World champions France get their 2020 UEFA European Championship campaign underway on Tuesday when the face Germany at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Didier Deschamps' men are favorites to go all the way and win the tournament, but they will first have to navigate a challenging Group F with Portugal and Hungary also in in the pool.
To make matters even more complicated, Kylian Mbappe has turned Olivier Giroud's frustrations into a full-blown controversy with the Paris Saint-Germain man using Sunday's press conference to publicly discuss the topic. Les Bleus must be wary that they are not distracted by the media rumblings as Germany's squad could break out of their recent malaise at any time with Joachim Low out after this summer.
Here is how you can watch the match and what to know:
Viewing information
- Date: Tuesday, Jun. 15 | Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Allianz Arena -- Munich, Germany
- TV: ESPN/Univision
- Live stream: FuboTV (try for free)
- Odds: FRA +170; Draw +210; GER +180 (via William Hill sportsbook)
Storylines
France: Karim Benzema's return to the international fold was expected to be the extent of the drama surrounding the France national team this summer but Mbappe's reaction to Giroud's recent comments about a lack of service and Deschamps' connecting of the dots has seen this explode.
💯% Focus 👊 pic.twitter.com/Tp7NevObsv
— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) June 13, 2021
The 1998 FIFA World Cup and 2000 UEFA European Championship-winning former captain is looking to guide his team to continental success to go with their world crown and to complete the double as a player and coach this summer.
If that is to happen, Deschamps must defuse the situation without any further delay and ensure that the squad are fully focused on their task with such a complicated opening game and the returning Benzema to accommodate in attack with Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.
Craving even more coverage of Euro 2020? Listen below to part one of our preview and follow ¡Qué Golazo! A Daily CBS Soccer Podcast where we take you beyond the pitch and around the globe for commentary, previews, recaps and more.
Germany: With Low into his final few weeks as Germany boss, this could go in any direction for Die Mannschaft with recent results suggesting that the team will flop despite the abundance of talent and experience in their ranks.
🎙️ @ToniRuediger: "France look stronger on paper, but that's just on paper. They can be favourites for all I care, they obviously have great forwards. We need to dig deep and show what we're made of. We're ready." #DieMannschaft #EURO2020 #GER pic.twitter.com/qyrAa55gWE
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) June 13, 2021
Like France with Benzema, Low has recalled veterans Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels. The side is being viewed as the underdogs of Group F when compared with the French and Portugal and that creates a scenario that could see them go on an unexpected deep run if things click.
Prediction
France to come out on top in a tight but entertaining opener that sets the tone for Group F's titanic three-way battle. Pick: Germany 1-2 France.
