Four teams remain to be seen in this Euro. The nations of Group F are the last to take the stage in Germany on Tuesday. Portugal, the 2016 European champion, must live up to its status as the favorite of the group – and possibly the entire competition – in its first match against a Czech Republic team that reached the quarterfinals in 2021.
Before this encounter, Georgia will play its first-ever match in a European Championship early in the evening (7 PM). Facing Turkey for their debut, Willy Sagnol’s men can dream of advancing further in the competition with a good result (Beirut time).
4 PM: Georgia vs. Turkey
It’s a Cinderella story with a French accent. Led by the 2006 World Cup runner-up Willy Sagnol, Georgia faces Turkey in its first major international competition since gaining independence in 1990. The Crusaders can count on Franco-Georgian Georges Mikautadze, the star striker of FC Metz trained at Olympique Lyonnais, as well as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Naples), in a well-stocked attacking lineup.
On the other side, Turkey needs to redeem itself after finishing last in its group at Euro 2021, with three heavy defeats. Excellent in the qualifiers, where they surpassed Croatia and Wales, Vincenzo Montella’s men aim to reach the knockout phase for the first time since 2008. The new generation, represented by Kenan Yildiz (19, Juventus), Arda Güler (19, Real Madrid), and Orkun Kökçü (23, Benfica), carries the country’s hopes.
10 PM: Portugal vs. Czech Republic
After three mixed preparation matches (a 2-1 loss to Croatia, a 4-2 win over Finland, and a 3-0 win against Ireland), Portugal needs to assert its status right from the start. Led by Cristiano Ronaldo, the first player to compete in six European Championships and the top scorer in the competition’s history (14 goals), the Seleção is the favorite in Group F after a perfect qualification campaign (ten wins in ten matches).
Still armed with Patrik Schick, co-top scorer in 2021 (five goals) alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, the Czech Republic aims to advance past the Euro group stage for the second consecutive time, following their impressive run to the quarterfinals in 2021. Ivan Hasek’s men have built up confidence for the German challenge, winning all four of their matches in 2024 (against Norway and Armenia in March, then Malta and North Macedonia in early June).
