Portugal v France: six memorable match-ups
Saturday, July 9, 2016
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From a 5-3 goal fest to star turns from Michel Platini and Zinédine Zidane – if past meetings are anything to go by, Sunday's final between Portugal and France could be a classic.
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1959: France 5-3 Portugal (Fontaine 3 54 58, Grillet 11, Muller 22; Matateu 36 76, Cavém 41)
Fresh from his 13 goals at the 1958 FIFA World Cup, Just Fontaine was the star attraction as the teams met at the Stade de Colombes for their highest-scoring encounter. Fontaine found the net early to help France race into a 3-0 lead, and he promptly added two more goals after Portugal had threatened an unlikely comeback. A hat-trick then for the Reims legend – and the fourth of his five in just 21 games for France, before injury sadly curtailed his international career a year later.
1975: France 0-2 Portugal (Nené 21, Marinho 64)
Portugal's last win against Les Bleus dates back over 40 years, but it came on French soil in an impressive display. The hosts were shorn of their Saint-Étienne contingent – rested ahead of a European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-final against Bayern – and they had no answer to Portugal's opportunism at the Parc des Princes. Nené pounced on a mix-up at the back before Marinho broke down the left to rifle a superb effort high into the net.
1984: Portugal 2-3 France, aet (Domergue 24 114, Platini 119; Rui Jordão 74 98)
One of the all-time EURO classics. It was pretty much one-way traffic in this Marseille semi-final after Jean-François Domergue thumped in the opener – until Rui Jordão headed the equaliser, that is. From then on it was thrilling end-to-end stuff, with the pendulum swaying one way then the other. Jordão edged Portugal ahead and the siege began. Domergue made it 2-2, setting the stage for French skipper Michel Platini, creator of France's first two goals, to clip in his eighth of the finals. Cue pandemonium.
1996: France 3-2 Portugal (Djorkaeff 24 75, Pedros 76; Couto 23, Rui Costa 31)
There was much to admire at the Parc des Princes as both sides showed off the qualities that would carry them through to the latter stages of EURO '96. Portugal kicked things off with a Fernando Couto header, but France came right back at them, Youri Djorkaeff combining brilliantly with Zinédine Zidane to level and later spearing in a fine strike after Rui Costa had restored the visitors' advantage. Moments later, Reynald Pedros ended the hectic back-and-forth once and for all.
2000: France 2-1 Portugal, gg (Henry 51, Zidane 117pen; Nuno Gomes 19)
Paired with France again in a EURO semi-final, Portugal struck first in Brussels via their first attempt on goal from Nuno Gomes, yet the World Cup holders rose to the challenge, finally fashioning an equaliser through Thierry Henry. Still, had Abel Xavier's added-time header been any further away from Fabien Barthez, it would have been Portugal, not Les Bleus in the final. Zidane ensured otherwise with the shoot-out looming, converting from the spot to give France a golden-goal victory after Xavier was adjudged to have handled a Sylvain Wiltord shot.
2006: Portugal 0-1 France (Zidane 33pen)
It was déjà vu all over again for Portugal as a Zidane penalty again separated the nations at the last-four stage of a major finals. Locking horns in the World Cup, the teams disputed a tight affair in Munich that turned when Ricardo Carvalho felled Henry in the box. 'Zizou' did the rest – in his penultimate match for Les Bleus – and his side rarely looked troubled thereafter, save for Luís Figo nodding over after Barthez had found a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick too hot to handle.