Germany missing key midfielder, captain Cristiano Ronaldo

By Josh Barker


Published: June 14, 2021 11:05 pm

Last Updated: June 15, 2021 8:16 am

EFF Daily: June 15th updates

Unlike previous days, Tuesday’s action will see just two matches played out.

However, both ties feature some quality talent and should prove entertaining affairs.

The first tie on Tuesday kicks off Group F, with Hungary and Portugal going head-to-head.

This is arguably Portugal’s easiest match of their group stage, making it the best time to use their assets.

The second and final tie of the day rounds out both Group F and the matchday 2 fixtures and will see Germany play host to France at 8 pm UK time.

The #Euro2020 group of death starts today with three of the favourites battling it out 🇩🇪🇵🇹🇫🇷🇭🇺@alibendertv brings you your 5-a-day with five things to look out for including more Ronaldo records, home advantage and Griezmann’s celebration 👀#GER #FRA #POR #HUN pic.twitter.com/GB99N3FRLs

— 101 Great Goals (@101greatgoals) June 15, 2021

EFF Daily: Injury news

Hungary: Hungary have no new injury concerns ahead of Tuesday, with key man Dominik Szoboszlai having been ruled out before the tournament began.

Portugal: Portugal’s only issue ahead of facing Hungary saw Joao Cancelo ruled out of Euro 2020 after he contracted Covid-19 last week. At the time of writing, no more Portugal players have tested positive for the virus.

France: France’s only potential injury concern before facing Germany was Karim Benzema, who was taken off in the first half of a friendly vs Bulgaria earlier this month.

However, when speaking about the striker the day after, Didier Deschamps moved to play down any fears over the injury:

“He took a good hit on the muscle above the knee. He stopped playing because he felt it hardening. We have a high level medical staff. It will get better day by day. I have no particular concern, there is nothing dramatic.”

Deschamps plays down Benzema injury: “He took a good hit on the muscle above the knee. He stopped playing because he felt it hardening. We have a high level medical staff. It will get better day by day. I have no particular concern, there is nothing dramatic.”#FRA #EURO2020

— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) June 9, 2021

Germany: Germany could be without Leon Goretzka for the clash vs France, with Joachim Low having this to say on the Bayern Munich midfielder earlier this month:

“He didn’t take part in team training. He will probably need a few more days, and will probably not be available for the first game. He will need to find his way into the tournament as it progresses.”

Löw reveals Leon Goretzka is likely to miss the opener: “He didn’t take part in team training. He will likely need a few more days, and will probably not be available for the first game. He will need to find his way into the tournament as it progresses.” #GER #EURO2020

— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) June 7, 2021

Jonas Hofmann featuring vs France is also somewhat up in the air at present after he just recovered from his knee issue.

Germany’s assistant coach Marcus Sorg said this on Hofmann over the weekend:

“He wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have the justified hope that he could get back in. We have to wait and see.”

EFF Daily Top 3 Picks: Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota, Antoine Griezmann

Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal (12m)

As already mentioned, Hungary, on paper, should be Portugal’s easiest tie from their group.

So, it is likely the best time to have Cristiano Ronaldo in your side.

The 36-year-old is Portugal’s biggest asset and their main penalty taker.

He is also the second top goalscorer in international football history and the joint-top scorer in European Championship history.

Ronaldo also has a pretty impressive record against Hungary and would score a brace against them when the two sides met in Euro 2016.

Diogo Jota, Portugal (8.5m)

Diogo Jota, despite being used as a midfielder on Euro Fantast Football, plays in a fairly advanced position for Portugal.

The Liverpool man is generally deployed from the left for his country and has a pretty solid goalscoring record for them.

In 14 outings for A Seleção, Jota has scored six and also provided two assists.

And with midfielders earning five points from goals on EFF, Jota could prove to be a very valuable asset.

Antoine Griezmann, France (11m)

When picking players from France, you may be tempted to select the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema.

And whilst both would be decent choices, it is actually Antoine Griezmann who has been one of Les Bleus’ most consistent performers of late.

In his last five outings for his country Griezmann has scored four and assisted one. He also has a pretty solid record in tournaments, netting four and assisting three in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph.

EFF Captain of the day: Cristiano Ronaldo

The captain choice on Tuesday could be quite close between Ronaldo and Griezmann.

But given that Ronaldo has the easier opponent and is Portugal’s penalty taker, the choice probably swings in his favour.

France vs Germany betting tips: Preview, predictions & odds

France vs Germany live streaming: Watch Euro 2020 online, TV channel & listen on radio

This article was edited by
Benjamin Newman.

Football Live streaming: Featured matches on June 15

Game	Time	Predicted Score	Live Score Prediction/Live Score	How to Watch
Hungary vs Portugal	15 June, 17:00 (In 8 hours)	1-2	1-2
France vs Germany	15 June, 20:00 (In 11 hours)	2-1	2-1
Japan vs Kyrgyzstan	15 June, 11:25 (In 3 hours)	3-1	3-1
India vs Afghanistan	15 June, 15:00 (In 6 hours)	2-1	2-1
United Arab Emirates vs Vietnam	15 June, 17:45 (In 9 hours)	1-2	1-2
Thailand vs Malaysia	15 June, 17:45 (In 9 hours)	1-1	1-1
Bangladesh vs Oman	15 June, 18:00 (In 9 hours)	0-4	0-4
China vs Syrian Arab Republic	15 June, 19:00 (In 10 hours)	2-2	2-2
Saudi Arabia vs Uzbekistan	15 June, 19:00 (In 10 hours)	2-0	2-0
Palestine vs Yemen	15 June, 19:00 (In 10 hours)	1-0	1-0
Chinese Taipei vs Kuwait	15 June, 20:00 (In 11 hours)	0-5	0-5
Curacao vs Panama	16 June, 01:00 (In 16 hours)	2-0	2-0
Canada vs Haiti	16 June, 02:05 (In 17 hours)	2-1	2-1
El Salvador vs Saint Kitts and Nevis	16 June, 02:05 (In 17 hours)	2-0	2-0