More vigour needed

MUNICH • Germany coach Joachim Low is under pressure to find a way for his side to create more chances when they host holders Portugal in their second Euro 2020 Group F game today.

The 2014 world champions' hopes of reaching the knockout stage hang in the balance after their opening 1-0 defeat by France, which means they need to improve at the Allianz Arena against European champions Portugal.

Die Mannschaft put in a creditable defensive performance against Les Bleus but managed just one shot on target, with Kai Havertz and Serge Gnabry left too isolated up front to the complaints of pundit Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Low may choose to freshen up his offensive options by bringing in Timo Werner, Kevin Volland and Leroy Sane - the trio all came off the bench against France - as he seeks to find the right balance between attack and defence today.

"If we can be more vigorous up front, we will be able to beat Portugal," he said.

Germany have won their last four meetings with Portugal over the last two decades, most recently a 4-0 victory in the 2014 World Cup group stage as Low's side went on to win the title in Brazil.

Since then, the Germans have fallen from being the world's No. 1 side to 12th in the Fifa rankings, while their opponents have risen to fifth. Portugal, on paper, have a stronger team than their winning one at Euro 2016.

The fear in Germany is that a loss to Portugal could see Euro 2020 become a repeat of the national humiliation suffered at the 2018 World Cup, when they were eliminated in the first round for the first time in 80 years.

But Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, coming off his record-extending 10th and 11th goal at five consecutive Euro Finals, has never scored against Low's team, giving them confidence.

"We hope that we will come out of it with a fifth (successive) win," said defender Matthias Ginter.

"We have an awesome team, we have the quality and can go more, we still believe in us," added midfielder Emre Can.

Passing accuracy of the Germans in the narrow loss to France on Tuesday.

However, the pressure is more on the Germans as a win in Munich will send Portugal into the knockout phase for a seventh straight European Championship.

With 106 goals in 176 games for Portugal, Ronaldo is three short of the all-time international record of 109 strikes by Iran great Ali Daei.

The longer his side stay in the competition, the greater the possibility he can break it this summer.

With the quality Portugal possess, from Bruno Fernandes to Diogo Jota and Bernardo Silva, "it would be a mistake" for Germany to focus solely on their opponents' star man, admitted Ginter.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos also has the luxury to play Andre Silva, who scored 28 Bundesliga goals for Eintracht Frankfurt last season, Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix and Lille's Ligue 1 title-winner Renato Sanches.

"Now it's about Germany and we must keep improving," said Santos. "Kill or be killed, as (former Portugal boss Luiz Felipe) Scolari used to say."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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