There is a huge Group F clash at the Allianz Arena on Saturday evening as defending European champions Portugal take on struggling Germany at 17:00.
Fernando Santos’s men kicked off Euro 2020 with a convincing 3-0 victory against Hungary and they look like they could enjoy a strong run, while Germany opened with a 1-0 defeat to world champions France and they looked short of creativity in that loss.
No Home Comforts For Germany
Since reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016, Germany have been somewhat on the slide and although only losing by a single goal to France, that scoreline could have been much worse.
Die Mannschaft only had one shot on target during that contest and the lack of threat is of huge concern as they come up against a Portugal side looking solid at the back,
The Selecao left it late to overcome Hungary, all three goals coming from the 84th minute onwards, but they should have been out of sight before that and the fact they still netted three times is testament to the quality in their squad.
Although blessed with attacking talent in the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota and more, it is at the back that the Portuguese outfit have been impressing.
That shutout in their Group F opener was Portugal’s third clean sheet in a row and the centre-back pairing of Pepe and Ruben Dias is working a treat right now.
With such confidence in the Portugal camp after that victory, backing Santos’s men to pick up another three points at 47/20 looks like the way to go, while a win to nil also appeals at 9/2.
Ronaldo to Keep Momentum Going
There is denying Juventus star Ronaldo is one of the all-time greats and he further rubber-stamped his name in the history books with his double in the Group F opener.
Taking his European Championships tally to 11 goals, the 36-year-old leads the competition’s all-time scoring charts and it would be no surprise to see him net on Saturday.
𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗦!
A Seleção fez o último treino antes do jogo com a Alemanha! #VamosComTudo pic.twitter.com/xdr7qTtWIU
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) June 18, 2021
With the likes of Jota, Fernandes and Bernardo Silva helping in the attacking department, there isn’t as much pressure on Ronaldo to provide the goals and he seems much more relaxed.
The fact the former Manchester United and Real Madrid ace is off the mark bodes well for the rest of the tournament and the 13/10 on him to score anytime against Germany seems generous.
Dias to Punish German Defence
At a bigger price, the 20/1 on Dias to score anytime could be worth a punt, as he takes on a Germany side without a clean sheet in their last four attempts.
The Manchester City defender, who has scored twice for his country, has taken his Premier League-winning form into the Euros and he could be a big danger from set-pieces.
*All odds correct at time of writing.
