Santos faces France as Portugal prepare for crunch qualifiers

Portugal (3/1 to win) make the trip to Paris to play Euro 2016 hosts France, who, having automatically qualified, are involved in a series of friendlies with teams from Group I.

Whilst there are no points or qualification hopes at stake in this encounter, there will certainly be a significant amount of national pride. The Navigators have not faced their European rivals since 2006, when they were downed by a Zinedine Zidane penalty, and have not beaten the Gallic team since 1975.

Didier Deschamps (odds-on at 17/20 to guide Les Bleus to victory) will be aiming to make the most of his side’s toughest warm-up test in the build-up to the tournament, and hoping to provide Portugal coaching counterpart Fernando Santos with a baptism of fire.

Home team France have somewhat of an injury crisis, with defenders Mathieu Debuchy, Laurent Koscielny and Mamadou Sakho all sidelined.

These problems, however, only reveal an enviable depth of talent. The absence of the aforementioned trio will provide the likes of Barcelona’s rearguard rock Jeremy Mathieu, Real Madrid starlet Raphael Varane and Manchester City duo Bacary Sagna and Eliaquim Mangala a chance to grab a starting spot.

With sensational stopper and skipper Hugo Lloris likely to be rested, Steve Mandanda, who is currently leading Ligue 1 with Marseille, could also step in to earn a cap and is 6/5 to help France keep a clean sheet.

Deschamps finds himself with an abundance of selection headaches, in fact, with midfield maestro’s Yohan Cabaye and Morgan Schneiderlin both hoping to play alongside, or instead of, likely first picks Paul Pogba (2/1 to net anytime after striking last time out) and Blaise Matuidi.

With Oliveir Giroud out and Karim Benzema a doubt, in-form Marseille duo Gignac and Dmitri Payet (5/1 and 6/1 to open scoring respectively) could be set to play parts at the Stade de France, competing with talented, established attackers Antoine Griezmann and Mathieu Valbuena .