Euro 2016 preview: Poland vs Portugal: What time does it start, where can I watch it live?

A look ahead to Thursday's last eight encounter

Michael Parsons
Wednesday 29 June 2016 13:36 BST
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Ronaldo has had a mixed Euro 2016 so far
Ronaldo has had a mixed Euro 2016 so far (Getty)

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It’s a big game for…

Grzegorz Krychowiak

The unsung star of the side, much of the work of Poland’s big defensive midfielder goes under the radar. One of the finest exponents in his position in world football, Krychowiak is a vital part of a defensive unit that has only conceded to a wonder strike from Xherdan Shaqiri at this tournament. He joined Sevilla in 2014 and has since collected two Europa League titles, as well as being named in the La Liga team of the year in his debut season. Showed nerves of steel to dispatch the winning penalty against Switzerland in the round of 16.

Best stat…

Despite their underwhelming form in France, Portugal are unbeaten in manager Fernando Santos’ 11 competitive games in charge. All eight wins in that sequence have come by a single goal.

Player to watch…

William Carvalho

Surprisingly excluded for Portugal’s opening draw with Iceland, Carvalho has been a mainstay ever since. Perennially linked with Europe’s top clubs, the highly rated 24 year-old defensive midfielder curiously remains at Sporting Lisbon.

The standout performer at last summer’s European under-21 championships, the languid Carvalho can make the game look ridiculously easy at his best.

Premier League interest…

Poland (2): Artur Boruc, Łukasz Fabiański

Portugal (2) José Fonte, Cédric

Past meetings…

Poland 0 Portugal 0, Friendly 2012

Portugal 2 (Maniche, Ronaldo) Poland 2 (M Lewandowski, Krzynowek) European Championship qualifier, 2007

Who will the winners face next…

The victors will face the winners of Wales v Belgium in the semi-final.

Vital information…

Date: Thursday, 30th June

Venue: Stade Velodrome, Marseille

Kick-Off Time: 8pm

TV: Live on ITV

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