The forward lines of France and Portugal must come alive for their Euro 2024 quarterfinal clash on Friday at Hamburg's Volksparkstadion. In a match teeming with high stakes, both teams aim for a semifinal berth against either Germany or Spain.

France's recent struggle in open play continues, having not scored in their last five internationals. Portugal, on the other hand, has also faced scoring challenges, relying on a penalty shootout to secure their quarterfinal spot after two goalless games.

With stars like Kylian Mbappe leading France and Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal, the match promises intense competition. Notably, Ronaldo and 41-year-old Pepe remain from the Portugal team that upset France in the Euro 2016 final. The French side boasts Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud, with Kingsley Coman and N’Golo Kante providing depth.

Their last encounter in the Euro 2020 group stage ended in a 2-2 draw, with three goals coming from penalties. This tight contest will likely hinge on moments of brilliance from key players, with Mbappe and Ronaldo in the spotlight.

Road to the Quarterfinals

Portugal:

• Group Stage:
  • Portugal 2-1 Czechia
  • Turkey 0-3 Portugal
  • Georgia 2-0 Portugal
• Round of 16:
  • Portugal 0-0 Slovenia (won 3-0 on penalties)

France:

• Group Stage:
  • Austria 0-1 France
  • Netherlands 0-0 France
  • France 1-1 Poland
• Round of 16:
  • France 1-0 Belgium

Key Stats and Numbers

Scoring:

• Germany has scored five goals; France, only three—the lowest among the top eight teams.
• France is yet to score from open play, with two own goals and a penalty goal by Mbappe against Poland.

Team Stats:

• Possession: Portugal leads with 65.3% average possession; France is seventh with 53.8%.
• Attempts: Portugal is second with 74 attempts (21 on target); France is fourth with 69 attempts (16 on target).
• Goals Conceded: France has conceded only once, while Portugal has conceded three times.

Individual Stats:

• Portugal: Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and Francisco Conceicao each have a goal, with two additional own goals.
• France: Mbappe is the only French player to score.
• Ronaldo: Yet to score in Euro 2024, Ronaldo missed a penalty against Slovenia despite having the second-highest xG of 2.75 in the tournament.

As both teams prepare for their high-stakes match, the pressure is on for their star players to shine and lead their teams to victory.