Predictions Of Group F Euro 2024: Portugal Unresistant, Turkey And Czechs Lurking

Portugal is the most powerful in Group F (photo: x @selecaoportugal)

JAKARTA - Ahead of the start of Euro 2024, Opta supercomputers gave predictions for Group F containing Portugal, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Georgia. Who will qualify for the round of 16.

The 2016 European champions, Portugal, will start their campaign in the hope of becoming one of the seeds again. The big question in everyone's mind is how far will Cristiano Ronaldo play?

However, Portugal's opponents in Group F cannot be ignored. Turkey will try to achieve an achievement like in 2008 when they reach the semi-finals, while the Czech Republic has qualified for the eighth time in a row in the European Cup, the last failed to qualify in 1992 while still joining the Czechs.

Then there is Georgia who debutant. They are more than just star players Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and will be led by former France international Willy Sagnol in their first major tournament.

Seeing the Portugal squad, attention was immediately focused on their attacking line. Roberto Mart Mariez has an extraordinary choice of talent, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Le totalus, Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota, Gon bigalo Ramos, Jo total Félix, and Pedro Neto.

Portugal will appear in the Euros for the ninth time, including eight consecutive times since 1996. They are the only team to have always qualified for the knockout round in the last seven editions of the tournament, since Euro 96. In fact, Portugal has never failed to qualify from the group stage.

Martpriez's side are perfect in Euro 2024 qualifiers, being the only team to win 100% of their games (10/10), score the most goals (36) and have the best defensive record (2 conceded goals).

However, their main story from the 2022 World Cup cannot be ignored, where Portugal performed better after Ronaldo was expelled from the team, despite its phenomenal international record. The 39-year-old holds the record for the most performances at Euro (25), the most goals at Euro (14), the most assists (6 - since 1972), and the highest number of European championships with at least one goal scored (5).

Turkey will enter their sixth European Championship, having qualified for the tournament in three consecutive editions for the first time.

Vincenzo Montella will be the first non-Turkey coach to lead the national team in a major tournament since fellow Italian Sandro Pppo, led Turkey at the 1954 World Cup. The former Milan, Fiorentina, and Sevilla boss hopes to take them far away in Germany, with their previous best performances reaching the semi-finals in 2008.

However, this competition doesn't give Turkey any sweet memories in recent editions. They lost in six of their last seven matches in the European Cup (W1). They have also recorded only one clean sheet in the last 12 matches of this tournament, which was a 2-0 win in the group stage against the Czech Republic at Euro 2016.

The Czech Republic is no stranger to the Euros, with their 11th appearance in the tournament (also as Czechoslovakia), and eighth in a row.

Since reaching the final in 1996, the Czech Republic (or 'Czechia') has alternated between reaching the knockout and elimination stages in the Euro group stage. They want to break the pattern in Germany, after reaching the quarter-finals at Euro 2020.

Georgia will compete as independent countries in major international tournaments for the first time in their history. They are the only country at Euro 2024 to make their debut in this tournament, after beating Greece on penalties in the play-offs.

Manager Willy Sagnol will be the first French to manage a foreign national team in the European Cup. Sagnol won 58 caps for Les Bleus between 2000-2008, losing only once to his 12 appearances in the big tournament (W6 D5).

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will be Georgia's main threat, after becoming their most prolific player during qualifying (4 goals, 1 assist). The Napoli winger also completed the most debris (including play-offs) with Belgian player Jéremy Doku (44 drifts).

Despite being the underdog in Group F, don't ignore Georgia. Opta's supercomputer gives them more than one in three to advance to the knockout round (37.2%).