Euro 2020/1 Previews - Group F

It's the last day of my Euro 2020/1 preview series and I’ve saved the best for last - Group F: The Group of Death, which features current world champions France, current European champions Portugal, perennial tournament powerhouses Germany and, oh, Hungary just for good measure. Crikey! 

Prospects: Didier Deschamp's French side come into this summer’s tournament as inevitable favorites, with an embarrassment of riches from back to front. The only possible question mark is the eleventh hour call-up for Karim Benzema, who appears to be set to nudge Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud out of the first eleven. France could probably field three sides who would make it out of this group, but can Deschamps find the side that can win it all again? Portugal could have easily made a good final opponent for France but they’ll meet them in the group stage. Fernando Santos’ team won France 2016 with an organized and tidy effort elevated by the presence of one of the world’s most gifted players, Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet, Ronaldo is in the twilight of his career at the age of 36. Big questions also surround the German squad. It was an ominous sign when World Cup winning manager Joachim Low announced his resignation at the end of the tournament. Still, if we’ve learned anything from watching football over the last half century, it’s to never count out the Germans, who still possess real quality throughout the team. Marco Rossi’s Hungary team are merely here to make up the numbers in this group, as no reasonable observers expect them to place even a strong third in order to make it out. They made it here by defeating Iceland in the playoffs and they’ll be happy just to be sharing the same pitch with the likes of Kylian Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

* One to Watch: Germany’s 21 year-old forward Kai Havertz had a tentative first season at Chelsea, but after scoring the winning goal in the Champions League Final a couple of weeks ago, he’s set to explode on the Euro stage. 

* Most Likely to See Red: Hungary's veteran center back Willi Orban is likely to be overwhelmed in a group like this. 

* Most Likely to Attempt a “Panenka:” Portugal’s Man Utd forward Bruno Fernandez is fond of a hop, skip and jump at pens, but I’m guessing he’s got a Panenka in him as well. 

* Worst haircut in the group: France’s Barcelona striker Antoine Griezmann used to sport a sensible short back and sides; since winning the World Cup in 2018, though, he’s taken to looking like a frat bro on spring break in Jamaica.

* Key Match: Portugal v. France - Wednesday, June 23, 3pm EST, ESPN

* Blue Devil’s Crystal Ball Says: Watch out for the third round of this group’s matches, as these teams have a habit of starting slowly in tournaments.