Group F: Hungary, Portugal, France, Germany

[ste d' indica]

As long as he doesn't give his fingers a sniff after...

 

[The T-Dex]

Great player, wouldnt be taking any brass numbers from him tho.

Was Valbuena's brass wasn't it?

 

[irishtony1878]

Won't be seeing anymore Kevin Volland

Just thinking the same thing.
He isn't one of ours is he?

 

[Goat]

Was Valbuena's brass wasn't it?

On 18 April 2010, it was first reported by French television channel M6 that four members of the French national team were being investigated for their roles as clients in a prostitute ring operated inside of a Paris nightclub, with some of the women possibly being underage. The players were eventually revealed to be Franck Ribéry, Sidney Govou, Hatem Ben Arfa and Benzema.[322][323] Benzema was alleged to have had a sexual rendezvous with a prostitute when she was 16 years of age, an act Benzema denied through his lawyer.[324] On 20 July, Benzema was questioned by Paris police and indicted on the charge of "solicitation of a minor prostitute".[325][326] In November 2011, prosecutors asked for the cases against Ribéry and Benzema to be dropped, saying that the players were not aware that the escort, identified as Zahia Dehar, was 16 years old.[327] However, the case did go on to trial. In January 2014, the judge in the case dropped the charges against both Ribery and Benzema saying there was lack of sufficient evidence that the pair knew the prostitutes were underage.

 

[john jako]

Havertz does nothing for 95% of the game but the 5% he does is incredible. Imagine him at goodison, be hounded out within 2 games for not running around like Gana Gueye.

 

[irishtony1878]

Won't be seeing anymore Kevin Volland

Just thinking the same thing.
He isn't one of ours is he?

 

[matty1878]

As long as he doesn't give his fingers a sniff after...

lol

 

[Drico]

Germany could be on the verge of elimination by the weekend. Lose to Portugal and only the format will save them. That was a fairly typical German performance in recent years, albeit one of their better ones. Löw is making it up as he goes along now. France were very comfortable. Germany's biggest problem - the lack of quality defenders - came back to bite them on the ass tonight. If they had quality, Hummels would have stayed in forced international retirement. Up front, they have some triers, like Serge Gnabry, but, let's be kind, he's not Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Rudi Völler, or Gerd Müller. Kevin Volland - as he proved - is fantastically third rate at this level. Timo Werner is a broken waste of space. Others are still too callow, like Havertz, while Kroos and Müller are simply too slow and pedestrian now.

France were largely unruffled tonight, did the job, took the points. They are deserved favourites, but they still let themselves open to the sucker punch that a side better than Germany could yet deliver.

 

[toffee82]

Not exactly unsung heroes as they are well respected players but Kante and then Varane behind are going to be tough to break down.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Germany could be on the verge of elimination by the weekend. Lose to Portugal and only the format will save them. That was a fairly typical German performance in recent years, albeit one of their better ones. Löw is making it up as he goes along now. France were very comfortable. Germany's biggest problem - the lack of quality defenders - came back to bite them on the ass tonight. If they had quality, Hummels would have stayed in forced international retirement. Up front, they have some triers, like Serge Gnabry, but, let's be kind, he's not Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Rudi Völler, or Gerd Müller. Kevin Volland - as he proved - is fantastically third rate at this level. Timo Werner is a broken waste of space. Others are still too callow, like Havertz, while Kroos and Müller are simply too slow and pedestrian now.

France were largely unruffled tonight, did the job, took the points. They are deserved favourites, but they still let themselves open to the sucker punch that a side better than Germany could yet deliver.

They conceded 4 shots to a team with a front three of Mbappe, Griezmann and Benzema. Hummels had a bad moment but those can happen. On the whole I think they'll feel decent.

For me Germany controlled the game and were let down by not having a true goal scorer. I like Gnabry but I don't thinks he's quite it. Still the German side were not bad here, another day Hummels doesn't crap himself, they get something right in the final third and it plays out different. I just don't think a ton needs to change for the result to go another way there for Germany. And having watched Portugal play today they are only favorites on the names of the players and not how they looked which for 88 minutes was the same as Germany against a far worse side.

 

[Yank]

I live in Berlin and have followed German football forever. There isn't a single quality German defender in that squad and, as a result, they will struggle not to be eliminated pretty early. Löw is a busted flush who outstayed his welcome a good 5 years, and when you're scrabbling around to recall Hummels - who you rightly discarded aeons ago - you really don't have a defender worth his salt to rely on.

9 times out of 10 you could rely on Germany to beat England in a knockout game. Not this time. Germany has too many mentally fragile talents - Werner, Havertz, Sane - and a surfeit of mediocrity: Volland and pretty much the entire defence. I think it could well get ugly for Löw before he finally goes. Still, they'll host the next Euros with Flick. They'll be back in the last four by that one.

Completely agree. I think Low should have been done after last world cup. They haven't look any better since 2018. They're essentially doing the same thing as 2018 plus just a couple guys.

But they need to start looking beyond Kroos and Muller up front. Havertz and Werner are going to be apart of the team going forward for better or for worse. I agree they leave a ton to be desired.

But they need to scrap a lot of the guys over 26 or so and just focus on building some younger players up. They just aren't good enough or they're past the point of being able to contributeat the level they need to be for Germany to win games.

Just old and not good enough.

 

[ToffeeTim]

I know he's not everyone's cup of tea but I reckon he's great - at least he's not dull as dishwater like so many others! They made the Netherlands vs Ukraine really enjoyable.

I also quite like john hartson as a commentator too.

Yeah Hartson was good earlier too.

Those guys tonight sounded like they were really enjoying the match and their job and it makes all the difference.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Completely agree. I think Low should have been done after last world cup. They haven't look any better since 2018. They're essentially doing the same thing as 2018 plus just a couple guys.

But they need to start looking beyond Kroos and Muller up front. Havertz and Werner are going to be apart of the team going forward for better or for worse. I agree they leave a ton to be desired.

But they need to scrap a lot of the guys over 26 or so and just focus on building some younger players up. They just aren't good enough or they're past the point of being able to contributeat the level they need to be for Germany to win games.

Just old and not good enough.

I think you can take Kroos and Muller out and move Kimmich into midfield (or Goretzka when he's fit) and start a different forward and you aren't really getting anything different than what you got tonight because this is what Germany want to do just instead of fluffing one into their own net they hit the oppositions. I think weirdly assuming they get through they'll not be too upset to get the game where things go against them out of the way now.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Was out for a bit so only just finished watching. Thought France were good and have a lot more gears to go up. Germany very disappointing really. They played at an awful slow tempo and had very little in the final third. Quite a few players who wouldn't have made German sides of the past. If England end up drawing them in the last 16 then I think England will win.

 

[carolinablue232]

Generally been impressed with the officiating in this tournament so far. I’ve liked that there’s not been a foul every time a player decides to fall

Amen. Refreshing to see.