Even though the last game with Georgia didn’t go the way we hoped, Portugal has made it past the group stage of Euro 2024.
Last Saturday, with still one game left to play in the group stage, Portugal guaranteed its spot in another final phase of the UEFA EURO competition.
Given the context of the group, Portugal’s victory over Turkey has already secured 1st place in Group F and a place in the next round.
Portugal’s second game was different from the one with the Czech Republic, but the tactics were almost the same. Roberto Martinez, the coach, deployed the 4x3x3 but chose to start with Palhinha instead of Dalot, and to have 2 center mids instead of 3.
The result was that Portugal beat Turkey 3-0. Bernardo Silva scored the first goal, the Turk Akayadin the second, and the third was literally offered to Bruno Fernandes by Cristiano Ronaldo. On a side note, Pepe, who is one of the pillars of Team Portugal, and the oldest player ever to play at a UEFA EURO game, was everywhere.
After Portugal’s resounding win against Turkey, the Portuguese Prime Minister congratulated the team publicly, on X (formerly known as Twitter), and everyone waited with bated breath for the next round with Georgia.
This past Wednesday, on June 26th, Portugal played its final game of the group stage against Georgia. The qualification was guaranteed, so Roberto Martinez chose to experiment and play the second and third teams. In practical terms, Portugal played the same way as they did against the Czech Republic, but worse. Worse to the point that they ultimately lost 2-0.
The victory was important for Georgia and irrelevant for Portugal, in practical terms. By beating Portugal 2-0, Georgia was able to secure 3rd place. Turkey beat the Czech Republic, which means it came in 2nd.
Portugal’s next chance for victory comes on July 1st against Slovenia. If they can win there, they will play France or Belgium on July 5th.
