France faces Portugal Wednesday evening for the last day of the group stage of Euro 2020. On the occasion of this decisive match, Europe 1 looks back on the meetings between these two nations in the European Championship.

Second episode: the madness of the semi-final of Euro 2000, won by the Blues in overtime (2-1).

It is a French team crowned with a first star in the World Cup which is presented in the last four of Euro 2000. The golden generation of Zinédine Zidane, Didier Deschamps or Fabien Barthez is feared by the whole of Europe . Despite a defeat against the Netherlands, the co-organizer of the edition with Belgium, during the group stage (3-2), the Blues once again climb to the semifinals of a major competition. And it is Portugal that stands in their way on Wednesday June 28, 2000, like sixteen years earlier.

The King Bauduin stadium in Brussels is packed for the revenge between the two nations.

The 50,000 spectators attend a new game of anthology between France and Portugal, marked by the victory of the Blues in overtime thanks to the golden goal from a penalty kick from Zinédine Zidane (2-1 ap).

Europe 1 invites you to retrace this match on the occasion of the opposition between France and Portugal on Wednesday evening in Budapest (9 pm) at the end of the group stage of Euro 2020. A decisive match, once again .

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Nuno Gomez's stroke of genius

The France team asserts its favorite status by appearing in the semi-finals of Euro 2000. The 1998 world champions are back on the pitch, with the only change being the arrival of young striker Nicolas Anelka. The selection of Roger Lemerre, who took over from Aimé Jacquet, looks like a scarecrow somewhat unlike Portugal, a surprise guest in the last four of the competition. The Seleção das quinas however shone in the group stage by winning against two favorites, England (3-2) and Germany (3-0). It especially counts in its ranks the future Golden Ball of the same year, the midfielder Luis Figo.

But it was Benfica Lisbon striker Nuno Gomez who took the France team by surprise at the start of the game.

On a small discount full axis, the Portuguese strikes by pivoting in front of the penalty area and surprises Fabien Barthez on his right (0-1).

Thunderclap in Brussels.

The collective game of the Blues resumes all the same and after a beautiful movement initiated by Zinédine Zidane, the long shot from Thierry Henry on the right side falls just above the Portuguese goals.

At half-time, the world champion France is about to be eliminated.

SERIES

- France-Portugal, inseparable adversaries, episode 1: the deliverance of 1984

New extension, and a mythical hand fault

It was without counting on a beating resumption of the Blues.

In the 51st minute, Lilian Thuram shifts on the right flank Nicolas Anelka who goes back to Thierry Henry in the penalty area.

The Arsenal striker controls the ball and manages to deceive the Portuguese goalkeeper with a low cross shot (1-1).

The Blues breathe, the cards are put back flat. 

The France team then seemed more confident, but the Portuguese reacted at the end of the meeting.

On a free kick from Luis Figo, a deflection of the head of Portuguese defender Abel Xavier forced Fabien Barthez to make an exceptional stop on his line.

The two teams cannot decide between themselves, as in the semi-final of Euro 1984 already won by France (3-2 ap).

New extension therefore, with one major difference: the application of the golden goal rule, introduced in 1996 (then abolished in 2003), which declares the winner of the first team to score a goal in this extra time. As we head towards the penalties, David Trézéguet misses his face to face with the goalkeeper, before Sylvain Wiltord takes the ball back and tries his luck in a tight angle. The two players claim a hand fault to the referee, who indeed considers that the defender Abel Xavier diverted the ball illegally. Logical penalty three minutes from the end, and impeccably shot by Zinédine Zidane in the left top corner. Madness seizes the French players who celebrate a second accession in a row in the final of a major competition.

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A final that the France team will win, once again thanks to a golden goal signed by David Trezeguet against Italy (2-1 ap), and thus become the first nation to achieve the double World Cup-Euro d 'sharpened.

For the Blues, winning against Portugal is a good sign, like their victory at Euro 1984. The Seleção das quinas will have the opportunity to take their greatest revenge, sixteen years later in 2016, in Euro final at the Stade de France.

But that's another story.