France-Portugal reunion, Spanish nugget and 60,000 at Wembley

• On the bill: Portugal-France

For the Blues of Didier Deschamps, this last match of the first round of the Euro against Portugal is less delicate than expected. Monday evening, France validated its ticket for the round of 16 without playing: even in the event of a defeat on Wednesday evening, in Budapest, it is guaranteed to finish at least among the best third. But Antoine Griezmann’s teammates have at least three good reasons to beat the reigning European champion: first, to secure first place in Group F; second, chasing the ghosts of the Euro 2016 final against Portugal, lost at the Stade de France; third, eliminate a rival to the final victory. A large French victory could indeed make the misfortunes of the Lusitanians.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portuguese have to bounce back. After the correction inflicted by Germany (4-2), Saturday, June 19, coach Fernando Santos was heavily criticized by the local press: “Fernando Santos unable to dismantle German tactics”, wrote the Portuguese daily Record in “one”, Sunday. But the supporters of the Seleçao have reason to hope. The young nugget of the attack Joao Félix is ​​back in the group. And then, the 2016 edition demonstrated it: when it advances masked, Portugal is formidable.

During the 2020-2021 season, he embodied a small brightening in the grayness of FC Barcelona. An 18-year-old creative midfielder, Pedri has established himself as a starter in the Catalan club’s first team. To the point of receiving his first call for the national team in March 2021, before appearing in Luis Enrique’s list at the Euro.

He became the youngest Spanish player to participate in a major tournament. Better, in this start of Euro, the native of Tegueste (Canary Islands) has just played all of the two matches of La Roja, against Sweden and Poland.

Passer, dribbler, lover of the ball touches with the sole, Pedri is compared in his club to a certain Andrés Iniesta, one of the pillars of Barça who marked the history of football at the turn of the 2010s. Spain, who has not yet won a match in this Euro, will need the influence of his young midfielder to destabilize the Slovak defense this Wednesday evening, in Seville.

• It happened yesterday

Minimum service for England, who won the Group D final 1-0 against the Czech Republic at Wembley. The Three Lions qualify for the round of 16 just like their evening opponents, yet overtaken in the standings by Croatia finally offensive against Scotland (3-1), the little Thumb of the hen who says goodbye to the Euro .

• In the skylight: the Grealish class

? Jack Grealish, ???? ? ??? ? @JackGrealish | @England | # EURO2020 https://t.co/e6GID6jMjZ

– EURO2020 (@UEFA EURO 2020)

Englishman Jack Grealish has ants in his legs. On Monday, on the eve of facing the Czech Republic in the Group D “final”, the Aston Villa midfielder regaled his teammates with a sumptuous volley in the top corner during training for the Three Lions .

“England look like a shy team so they need Jack Grealish against the Czech Republic”, had implored José Mourinho, in The Sun, the British tabloid. The Roma manager was heard by Gareth Southgate, the English coach, who on Tuesday established Grealish as a replacement for Mason Mount, detected the day before, contact case of the Scottish Billy Gilmour.

• A corner of blue sky: Dembélé’s message to his friends

Half joker, half mascot, Ousmane Dembélé occupies a special place in the France group. Rather occupied. Indeed, the striker had to leave the Euro after his knee injury against Hungary on Saturday. Dembélé suffers from a major lesion of the right biceps femoris and his absence from the land is evaluated at least four months after surgery.

Despite the disappointment, the former Stade Rennes driver took the time to leave a message of support for his teammates. “To this day I therefore become, with you, the first supporter of the Blues! We must follow through on what we have started and give the best of ourselves as always. I trust us, I trust them! “, writes the great friend of Kylian Mbappé on his Instagram account.

About his future, Dembélé is – as often with sportsmen – very Nietzschean. “I will come back even stronger as I always have. The trials make me grow “, wants to believe the one who connects the injuries at 24 years old. See you soon “Dembouz”.

• Pole catch: the Koke – van der Vaart match

“I remember van der Vaart very well. We can see it perfectly in the photo on Iniesta’s goal in 2010 »

On Monday evening, Rafael van der Vaart released the sulphate on the Dutch public channel NOS. In his sights: the Spanish selection and his game that he judges “Horrible”. ” I hope that we [les Pays-Bas] let’s play against them, said the former Dutch international. There is nothing in this team. All they do is switch from one side to the other. They don’t even have a player who knows how to make a final pass. “

The criticisms went to Koke’s ears. Before the game against Poland, the Spanish midfielder responded to the ex-Real Madrid player. “We may have this sentence in mind, it could motivate us a little more, especially if we have to play against the Netherlands”, he said over Cadena Cope radio in comments reported by The team. And to conclude with a finesse shot: “I remember Van der Vaart very well… You can see him perfectly in the photo on Iniesta’s goal in the 2010 World Cup final.”

A time threatened with relocation to Budapest, the semi-finals (July 6 and 7, 2021) and the final (July 11, 2021) of the Euro will take place at Wembley, in London, the British government confirmed on Tuesday June 22. The matches will even take place in front of 60,000 spectators (i.e. two-thirds of the stadium’s capacity), for what will be “The largest crowd gathered for a sporting event for more than fifteen months in the United Kingdom”, trumpets London. Satisfaction with UEFA, which, through its president Aleksander Ceferin, congratulates the Johnson government on its “Hard work (…) to make the end of this tournament a great success at Wembley”.

But worry to the World Health Organization (WHO), which denounces the relaxation of health measures around certain stages of the Euro. “In some of the host cities, the cases of Covid-19 are already on the rise in the areas where the matches are played”, warns the WHO.