Euro 2024 Group F guide: Portugal’s attacking variety, Turkey’s full-backs and Georgia’s switches

How do Portugal play? Who is Turkey’s one to watch? What can we expect from Georgia?

The Euro 2024 is nearly upon us and The Athletic will be running in-depth tactical group guides so you will know what to expect from every nation competing in Germany.

We will look at each team’s playing style, strengths, weaknesses and key players, and highlight things to keep an eye on during the tournament.

Expect to see screengrabs analysing tactical moments in games, embedded videos of key clips to watch, the occasional podcast clip and data visualisation to highlight patterns and trends — think of yourself as a national team head coach and this a mini opposition dossier for you to read pre-match.

Here we look at Group F, which features Portugal, Turkey, Georgia and the Czech Republic.

Portugal

• Manager: Roberto Martinez
• Captain: Cristiano Ronaldo
• Qualifying record: P10, W10, D0, L0, GF36, GA2
• Euro 2020: Round of 16
• Most caps in squad: Cristiano Ronaldo (206)
• Top scorer in squad: Cristiano Ronaldo (128)

How do they play?

After starting his tenure with an out-and-out back three, Roberto Martinez decided to mix things up in his fifth game in charge.

Initially, Portugal played in a 3-4-3 shape in possession, with Danilo Pereira, Ruben Dias, and one of Goncalo Inacio, Antonio Silva or Pepe in the defensive line. Out of possession, the wing-backs dropped deeper to support them and form a back five.

Then, away to Slovakia last September, Portugal moved to a back four — but only when they didn’t have the ball. In possession, their full-backs, Joao Cancelo and Diogo Dalot, started wide, with Joao Palhinha ahead of the centre-backs.

However, that changed to a 3-2 build-up shape, with Palhinha splitting the centre-backs and the full-backs moving inside the pitch to complete a midfield four alongside Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes…

… or a single full-back occupying a narrow position in midfield, with the other providing width down the wing — which is the more common approach.

This looks like the regular change of shape in possession that we have seen from most club sides in the last couple of years, but Portugal’s midfield four is dynamic too.

Dalot and Cancelo have the technical abilities and experience to roam inside or stretch the attack out wide. Meanwhile, the remaining midfielders or forwards interchange positions seamlessly, with the aim of combining to play through their opponent.

In this example, against Bosnia and Herzegovina last October, Danilo drops into the back line, while Cancelo moves inside the pitch next to Otavio as Dalot becomes Portugal’s widest player on the right flank.

When Dias plays the ball wide to Dalot, Otavio makes a forward run…

… and Fernandes drops to create space for Al Nassr’s midfielder by moving Bosnia’s left centre-back up the pitch with his partner occupied by Joao Felix. Dalot then finds Otavio’s run behind the defence…

… before the latter squares the ball to Joao Felix, who slots it into the bottom corner.

Passes in behind the defence are another feature of Portugal’s attack. Whether it’s the wide players, the midfielders or the centre-forward, Portugal’s players constantly make runs in behind to attack the space and stretch the opponent vertically.

They can be patient and direct at the same time, circulating the ball to find the free player in between the lines, or going long towards runners in space.

In addition, the pace and dribbling ability of Joao Felix, Rafael Leao and Diogo Jota make this team lethal on attacking transitions, especially when they are complemented by Fernandes’ passing ability.

Portugal attack in different ways, and the flexibility of their players means that they can also operate with overlapping full-backs and a focus on wide combinations as they did in the 3-2 victory against Slovakia last October.

Off the ball, their back four is proactive and the presence of Palhinha in front of the defence provides the perfect cover.

Their key player(s)

Ronaldo’s domination of the European Championship record books will continue when he features for the sixth time in the competition’s history, looking to score in his sixth consecutive tournament. Lothar Matthaus played in the last Euros that Ronaldo did not score in.

Ronaldo’s penalty-box presence and goalscoring prowess are hugely beneficial considering the creative talent around him.

Helping Ronaldo rack up the goals is Fernandes, who scored six times and provided seven assists in Portugal’s 10 qualifying matches. Fernandes’ skill set — his movement between the lines, vision, passing ability and threat on transitions — fits Martinez’s team like a glove, while his defensive work supports Palhinha when Portugal don’t have the ball.

All of this attacking talent needs a defensive presence behind it to balance the equation. Palhinha provides that with his positioning off the ball, interceptions, recoveries and immaculate tackling ability. That’s without factoring in his ability to create attacking transitions by aggressively winning the ball.

Finally, it’s impossible to ignore Bernardo Silva’s talent and intelligence. Starting from the right wing, the Manchester City playmaker is the calming presence in Portugal’s attacking storm, waiting for the right moment to strike with a pass through the lines or a run in behind the defence.

Bernardo regularly roams inside the pitch to overload the midfield as the right-back provides the width, but his flexibility and understanding of the game mean that he will move across the pitch.

(Diogo Cardoso/Getty Images)

What is their weakness?

It is hard to spot any glaring issues in this team, but the quality of the opposition they have faced hasn’t been the highest. Since Martinez took over, Portugal’s competitive games have come against Slovakia, Luxembourg, Iceland, Bosnia and Liechtenstein in the qualifiers.

After losing to Slovenia and Croatia, more difficult opponents will be sterner tests during the European Championship.

One thing to watch out for…

Fernandes and runs behind the defence.

The midfielder’s precision allows him to find his team-mates when they are attacking space, while his off-ball movement in the final third complements that when he is on the other end of those passes.

In this example, Inacio plays a long pass in behind Bosnia’s defence to find Fernandes’ off-ball run…

… and the Manchester United captain strikes the ball into the top corner to make it 3-0.

Turkey

• Manager: Vincenzo Montella
• Captain: Hakan Calhanoglu
• Qualifying record: P8, W5, D2, L1, GF14, GA7
• Euro 2020: Group stage
• Most caps in squad: Hakan Calhanoglu (86)
• Top scorer in squad: Cenk Tosun (20)

How do they play?

Advanced full-backs and narrow wingers were crucial to Turkey topping their qualifying group ahead of Croatia and Wales.

Starting from an initial 4-2-3-1 shape on the ball, Turkey’s double pivot drops to support the centre-backs in building up while their full-backs push forward and their wingers move inside the pitch.

Turkey have two main routes to goal: progressing the ball through the wide areas before finding their forwards between the lines, or switching the play to the free full-back on the other side.

In this example against Latvia last October, both full-backs, Cenk Ozkacar and Ferdi Kadioglu, are in advanced positions as the wingers move inside the pitch.

The run of left-winger Kerem Akturkoglu behind the defence keeps Latvia’s right-back away from Ozkacar, while the Turkey players combine through the centre of the pitch…

… before switching the ball to the left-back on the far side. Unfortunately, Ozkacar fails to find Turkey’s forwards inside the penalty area.

Later in the game, Turkey’s passing combinations and switch of play to the free full-back enabled them to open the scoring.

Here, Ismail Yuksek combines with Calhanoglu to find Zeki Celik’s forward movement on the right flank, while Akturkoglu is already moving inside on the left side.

Akturkoglu’s movement drags Latvia’s right-back inside the penalty area and creates space for the Turkey left-back, who is found by Celik’s switch.

Ozkacar’s cross misses the forwards again, but Yunus Akgun controls the ball before volleying it into the far corner.

The narrow positioning of Turkey’s wingers also means they can attack the space behind the defence when their centre-forward drops deeper.

Off the ball, Montella’s side defends in a compact 4-4-2, with the wingers dropping to support their full-backs.

Their key player(s)

Hakan Calhanoglu’s reinvention as a deep-lying playmaker under Simone Inzaghi has transformed him from an above-average attacking midfielder to one of the best in the world in his new position. In this deeper role, he has a better view of the pitch and more time to find his team-mates with accurate long passes, or short ones to enable the attacks down the wings.

The change in position also helped Calhanoglu contribute when his side do not have the ball, so he can now play as a No 6 in Turkey’s double pivot or as a No 10 behind the striker.

“I’ve grown defensively,” Calhanoglu told DAZN this season. “I didn’t have those characteristics before. I’m also trying to be more aggressive in duels in front of the defence.”

Other than his vision and exquisite passing ability, Calhanoglu’s long-range strikes and set-piece delivery offer Turkey additional solutions in the final third.

(Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

What is their weakness?

Despite limiting Italy’s attack and earning a clean sheet against Montella’s home nation last week, Turkey’s defence has been prone to errors and peculiar mistakes on the ball.

In the 6-1 loss against Austria last March, they conceded twice after losing the ball in their own half against the high press, before shipping four more goals in the second half.

Meanwhile, Ozkacar’s failure to clear the ball cost Turkey two points in the 1-1 draw against Armenia last September.

One thing to watch out for…

After his 12 goals and six assists helped Galatasaray win the Turkish Super Lig for the second successive season, Akturkoglu’s attacking output will be valuable to this Turkey team — particularly his roaming in the final third.

The left-winger likes to move inside the pitch and attack central spaces or make diagonal runs behind the defence, which complements Turkey’s attacking approach as it creates space for the full-back.

His two goals against Samsunspor last September exemplify how this type of movement puts him in dangerous situations inside the penalty area.

Georgia

• Manager: Willy Sagnol
• Captain: Guram Kashia
• Qualifying record: P10, W3, D3, L4, GF14, GA18 (qualified through play-offs)
• Euro 2020: Did not qualify
• Most caps in squad: Guram Kashia (113)
• Top scorer in squad: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (15)

How do they play?

The last 12 months will feature prominently in Georgia’s history books after they recorded their biggest win (8-0 vs Thailand) and biggest defeat (7-1 vs Spain), and reached their first international tournament under the guidance of former France international Willy Sagnol.

Playing out of a 3-5-2, Georgia focus on attacking through their wing-backs and finding Giorgi Chakvetadze between the lines. Sagnol’s team switches the ball from one side to the other until they can find one of the wing-backs in an advantageous situation.

In Euro 2024 qualifiers, Georgia attempted the most switches of play per game (8.1) — defined by Opta as any pass that travels at least 60 per cent of the width of the pitch.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s goal against Scotland last November is an example of how these switches of play work.

Here, Chakvetadze curls the ball into the path of Georgia’s right wing-back, Otar Kakabadze, who finds Kvaratskhelia’s run inside the penalty box and the Napoli winger scores into the near corner.

Unlike his wider role at Napoli, Kvaratskhelia operates as a second striker with his national team, dropping deeper to receive the ball and lessen the creative burden on Chakvetadze.

“The last two years we worked on playing him more centrally when we have the ball because he can provide a lot of goals and assists,” Sagnol told The Athletic in April. “It was key to have this kind of player in the most important part of the pitch because I don’t have a lot of players like him.”

Other than using the wing-backs in the final third, Georgia tend to search for Chakvetadze or Kvaratskhelia between the lines.

In this example, against Spain last November, Kakabadze spots Chakvetadze in space and plays a looping pass into the Watford midfielder, who finds Kvaratskhelia with a pass behind the defence and the latter scores to make it 1-1.

Without the ball, Georgia’s wing-backs drop to form a back five, with Sagnol’s side looking to win the ball in midfield and strike on the transition.

Their key player(s)

Kvaratskhelia is the star of the show.

In his central role, there’s less space and fewer opportunities to isolate defenders in one-on-one situations, but his dribbling ability and movement inside the penalty area are difference-makers for this Georgia side.

(Levan Verdzeuli/Getty Images)

Kvaratskhelia’s five goals and three assists helped Georgia top their group in the 2022-23 Nations League, giving them a place in the Euro 2024 qualifying play-offs that earned them a spot at the tournament. Only 11 goals separate him from Georgia’s all-time top scorer, Shota Arveladze (26 goals in 61 caps), even though the Napoli winger has played 31 games fewer.

Behind Kvaratskhelia is Georgia’s main creator, Chakvetadze. The Watford midfielder plays as a No 8 in Sagnol’s team and is constantly looking for the ball so he can find the advancing wing-backs or the front two in dangerous situations.

Chakvetadze’s ability to receive on the half turn and carry the ball forward makes him a threat between the lines and in transitional moments, especially when you add his creativity to the equation.

What is their weakness?

Eight of the 18 goals Georgia conceded on their way to Germany came from crosses or cutbacks from the wide areas.

Despite defending in a back five, Georgia’s Achilles’ heel seems to be the flanks.

In their 2-0 play-off victory against Luxembourg last March, the visitors equalised through an attack down the wing, before VAR overturned the goal because of a previous free kick for Georgia.

Here, a passing combination down the right side catches Georgia’s left wing-back and centre-back (highlighted yellow) out of position…

… before Luxembourg’s Gerson Rodrigues scores from Leandro Barreiro’s cutback.

One thing to watch out for…

Georgia’s goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili, was one of the best shot-stoppers in La Liga this season, and his impressive form will be needed this summer if Georgia are to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stage.

In terms of protecting his goal, Mamardashvili’s 8.4 ‘goals prevented’ in La Liga in 2023-24 was the best out of all goalkeepers in the league.

Czech Republic

• Manager: Ivan Hasek
• Captain: Tomas Soucek
• Qualifying record: P8, W4, D3, L1, GF12, GA6
• Euro 2020: Quarter-finals
• Most caps in squad: Tomas Soucek (69)
• Top scorer in squad: Patrik Schick (19)

How do they play?

Continuing with the common trend in Group F, the Czech Republic attack the wide areas using their wing-backs before trying to find their forwards in the box. They attempted the most crosses per game (27.1) in Euro 2024 qualifying.

Usually, Czech Republic play in a 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-3 in possession depending on the profiles of the front three, but they have also toyed with a back-four formation in a couple of games.

Regardless of the shape, attacking wide areas and putting crosses into the box is Czech Republic’s main focus. That approach is complemented by their captain’s late runs into the penalty area.

Similar to his movement from midfield with West Ham United, Tomas Soucek usually dashes forward to attack space with his national team.

In Czech Republic’s 2-1 victory against Armenia last March, Soucek’s run into the box indirectly led to the winner.

Here, Soucek moves towards the edge of the penalty area when the ball reaches Matej Jurasek on the right wing. The Slavia Prague forward then crosses the ball behind Soucek, whose touch flicks the ball away from Armenia’s centre-back, and it falls for Tomas Chory, who scores the winner.

Their key player(s)

When Czech Republic needed to turn the ship after drawing and losing against Albania in the qualifiers, their captain stood tall by scoring the winner against Faroe Islands, the equaliser away to Poland, and the third in a 3-0 victory against Moldova that secured their place in Euro 2024.

Soucek’s late runs into the penalty area, set-piece threat and decisive goals are only one side of the coin. His defensive positioning and well-timed interceptions shield a relatively inexperienced defensive line too.

(Mikolaj Barbanell/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

What is their weakness?

Keeping clean sheets.

Since 2022, the Czechs have only kept four clean sheets in 15 competitive matches, all of which came against Moldova and Faroe Islands.

Considering the quality of the opposition in the European Championship, they will need to get better at keeping things tight at the back if they want to progress to the knockout rounds.

One thing to watch out for…

Ladislav Krejci’s set-piece threat.

The centre-back’s well-timed movement, high leap and heading ability have made him the perfect partner for Soucek on set-piece duties. Krejci’s goal against Armenia last March is just one example of him jumping higher than everyone else to score from a header.