Euro 2016 Group F
GROUP F
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[Team Jersey Images © Soccerphile]
Portugal
Portugal have an excellent record in the Euros having reached the semi-final stage four times, going on to the final on one of those occasions on home soil in 2004, when they narrowly lost to Greece. In Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal possess the tournament's outstanding individual and an array of young talent in midfield. However, the team lack a striker, rely too heavily on Ronaldo for goals and central defence is manned by the veteran Cavalho and loose-cannon Pepe.
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Portugal Kit 1 |
Portugal Kit 2 |
Portugal v Iceland 14 June; Saint-Etienne
Portugal v Austria 18 June; Paris
Portugal v Hungary 22 June; Lyon
Coach
Fernando Santos
Record
1960-1980, 1998, 1992 Did not qualify; 1996, 2008 Quarter-finals; 2004 Runners-up; 1984, 2000, 2012 Semi-finals
Men to watch
Besides Cristiano Ronaldo, who may well be playing in his last European Championships, Portugal have at their disposal some fine, young talent in midfield including Renato Sanches, who recently concluded a move to Bayern Munich, a club he chose over Manchester United, Rafa Silva, who plays his football at Braga and Andre Gomes at Valencia.
Should reach the knockout stage from what is a relatively easy group.
Euro 2016 Betting
How they qualified
Portugal topped Group I by seven points ahead of Albania.
On the sidelines
Luis Figo is Portugal's most capped player with 127. Ronaldo is closing in with 125. A video of Vieirinha's tooth being knocked out by a stray elbow from Toni Kroos during a Champions League game between Wolfsburg and Real Madrid went viral on the internet.
Analysis
Portugal play a 4-3-3 with Ronaldo as the most advanced striker. This can also change to 4-4-2 or a more defensive 4-2-3-1 with Danilo and Carvalho in the holding roles.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon), Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Eduardo (Dínamo Zagreb).
Defenders: Vieirinha (Wolfsburg), Cedric (Southampton), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Carvalho (Monaco), Bruno Alves (Fenerbahce), Jose Fonte (Southampton), Eliseu (Benfica), Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient).
Midfielders: William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon), Danilo Pereira (Porto), Joao Moutinho (Monaco), Andre Gomes (Valencia), Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich), Adrien Silva (Sporting Lisbon), Joao Mario (Sporting Lisbon).
Strikers: Rafa Silva (Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas), Nani (Fenerbahce), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Eder (Lille).
Iceland
Iceland exceeded expectations by qualifying for Euro 2016 their first participation at a major tournament. Ex-Sweden coach Lars Lagerback and joint-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson have worked wonders with limited resources to get Iceland this far. Iceland are strong at the back with the whole team working tirelessly to defend when not in possession. Iceland conceded only six goals in qualifying, the least in their group.
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Iceland Kit 1 |
Iceland Kit 2 |
Iceland v Portugal 14 June; Saint-Etienne
Iceland v Hungary 18 June; Marseilles
Iceland v Austria 22 June; Saint-Denis
Coaches
Lars Lagerback; Heimir Hallgrimsson
Record
First appearance
Men to watch
Swansea City's Gylfi Sigurdsson is the star man and scored six goals in qualifying. Arnor Ingvi Traustason is the bright young talent in the squad and could move on to a bigger club with a good showing at Euro 2016.
We predict Iceland will be outside the top two places in Group F.
How they qualified
Iceland were second in Qualifying Group A two points behind the Czech Republic.
On the sidelines
Iceland captain Aron Gunnarsson became captain of the national team at age 22. His brother Arnor represents Iceland at handball. Eidur Gudjohnsen will be Iceland's oldest player at the tournament aged 37.
Analysis
Iceland play a 4-4-2 with Gylfi Sigurdsson and captain Aron Gunnarsson the key pairing in central midfield.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Hannes Halldorsson (Bodo/Glimt), Ogmundur Kristinsson (Hammarby), Ingvar Jonsson (Sandefjord).
Defenders: Ari Skulason (OB), Hordur Magnusson (Juventus), Hjortur Hermannsson (PSV Eindhoven), Ragnar Sigurdsson (Krasnodar), Kari Arnason (Malmo), Sverrir Ingi Ingason (Lokeren), Birkir Saevarsson (Hammarby), Haukur Heidar Hauksson (AIK).
Midfielders: Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff), Theodor Elmar Bjarnason (AGF), Arnor Ingvi Traustason (Norrkoping), Birkir Bjarnason (Basel), Johann Gudmundsson (Charlton), Runar Mar Sigurjonsson (Sundsvall).
Strikers: Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Nantes), Alfred Finnbogason (Augsburg), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Kaiserslautern), Eidur Gudjohnsen (Molde).
Austria
Austrian football is on the up and the national team is 10th in the Fifa Rankings going into Euro 2016. In 2008 on home soil, Austria failed to get out of the group stage and did not qualify for Euro 2012. Their fortunes have improved markedly thanks to efforts by the Austrian football federation to improve the coaching of youth players and the tactical nous of coach Marcel Koller.
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Austria Kit 1
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Austria Kit 2
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Austria v Hungary 14 June; Bordeaux
Austria v Portugal 18 June; Paris
Austria v Iceland; 22 June; Saint-Denis
Coach
Marcel Koller
Record
1996: Did not qualify; 2000: Did not qualify; 2004: Did not qualify; 2008 Group Stage
Men to watch
Bayern's David Alaba and Stoke City's former bad boy Marko Arnautovic are the star men.
We predict Austria will qualify from the group.
How they qualified
Austria won Group G at a canter a huge 8 points clear of Russia.
On the sidelines
Alessandro Schoepf became the most expensive Austrian player when he joined Schalke from Nurnberg in January 2016.
Analysis
Austria line up in a 4-3-2-1 which is a formation adopted across the board for all age groups of the national team. Basel's Marco Janko is the main striker and has scored 26 goals in 52 internationals for Austria. Leicester City's Christian Fuchs is the team captain and inspiration.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Robert Almer (Austria Vienna), Heinz Lindner (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ramazan Oezcan (Ingolstadt).
Defenders: Aleksandar Dragovic (Dynamo Kiev), Christian Fuchs (Leicester), Gyorgy Garics (Darmstadt), Martin Hinteregger (Moenchengladbach), Florian Klein (Stuttgart), Sebastian Prodl (Watford), Markus Suttner (Ingolstadt), Kevin Wimmer (Tottenham).
Midfielders: David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Marko Arnautovic (Stoke), Julian Baumgartlinger (Mainz), Martin Harnik (Stuttgart), Stefan Ilsanker (Leipzig), Jakob Jantscher (Lucerne), Zlatko Junuzovic (Werder Bremen), Marcel Sabitzer (Leipzig), Alessandro Schoepf (Schalke).
Strikers: Lukas Hinterseer (Ingolstadt), Rubin Okotie (1860 Munich), Marc Janko (Basel).
Hungary
Hungary have a solid squad that has restored pride to this once great footballing nation. However, the present group lack the talent going forward of their 1950's predecessors, the Magical Magyars of Puskas & Co. Hungary scored only 11 times in their group, conceding 9. Hungary are dangerous at set pieces with a large percentage of the team's goals stemming from corners and free kicks.
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Hungary Kit 1
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Hungary Kit 2
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Hungary v Austria 14 June; Bordeaux
Hungary v Iceland 18 June; Marseille
Hungary v Portugal 22 June; Lyon
Coach
Bernd Storck
Record
1964 Third; 1972 Fourth
Men to watch
Gabor Kiraly, in his trademark tracksuit bottoms, will be familiar to English fans. The keeper played over 100 games for Crystal Palace and also represented a number of other clubs during his stay in England. Balazs Dzsudzsak is Hungary's most creative player and a threat from free kicks.
Hungary probably will go out at the group stage as they lack firepower up front but can be proud of reaching the finals of a major tournament since the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
How they qualified
Third in Group F behind Northern Ireland and Romania, Hungary beat Norway in the play-offs.
On the sidelines
Hungary are staying in the luxury Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort. Laszlo Kleinheisler scored on his debut against Norway in the play-offs despite not having played for his club at the time Videton that season.
Analysis
Hungary play 4-2-3-1 with 37-year-old veteran Zoltan Gera partnered by youngster Adam Nagy in the midfield holding roles.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Gabor Kiraly (Haladas), Denes Dibusz (Ferencvaros), Peter Gulacsi (Leipzig).
Defenders: Attila Fiola (Puskas Academy), Barnabas Bese (MTK Budapest), Richard Guzmics (Wisla Krakow), Roland Juhasz (Videoton), Adam Lang (Videoton), Tamas Kadar (Lech Poznan), Mihaly Korhut (Debrecen).
Midfielders: Adam Pinter (Ferencvaros), Gergo Lovrencsics (Lech Poznan), Akos Elek (Diosgyor), Zoltan Gera (Ferencvaros), Adam Nagy (Ferencvaros), Laszlo Kleinheisler (Werder Bremen), Zoltan Stieber (Hamburg).
Strikers: Balazs Dzsudzsak (Bursaspor), Adam Szalai (Hoffenheim), Krisztian Nemeth (Al Gharafa), Nemanja Nikolics (Legia Warsaw), Tamas Priskin (Slovan Bratislava), Daniel Bode (Ferencvaros).
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