Euro 2021 Group F Preview: France narrowly favored to win Group of Death over Portugal, Germany, Hungary

Earning the title of this tournament’s Group of Death, Group F will be an incredibly fun one to watch as it sees three absolute world powerhouses go at each other to qualify for two automatic entries into the knockout rounds. While France are the favorites, the top two are both up for grabs as any of the big three could end up there. Hungary is, well, most likely out of luck here. Let’s look deeper into each team’s situation ahead of the group stage.

Hungary

Hungary has a huge mountain to climb if they want any shot at escaping the group stage. It’s unfortunate for them to end up in the Group of Death, because in almost any other group they might have a great shot at a top-two finish. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look to be in the cards this time around. The Hungarians will be making their fourth European Championship appearance after making it to the Round of 16 in 2016. Before that performance, they hadn’t qualified for the tournament in 34 years — their last appearance coming in 1972 when they finished in fourth place. Their first-ever appearance — and best-ever finish — came in 1964 when they finished in third. Now they’ll look to put their best foot forward with a trio of players who share a club team at RB Leipzig.

Key players: Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Leipzig), Willi Orban (RB Leipzig), Peter Gulacsi (RB Leipzig), Roland Sallai (SC Freiburg)

Portugal

The reigning Euro champions will field a star-studded squad featuring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Cancelo, and Bernardo Silva as they look to defend their crown after winning the title in 2016. The funny thing is, this year’s squad is significantly stronger than that squad in 2016 and should give both France and Germany a run for their money in the group stage. They’re not just a one-trick pony with one of the best to ever play the game in Ronaldo, but their entire team is filled with world-class players who see the field week in and week out at the highest level of football.

Key players: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Joao Moutinho (Wolverhampton), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid), Ruben Dias (Manchester City)

France

Another set of reigning champs — this time in World Cup play — will take their incredibly strong squad to the pitch where they’re favored to win the group, but not by much. After Kylian Mbappe took the world by storm in the 2018 World Cup and led the French to their second title, they stayed atop (or near the top) of the FIFA World Rankings, currently ranked second only to Belgium. The 22-year-old Mbappe has emerged as France’s best player, lighting up the competition at Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain. The striker boasts 91 goals in just 107 matches for PSG in league play, while he’s added 16 goals in 42 appearances for France over the last four years, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down. He’s surrounded by a team that’s more than capable of winning the entire tournament, but they’ll have to get through the Group of Death first.

Key players: Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)

Germany

Surprisingly, Germany are not the favorites in this group, which is strange to hear. It’s just a testament to how good the teams in this group truly are. Ranked No. 12 in the world, they’ll have to bring their best game forward as manager Joachim Löw will look for redemption after an early group stage exit in the 2018 World Cup. This will be their 13th appearance in the Euro tournament, and the three-time winners will field a very Bayern Munich-heavy squad as they bring eight players from the Bundesliga side to the tournament. They recently suffered an embarrassing defeat to North Macedonia in their third World Cup Qualifier, but they’ll hope to bounce back and get back on their feet in their opening showdown with France on June 15th.

Key players: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich), Kai Havertz (Chelsea), Timo Werner (Chelsea)

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook

Group F Schedule (all times ET)

• Tuesday June 15, 12:00 p.m. Hungary vs. Portugal (Puskás Aréna, Budapest)
• Tuesday June 15, 3:00 p.m. France vs. Germany (Allianz Arena, Munich)
• Saturday June 19, 9:00 a.m. Hungary vs. France (Puskás Aréna, Budapest)
• Saturday June 19, 12:00 p.m. Portugal vs. Germany (Allianz Arena, Munich)
• Wednesday June 23, 3:00 p.m. Portugal vs. France (Puskás Aréna, Budapest)
• Wednesday June 23, 3:00 p.m. German vs. Hungary (Allianz Arena, Munich)

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