the strengths of the moment," said coach Didier Deschamps on Saturday.
Sunday, there will certainly not be the 80,000 spectators of July 10, 2016 but only a thousand, health restrictions oblige.
There will also be no damn 109th minute in this meeting, nor Eder in the Portuguese jersey, the providential striker of the Euro evolving far from the selection for several years.
But there will be memories: Cristiano Ronaldo who comes out in tears after 25 minutes of play, Blaise Matuidi collapsed at the end of the meeting, coach Didier Deschamps who removes his silver medal from around his neck after the presentation of the trophies ...
- "Show that we are better than them" -
"We have not forgotten the Euro", slips Paul Pogba, holder that night, like Giroud, Lloris and Griezmann.
These four former should find Sunday on the scoresheet six of their Portuguese tormentors holders in 2016.
"The final of the Euro, it always remains there, despite the World Cup. It remains a match, that does not define everything but it is important for us. We want to show that we are better than them", adds the Manchester United midfielder who hopes to celebrate his first international start in 16 months, after a season plagued by injury and the pandemic.
In the short term, the duel will decide between the two co-leaders (6 pts) of group 3 of the first division of the League of Nations, this friendly competition in which Portugal won the first edition.
He will also oppose two technicians with record longevity.
Fernando Santos will become the most capped coach in Portuguese history (75 matches) on Sunday;
Didier Deschamps will celebrate his 104th game at the head of the Blues, one more than his number of selections as a player.
"Centenarians", there will also be on the lawn, with striker Olivier Giroud just recovered from his double during his 100th selection Wednesday against Ukraine (7-1), or captain Hugo Lloris who s' is about to overtake, with a probable 117th selection, Marcel Desailly in third place among the most capped Blues.
- Are the executives back?
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Opposite, there will be the ogre Ronaldo, 35 years old and 101 goals in 166 caps.
The superstar of Juventus Turin, who remains on a fantastic double in September in Sweden, chases the record of the Iranian Ali Daei to become the top scorer in the history of the selections (109 goals).
"When he is present, it remains a threat, we will try to answer it collectively," pointed out the French captain Hugo Lloris, admiring the "longevity" and "extraordinary records" of "CR7", who however, never scored against the Blues.
If Portugal lost its Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes and his Lille defender José Fonte due to contamination with Covid-19, the Blues seem to be complete, between promising young people and still effective executives.
Antoine Griezmann, substitute and already scorer on Wednesday, postulates a return to the starting eleven, like Pogba, Raphaël Varane, Lucas Hernandez and Kylian Mbappé.
Presnel Kimpembe, Adrien Rabiot and N'Golo Kanté also have a card to play.
Without forgetting Houssem Aouar and especially Eduardo Camavinga, impressive maturity for his first start and his first goal with the Blues on Wednesday, at only 17 years old.
Enough to shake up the hierarchy?
© 2020 AFP