Gladiatorial Duel Between Mbappe and Ronaldo in Hamburg
EURO 2024 QUARTERFINALS
*Spain tackle hosts Germany while France seeking Euro 2020 vengeance against Portugal
Growing up, Kylian Mbappe had pictures of Cristiano Ronaldo on his wall. Today, Mbappe will be up against Ronaldo in the flesh.
France and Portugal will face-off in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. While multiple world-class players will be in action for both sides, it is hard to escape this being a gladiatorial duel between Ronaldo and Mbappe.
The match will be broadcast live on GOtv (ch 61) at 8pm this evening.
This is not the first time the two icons have shared a pitch. They met in the 2017-18 Champions League last 16, when Real Madrid comfortably beat Mbappe’s PSG 5-2 on aggregate – on Ronaldo’s way to a fourth and final Champions League trophy in Spain.
Mbappe was yet to break into the senior France squad when they were beaten by Ronaldo’s Portugal in the Euro 2016 final, while Ronaldo scored twice in a 2-2 draw in the group stages to help Portugal reach the knockouts at Euro 2020.
This game in Hamburg has a totally different context to the Champions League meeting six years ago. Back then, Mbappe was a 19-year-old on loan from Monaco – full of potential and the subject of hype, but far from the finished product.
Now he is 25, widely regarded as the world’s best player and the man on whose slim shoulders France’s hopes of a first European title since 2000 rest – at times in this tournament quite uneasily.
Mbappe will this summer move to Real Madrid,where he is expected to be the main man. The focal point and grand attraction. That was the role served by Ronaldo in his prime.
Six years on, Ronaldo – away from playing his club football in Saudi Arabia – is still a focal point who grabs attention.
The 39-year-old’s role in the Portugal team is the subject of great discussion after a last-16 display against Slovenia summarised by wayward free-kicks, a saved penalty and floods of tears.
Yet Ronaldo can still deliver when it counts, tucking away his spot-kick in the shootout – though it was goalkeeper Diogo Costa who took the spotlight with three successive saves.
But before this clash between Mbappe and Ronaldo, three-time champions, Spain will be aiming to spoil Germany’s hopes of lifting the Euro 2024 trophy on home soil.
The match will be broadcast live on GOtv (ch 61) at 5 pm this evening.
Luis De La Fuente’s side are the only team in the tournament to have won all their games so far, thus reasserting themselves as tournament favourites.
They will however be up against a resurgent German team under the tutelage of Julian Nagelsmann.
La Roja head into this clash unbeaten against the Germans in their last four major matches, most recently, a 1-1 draw in the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Spaniards emerged victorious the last time they clashed at the continental showpiece as Fernando Torres’ strike ensured they won their second Euro title.
Tomorrow, the Three Lions of England will continue their quest for glory when they take on Switzerland on GO Football (ch 61) at 5 pm.
Gareth Southgate’s side overturned a goal deficit against Slovakia in the knockout stage to win 2-1, while Switzerland’s impressive performance saw them knockout incumbent champions, Italy.
Netherlands and Turkey will go head-to-head same Saturday for a place in the semi-finals. Ronald Koeman’s side thumped Romania 3-0 to advance, while Vincezo Montella’s side saw off pressure from Austria to win 2-1 in the Round of 16.
TODAY
Spain v Germany
Portugal v France
SATURDAY
England v Switzerland
Netherlands v Turkey
