Euro 2024 scores: France eliminate Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on penalties, will face Spain in semifinals (2024)

FT -- France are through to the semifinals of Euro 2024!

Hernandez strokes the ball into the left hand side of the goal. France are through. Portugal are out, losing 5-3 in the penalty shootout after a dire game of football.

Mendes scores -- France 0 (4), Portugal 0 (3)

Into the postage stamp in the top right hand corner. One of the best players on the field today with the best penalty of the night. Still it won't mean much if France score their next one. Hernandez to take it.

Barcola scores -- France 0 (4), Portugal 0 (2)

The man who replaced Mbappe in extra time doesn't need much of a run up, a few steps and a well struck effort to the left. If Costa had guessed the right way he might have got there. But he didn't. Mendes has to score now.

Felix misses -- France 0 (3), Portugal 0 (2)

He tries to replicate Ronaldo's stutter shot but drags it wide, slamming a shot into the post that hands the advantage to France.

Kounde scores -- France 0 (3), Portugal 0 (2)

Even better than Silva's that. It thuds into the top left.

Silva scores -- France 0 (2), Portugal 0 (2)

An excellent strike that, high and hard into the top right. Once more Maignan goes the right way and he gets a glove up, maybe brushing the ball with his fingertips. He never had a chance though.

Fofana scores -- France 0 (2), Portugal 0 (1)

Straight down the middle, nice and low. I always think more takers should go there. No misses so far.

Ronaldo scores -- France 0 (1), Portugal 0 (1)

A stuttering run up but it ends with him drilling the ball far away with Maignan, who guessed right.

Dembele scores -- France 0 (1), Portugal 0 (0)

Costa goes one way, Dembele the other. A textbook finish. Now it'll be Ronaldo.

We're nearly ready to go

It'll be France up first. Dembele stands ready against Costa, hero of the win over Slovenia.

FT - We're going to penalties

Mendes could have won it at the death there. Simply brilliant play from the left back, who drives forward and spots the acres of space on the right flank. Silva picks it up, cuts infield and beats a flying French body. He gives it back to Mendes but his low shot is right at Maignan. We're going to a shootout.

Penalties loom large

Just four minutes to go. Portugal have a corner. It would be so befitting of this tire fire of a football match if someone scored and robbed us of a shootout.

Second half of extra time brings changes

Both sides shuffle their pack. Felix replaces Leao but the big news is that Mbappe is off, Barcola coming on in his place. He really has not looked right for some time in this game. On the subject of premature exits, what are you lot still doing here? It's July 4th weekend, go be free, enjoy yourself, find someone and tell them you love them, platonically or otherwise. Life is to be lived. Go on. Without me. I'll stay and hold off the bad vibes. Just live. And never again speak of what you have seen here.

Half time in extra time

A few half openings at both ends and it's worth noting that the more this game goes on the more impressive the four center backs look. Perhaps that's less because of the stress that has been put on them, more because they would be totally entitled to let their mind wonder elsewhere.

There's Ronaldo's chance

It's a tough one, you have to say. Conceicao does excellently to get the byline and pulls the ball back towards the penalty spot. It is, however, a little behind Ronaldo, who leaning backwards and striking first time can only clip the ball over the bar. There wasn't much else he could do.

We go again

France knock the ball nicely around the back, Saliba finding Hernandez who then gets Mbappe in a position where he has Semedo isolated. The French forward looks very dangerous but his defender bides his time and steps in quite excellently when the ball presents itself to him.

FT - Oh no, not more of this!

Half an opening for Portugal as added time approached, Saliba not quite clearing with his first header and the ball dropping to Silva. Before he can get a good shot away the Arsenal center back is in his grill, blocking out the effort. If you were to be generous you would say this game has had some excellent moments. But you shouldn't be generous. That was dreadful. Mbappe curls one straight at Costa just before the final whistle.

Game got dreadful again

That clock is ticking menacingly towards extra time. Please no.

Ronaldo's standing over a free kick in a prime crossing position. He shoots. Straight into the wall. Obviously.

Dembele has changed the game

Finally France are going at Portugal and it's because of their No.11. Every time Dembele has got the ball he has gone hard and fast at Mendes, who never knows whether his team mate is going to go down his left or his right. On this occasion he cuts infield, bending a wicked effort from range that maybe needed to be from three or four yards further back to dip in.

More chances

Now that should be a goal. Brilliant combination play by Vitinha and Leao, the latter teeing up the former to strike at close range. Maignan does really well not only to save that but to be up quick enough to deal with the danger when the ball nearly deflects into his goal off Hernandez. It lands near Ronaldo the next time around but with his back to goal a backheel can't find a way past Maignan.

Now France are waking up, a nice move slipping Kolo Muani in behind to volley wide, a deflection probably not making much difference other than turning a goal kick into a corner. Dembele, meanwhile, replaces Griezmann.

A shot! In the box!

That is so much better from Portugal, a brilliant trivela through ball by Cancelo releasing Bruno Fernandes into the space behind the French backline. Maignan does excellently to get down to his right and push the ball away, France surviving danger on the rebound when Cancelo bends it high and wide. In what has been a pretty drab match it has to be said that Portugal have been the better and if Fernandes can be as effective as Leao has been then there might be some real pressure on the Saliba goal.

Mbappe is down hurt

Momentary excitement, beginning with one of the best of Bruno Fernandes' many corners so far. It's clipped to the back post where Silva meets it with a header that smacks into Mbappe's head. He goes down, requiring treatment with his mask off, but in the meantime France fly forward on the counter, Kante charging to Griezmann's left in a spot Mbappe would usually take. France's No.7 tries to slip the ball through to Kolo Muani but Palhinha fouls him, forcing him to fluff his connection. Curiously France don't get the free kick.

Mbappe, meanwhile, is ready to continue.

A shout for a penalty

More danger created by Portugal down the French right as Leao and Mendes combine, the latter flying into the box. Kounde comes acoss but is nowhere near the ball when Mendes chooses to hurl himself to the floor. There's no chance that's a penalty and Michael Oliver is pretty generously minded if he isn't booking the PSG man.

The second half is underway

Someone, somewhere please have mercy on us. Make this game interesting. I beg.

Still half time

Honestly I'm just enjoying the absence of football more than the football. Can we all really hope to make it through another 45 minutes of this, let alone the extra time that seems inevitable, punishing us for some unknown sin?

HT -- All square

I watched it. I can't unwatch it. Stay tuned for more tales of disinterest.

A defensive clinic

I can't say I'm fully enamoured with this game but I wonder how much of that is down to the really excellent defending on both sides. First and most impressively of all you have the ageless Pepe, showing such authority to snuff out an opening for Kolo Muani when he takes one touch too many. Soon after Ronaldo tries to chase a ball in behind but there's no way he's getting the better of Saliba, so utterly cool under pressure. He never dives in. He rarely has to make tackles in dangerous areas. He is something special.

France going nowhere

After a bright start Les Bleus really are struggling to get their game moving. Instead it's typified by Mbappe, with the whole defensive line in his view, slipping into an offside position when Kante slips the ball to him.

Portugal pressure builds

Leao is looking a real handful down the left, really advancing his side into dangerous areas and opening up space for others to attack. Fernandes stands over Portugal's third corner of the game after his shot deflects off Saliba but this one is a little too easily cleared. Ronaldo shakes his head as he trots back into position.

Slowing down

After a bright start to this game we've quietened down a little bit. At least until a wonderfully precise backheel through Kounde's legs, freeing Mendes, who has come flying forward from his left back berth to deliver a cross on the run. He overhits a ball aimed at the one Portugal player in the area and you can imagine how Cristiano Ronaldo reacts to that. Is it really good leadership, to hector a young man 17 years your junior for failing to execute a precision pass while moving at high speed? Whatever it is, it's about the only meaningful contribution Ronaldo has made so far.