Today the last matches of the group stage will be played in the European Championships and all the pairs for the knockout stage will be clear. In group F, before the championship, the Portugal national team, still not guaranteed a spot in the next stage, cannot afford to lose against Hungary anymore. The preview of these matches is presented to you by "Eurofootball.com". Match time and venue: June 22 at 19:00, at the "Parc Olympique Lyonnais" stadium. The match will be broadcasted live on LRT channel. Tournament situation: The Hungary national team has already secured a spot in the next stage, but their final position in the group is still unclear - they could finish in first, second, or third place. The situation for the Portugal national team is similar, but a bit more difficult. Unlike their opponents today, they cannot afford to lose anymore, as a loss would mean elimination from the tournament after the group stage. With a win or a draw, the Portuguese would advance among the top 16 teams of the tournament. Team news: The coach of the Portugal national team expects Danilo to return to the lineup, who missed the match against Austria due to back pain. There are doubts about the participation of two other players - Andre Gomes and Raphael Guerreiro. In the Hungary national team, Gergo Lovrencsics could return to the lineup, as he has not appeared on the field due to health issues in this championship. Coaches' comments: Fernando Santos (Portugal): "I believe in my players, why should I suddenly become pessimistic? Everyone believed in our team a few days ago. We played a good match against Austria and suddenly everyone started doubting our abilities - that's incomprehensible to me. We have worked hard, we give our all, and we have good players. Why shouldn't I believe in my team? It's completely incomprehensible to me. I believe we will reach the final. I am convinced that Ronaldo will forget everything and do what he does best. And he has already proven that it is scoring goals. I have no doubt that he will play without any anxiety. He will continue to take our standard positions and penalties from eleven meters. I don't think Hungary will play defensive football. The results of the other matches are no longer important to them, but I don't think they will suddenly change their playing style overnight. They work hard and have very strong players. Their main strength is teamwork. They like to share the ball when attacking. I hope to see what they have shown throughout the tournament." Bernd Storck (Hungary): "Who would have thought that with four points we would be first, and that Portugal would need a win to secure a spot in the next stage. I can only compliment my team. We need to continue the game we showed in the last two matches and play disciplined football in defense. They will press us, as they are a world-class team. Everyone always asks about Cristiano Ronaldo. Their team also has other players who have won the Champions League and contributed to that victory. We need to be brave and play as a team. These matches won't depend solely on their number seven. I always try to set an example. I always prepare the team for what we can expect on the field. That's why I'm not afraid or worried. We always analyze the game of our future opponents, so our players know what to expect from them. We won't be enough just to play our game and beat the Portuguese, we will have to pay attention to how the opponents play and adapt." Players to watch: Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo In the first two matches, Ronaldo took a total of 20 shots but failed to score a goal, despite having the opportunity to score from the penalty spot against Austria. Although Portugal can win these matches without Ronaldo's contribution, it's time for the team captain to show what he's capable of. Hungary: Gabor Kiraly The 40-year-old goalkeeper has looked solid in these championships, conceding only one goal so far, scored from a penalty kick. In these matches, Kiraly should face much more pressure from opponents, and the Hungarian team's chances against Portugal will depend largely on the experienced goalkeeper's performance. Predicted lineups: Portugal: Rui Patrício; Vieirinha, Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe, Raphael Guerreira; William Carvalho, João Moutinho, Renato Sanches; Ricardo Quaresma, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani. Hungary: Király; Lang, Guzmics, Juhász, Kádár; Nagy, Gera; Dzsudzsák, Kleinheisler, Lovrencsics; Szalai. Predictions by experts: Reymund Tomayo ("Yibada"): "In the first two matches, Ronaldo did not score goals, and Portugal remained winless. However, their defense in this championship has been stable and they have conceded only one goal. I think Portugal will score twice and clinch a victory. Portugal 2 - 1 Hungary." Paul Merson ("Sky Sports"): "People tell me that Cristiano Ronaldo is a better player than Diego Maradona, but I watched him against Austria and he looked miserable. Maradona was a hundred times better. Ronaldo looks good at 'Real' team, where they crush weaker teams with results like 9:0 every week, but when he has to carry the team on his shoulders, he just can't do it. people say he failed with the penalty kick, but luck shouldn't be the most important factor when scoring penalties. Portugal must win these matches if they want to secure a spot in the next stage. I think they will win. Portugal 1 - 0 Hungary." Joseph Zucker ("Bleacher Report"): "Even though Hungary has secured a spot in the next stage, their team has a lot to lose. They certainly don't want to lose after such a strong start to the tournament and finish in second or third place in the group to face a much stronger opponent. Portugal has no room for retreat and I think they will manage to win. Portugal 2 - 1 Hungary." Interesting facts: This will be the eleventh match between these national teams. In the previous 10 matches, Portugal has not lost to their opponents, and in the last seven matches, they defeated the opponents; Hungary has not scored against Portugal in 328 minutes, and during this period, they had to pull the ball out of their net ten times; The Portugal national team has not experienced a defeat in nine consecutive official matches (7 wins, 2 draws). All seven victories were achieved by a one-goal margin; Taking the field in this match, Ronaldo will have his 30th appearance for the national team in the final stages of European and World Championship. No other Portuguese player in the team's history has a comparison to this statistics; This is the first time Hungary participates in the European Championship. They have participated three times in the World Cup in their history and have been eliminated after the group stage each time; The Portugal national team has never withdrawn from the European Championship after the group stage matches.
