Euro 2016 final pits host France vs. Portugal
It’s strange to characterize a vaunted team like Portugal as the side playing with house money. That seems to be the case, though, as France aims to achieve the ultimate feat in the Euro 2016 final.
With a win today, Les Bleus will celebrate a title on their own home soil. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv expect a hotly contested battle all the way through, installing Didier Deschamps’ troops as the slightest of favorites. Portugal, on the other hand, symbolizes a +325 underdog. The over/under goal total rests at two.
France has such a glorious opportunity in large part thanks to forward Antoine Griezmann, whose two tallies on Thursday almost singlehandedly served as the deathknell to Germany’s chances. The Atletico Madrid sensation boasts a total of six goals in the tournament. Despite the invaluable work of Dimitri Payet, Paul Pogba and Olivier Giroud, Griezmann represents represents Les Bleues’ most singularly talented threat on the pitch.
Of course, Portugal possesses a phenomenal scorer, too. Cristiano Ronaldo got Wednesday’s affair vs. Wales off to a rollicking start by mustering a sweet header from the corner, and Jose Mourinho’s group rolled to a 2-0 triumph. The Real Madrid virtuoso is the biggest reason why Portugal can point to semifinal appearances in five of the nine European Championships and World Cups contested since 2000.
This evening, however, what ultimately makes the difference? Personnel switches aren’t likely to happen now, so the Deschamps-Mourinho chess match probably takes a back seat to a Griezmann-Ronaldo skills competition. With neither nation in the habit of committing miscues, we can’t fathom a gripping clash that doesn’t hinge on penalty kicks.
SUNDAY EURO 2016 FREE PICK: PORTUGAL/FRANCE UNDER 2 GOALS
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