After the victory of the French team against Belgium (1-0), the Portuguese press is eager to see the Blues again. “How we meet again”, headlines the sports daily And she was on its front page today, which gives a lot of space to the capital performance of Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa in the round of 16 match against Slovenia on Monday evening. “Here is France on Friday, an old acquaintance from the final stages,” adds A Bola, after the two previous confrontations between the two teams, in the final of Euro 2016 (1-0 after extra time) and in the group match of Euro 2021 (2-2).
In the rest of Europe, the press hails the sense of the result of Didier Deschamps’ Blues. “Whatever the way they got there (…), we wouldn’t bet against them continuing this tournament,” underlines The Guardianeven daring to make a bold prediction. “It’s hard not to feel that this is partly intentional, that at some point things will fall into place, that reaching the final is simply their thing,” adds the British daily, penned by Sid Lowe.
Deschamps’ efficiency praised by the European press
In Italy, the Gazzetta dello Sport highlights a paradox: “France ahead even if it doesn’t score.” Before trying an automobile analogy. “Deschamps’ France is a diesel. And it’s gaining ground by the minute,” says journalist Francesco Pietrella.
The success of the Blues owes much to the experience of their coach, according to the digital edition of the German weekly. Sports Image. “Incredible: Didier Deschamps is now undefeated in major tournaments since the 0-1 defeat against Germany in the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup – in regular playing time,” they recall across the Rhine.
Among our Spanish neighbours, Germany’s next opponents on Friday in the quarter-finals, the man of the match came off the bench of the French team, according to Brand. “Kolo Muani cancels part of his debt to France,” believes the Madrid daily, after the decisive entry into play of the Parisian who scored the only goal of the match. “The PSG striker seemed cursed by this game, but football offers revenge,” concludes the Spanish journalist José Maria Rodríguez.
