World champion France stripped its host Portugal of the European
Nations League title in football when it beat it 1-0 on Saturday
at the “Da Loch” stadium in Lisbon in the fifth penultimate round
of Group C competitions, and became the first to qualify for
the semi-finals.
France owes it to Chelsea midfielder Ngolo Kante, who scored
the only goal in the 53rd minute.
France achieved the most important thing because the victory
decided the group card, as it was alone at the top of the group
with 13 points, 3 points difference, and the two direct confrontations
for Portugal (a negative tie in the third round), before the last
sixth-round scheduled for next Tuesday.
France has guaranteed its qualification regardless of the results
of the last two matches, Tuesday, when Portugal defeats Croatia,
and France hosts Croatia and its runners-up in the 2018 World Cup.
France confirmed its historic superiority over Portugal, where it
achieved 19 victories in 27 matches (losing 6 times and drawing twice),
and avenged its defeat by the same result in the European Cup
final at home in 2016.
Saturday’s confrontation was the second between them since
their meeting in the European Cup Final 2016 when Portugal
crowned its historic title, and it precedes the third summit
scheduled between them about 7 months ago, specifically on
next June 23 in Budapest in the first round of the European Cup
2020 finals postponed by one year due to the Coronavirus Novelty.
France hinted at its sudden loss to its guest Finland, 0-2 in a
friendly, on Wednesday, in a match played with its reserve
team, and avoided the second consecutive loss for the first time
since 2015 when it fell to Belgium 3-4 and Albania 1-0.
It is the first loss for Portugal at home since its fall to Albania by
the same result in Euro 2016 qualifiers.
