Portugal Euro 2020 Odds: Past Their Best or Only Just Getting Started?

Back in 2016, Portugal shocked Europe by winning the European Championships against favourites France in the final and despite losing Cristiano Ronaldo to injury early in the game, they clung on against the French, with Eder scoring to make it 1-0 19 minutes into extra time. Since then, the Portuguese have gone from strength to strength in Europe, winning the inaugural UEFA Nations League and witnessing their men around Europe dominant with their clubs.

As well as their top scorer Ronaldo, they now boast two of the most in-form players in Europe: Manchester duo Bruno Fernandes and Ruben Dias. United's playmaker Fernandes in particular has gained plaudits since arriving in England, contributing to 26 goals in 25 league games this season.

Now, the bookies have Portugal at 8/1 to retain their European title and they may well be dark horses once again and we take a look at their chances to do so and their many Euro odds, such as to win each group game.

Most of the starting XI from the 2016 final were in their prime or even past their best. The likes of Pepe, Jose Fonte and Luis Nani are no longer starting players, with a new wave of players lighting up the top leagues. Joao Felix will be looking to make a name for himself on the European stage following a fruitful season at Atletico Madrid, where the 21-year-old has begun to justify his £115m transfer fee.

Felix, who could potentially line up alongside Ronaldo, Diogo Jota and Bernardo Silva, will surely be elevated by the plethora of attacking talent that Portugal have at their disposal, taking some of the attacking pressure off his shoulders.

At the same time the likes of Fernandes, Dias and Andre Silva are all now apart of the team on a regular basis, making the previous stars like Pepe and Nani feel like a distant memory.

A pair of Manchester City defenders have also impressed this season, as Pep Guardiola’s side continue to fight for a historic Champions League title ahead of their clash with Chelsea at the end of May. Right-back, Joao Cancelo, has managed to cement himself as one of the first names on the team sheet this season, playing in an unorthodox inside-full back position that sees him pick up space in central midfield areas. This has allowed him to see plenty of the ball in the build-up to attacks for City, as he is given more license to create and the versatile Portuguese has turned into arguably the best around in his position.

Defender Dias has been a revelation for the Sky Blues, with the 23-year-old forming a formidable partnership alongside John Stones. Dias has conceded just 24 goals in 34 league appearances this season, as he further establishes his name as one of the finest centre backs in Europe and perhaps just as good as a signing as Virgil van Dijk.

Having two of the continent’s most in-form defenders amongst the ranks can only be a good thing for Fernando Santos, as he looks to build a side capable of defending their European crown, with the attackers already of the magnitude to rival most nations. Olympiacos defender Ruben Semedo or Granada’s Domingos Duarte seem to be the two options to partner Ruben Dias at centre back, so it will be down to Dias to lead the backline like he does so well for City.

It goes without saying that Portugal’s main man is still Cristiano Ronaldo.

Now 36, Ronaldo is still one of the top players in Europe and is currently top of the Serie A scoring charts, with 27 goals in 30 games. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is showing no signs of slowing down just yet and will be keen to make an even bigger impact on this edition of the Euros, having been subbed off through injury in the 2016 final.

As the Juventus man will be 39 by the next Euros, this could well be the last time that he plays in the competition as he looks to move clear of Michel Platini and become the stand-alone record goalscorer in European Championship history. Ronaldo is level with the Frenchman, and with Germany, France and Hungary in there group, it's tough to see if the captain will get that goal.

What got Portugal through to the final in 2016 was Ronaldo and his ability to lead and dominate. What got them the trophy, however, was nothing but a magical goal from a man who barely ever scored in Eder. Literally, you could have said 50 other names before him when asked the question of 'who could win the Euros for Portugal?'.

This time, however, their hardest work in the group. They have Germany and the world champions to deal with first before meeting, potentially, England in the knockout rounds first. If they can get through all of this, how on earth can they not go all the way this time?

And it's not like their team has got any worse since last time out - their only addition to the team is the two PFA Player of the Year favourites in Fernandes and Dias...