Euro 2024 preview: Portugal and Germany

 3.PORTUGAL(GROUP F)

Roberto Martinez will get yet another chance to deliver some silverware for another talent-rich nation. The Spaniard was in charge of Belgium’s golden generation but only had a semi-final to show for it in 2018. Portugal present a real threat for any opposition.

Portugal are the only side to win all their qualifying games albeit against weaker sides. Their first real test against a top side under Roberto Martinez was their 2-1 friendly loss to Croatia on Saturday.A result that keeps them level-headed ahead of the group games.

Tactically, Roberto Martinez has played with two formations, 3-4-3 and a 4-3-3. The later has been used in the past few games, an indication that Martinez may well favour an expansive formation for the tournament. But knowing him, he will certainly prioritize defensive solidity in the tournament. 

They have an array of talent especially out wide. Diogo Dalot, Joâo Cancelo and Nuno Mendes offer Martinez countless flexibility from fullback while Rafael Leáo Bernado Siva and Bruno Fernandes are charged with the creative responsibility. 

Bruno Fernandes is the key man and will have to be at his best for Portugal to perform well. The Manchester United midfielder is the key creative spark in the side. He has been given freedom to roam and dictate play knowing his defensive duties are well accounted for behind him.

Cristiano Ronaldo, as always, will be looking to make an impact.Portugal are much better placed for tournament success than the other teams in this piece.

Potential Weaknesses

Tactically, there aren’t any major glaring issues with Portugal. Their inability to break low blocks was their downfall in Qatar, so that may be one thing to look out for.

The question, however, is whether Roberto Martinez can get Portugal over the line. He, like Gareth Southgate,is a defence first coach. He took the cautious approach while in charge of Belgium and many felt he could have achieved more had he been a bit more adventurous.

Can he tactically match up against Julian Nagelsmann, Didier Deschamps or Luciano Spalletti when the heat is on? That is the only question mark I have with Portugal and I expect them to go far in the tournament.

4.Germany(GROUP A)

The home team for the Euros, Die Mannschaft. It’s been a rough time for the Germans. Historically known for their patience and methodical approach to football, the last few years have been just one big mess. 

Joachim Löw presided over a fruitful 15 year spell for German football. They were the perfect tournament team. You could always count on them to reach the latter stages of tournaments but a failure in succession planning has left them hoping for a miracle on home soil.

Julian Nagelsman is the man tasked with saving face at home. The young tactician has brought back a level of optimism for the national team. Wins in March against France and the Dutch gave the team a much-needed boost ahead of the tournament.

Tactically, Germany play with a 4-2-3-1 formation. However, they don’t play with natural wingers in the wide positions. Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are natural number 10s and they tend to occupy the central areas in possession.

This is in line with what we know about Nagelsmann. He loves attacking through the middle.His teams like to overload central parts of the pitch and assert dominance with the ball.

Maximilian Mittelstädt has been impressive at left back and will offer the much needed width in attack. Joshua Kimmich will start at right back and will add numbers in midfield in readiness for a counter-press without the ball.

I think we will see a lot of Germany trying to pin teams in and suffocate them through the middle. Havertz will pay upfront while Niclas Füllkrug will offer a more direct approach from the bench.

Potential Weaknesses

The same old issues have plagued Germany since the 2018 World Cup.They have a defensive fragility in them. Nagglesmann has been reasonably successful in making the much better defensively. Only two goals conceded in the last four matches.

Jonathan Tah has had an incredible season with Bayer Leverkusen and may have played his way into the first eleven but he always has a mistake in him.Nico Schlotterbeck might be a better fit in defence.Manuel Neuer will also have to be much better after glaring mistakes against Real Madrid and Greece.

A tactical issue with Germany and Naglesmann in general is his over reliance in midfield. As discussed above, he likes to overload central areas of the pitch. The worry with this is when you come up against a compact team that compresses midfield and makes it difficult to play through the central areas.

We saw this numerous times with Naglesmann’s Bayern team. His Champions League quarter final defeat to Unai Emery's Villarreal is a perfect example. Tony Kroos will be tasked with finding ways around deep stubborn defences.

Germany will likely reach the knockout stages but I feel they will come unstuck against compact teams that play with width. That will be their Achilles heel.