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In today's second B group match, England and France will meet, both of which are not only considered favorites in the group, but also one of the main contenders to win the European Championship. The match will take place in Lisbon, at the largest tournament stadium Estadio Da Luz, which accommodates around 65,000 spectators.
For the English team, this is a great opportunity to prove that they are strong not only in terms of player names or various predictions, but also in terms of their performance on the field. In many championships, the English have been named as tournament favorites, but their biggest achievement in the European Championship was reaching the semi-finals in 1996, when England played at home but still had to acknowledge the superiority of the German team.
Meanwhile, the French team is defending the European champions title, but this championship is also a good opportunity for them to recover from the complete fiasco of the 2002 World Cup.
Both teams know each other well, as many key players in the French national team play in England. Players respect each other, as illustrated by key attackers of these teams: "I really respect ," - said Michael Owen. "I think no one could match him last season." The attacker also did not hesitate to praise: "Owen is an amazing player. He can do things that I will never be able to do."
The coach of the French national team, Jacques Santini, who has signed a contract with the English club "Tottenham Hotspur", adds even more intrigue before the match, but the strategist remains focused: "The decision I made will not disturb me in these matches. It will even strengthen my desire to perform well. I want to end my leadership of the national team by achieving a good result in this championship". However, the Frenchman cannot expect mercy from the opponent's coach Sven Goran Eriksson, whose goals in the Euro 2004 tournament are also big: "Our team trusts our strengths and that's good. We have a great opportunity to prove that England is a football country," said the Swede.
It is not yet clear who will replace John Terry, who suffered an injury and did not have time to recover, and who was one of the key pillars of the club this season. Most likely, the spot next to Sol Campbell will be taken by Jamie Carragher from Liverpool or Ledley King from Tottenham.
Despite the fact that the French have not missed a goal in eleven consecutive matches, there are still some question marks in the defense of the European champions. Young English attackers Michael Owen and can be a tough test for 34-year-old Bixente Lizarazu and 31-year-old Lilian Thuram.
However, the biggest interest is in the defensive line of both teams. Here will clash some of the best defenders in the world. The French trio - Vieira, Makelele, and Pires will face Gerrard, Lampard, and Scholes, while the Real Madrid duo will also have to forget their friendly relations this time and find out who is stronger - England or France?
The match will be refereed by German Markus Merk.
Predicted line-ups: England (4-4-2): James; G.Neville, King, Campbell, A.Cole; Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes; Owen, Rooney. France (4-4-2): Barthez; Sagnol, Thuram, Silvestre, Lizarazu; Pires, Vieira, Makelele, Zidane; Henry, Trezeguet.
