The Tournament which kick-started June 10, 2016 about a month ago had 24 countries competing with only one country to take the trophy home and has now been reduced to just 2 countries in respect to host France and Portugal.
Portugal Road To Final
Only few would have predicted that Portugal will get to the final as Portugal only qualified for the round of 16 as one of the best losers. After a 1-1 draw with Iceland in Portugal's first match on 14 June, 2016, a match in which Luis Nani scored in the 3rd minute only for Bjarnason of Iceland to equalize in the 50th minute, Portugal proceeded to play a 0-0 draw with Austria on 18 June which brought a lot of criticism on the Portuguese team, Ronaldo to be precise.
Thereafter, Portugal went on to draw 3-3 the third group stage match against Hungary which saw Hungary score first through Gera in the 19th minute with Nani finding the equalizer in the 42nd minute but Hungary took the lead twice again through Dzsudzsak in the 47th and 55th minutes, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to equalize the score on both occasions in the 50th and 62nd minutes respectively.
Portugal proceeded to face Croatia in the Round of 16, a match which went the wrong way for Croatia as they held all the possession in a match that went on into extra time, only for Portugal to score the lone goal in the 117th minute through Quaresma as the match finished 1-0 in favour of Portugal.
In the Quarter finals against Poland, the match ended 1-1 after extra time with Robert Lewandowski scoring for Poland in the 2nd minute but Portugal's Renato Sanches equalized in the 33rd minute and the match was decided on penalties as Portugal won 5-3.
In the Semi Finals against Wales, Portugal prevailed 2-0 with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Nani in the 50th and 53rd minutes respectively as they won their first match in 90minutes for the first time in the tournament.
France Road To Final
As the host of the tournament, a lot of pressure were on France to deliver a major trophy for the first time over the years, and it seems they might be on the way to do so.
France kick-started the tournament 10 June, in a 2-1 against Romania, as Olivier Giroud scored first in the 57th minute but Romania equalized through Stancu with a penalty, France were made to wait till the 89th minute as westham Payet striked to win the match for France.
Thereafter, France defeated Albania through goals from Griezmann and Payet in the 90th and 96th minute respectively as France won the match 2-0. The final group stage match saw France drew against Switzerland as France came first in the group.
France faced Republic of Ireland in the Round of 16 in a 2-1 comeback victory for France as Brady scored for Republic of Ireland from the spot in the 2nd minute only for Antoinne Griezmann to score twice in the 58th and 61th minute respectively.
In the Quarter Finals, France defeated Iceland 5-2, Iceland being the team that dropped England out of the competition in the Round of 16 caused a lot of fear for people as they looked out to cause an upset for France, but France were to much for Iceland to handle as Giroud scored in the 12th and 59th minutes, Pogba in the 20th minute, Payet in the 43rd minute and Griezmann in the 45th minute whereas, Iceland scored in the 56th and 84th minutes through Sigporsson and Bjarnason respectively.
In the Semi Finals however, the match between France and Germany was a highly rated match which saw France prevail 2-0 through a Griezmann double in the 45th+2 and 71st minute to set up a final with Portugal on July 10.
The final match will hold at Stade de France in Saint-Denis as we await an exciting and interesting match.
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