Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's international friendly between Portugal and Euro 2016 hosts France. This may be a friendly in name, but you can be sure that both sides will be desperate for a victory here in Lisbon given Portugal's upcoming fixtures and France's recent form. Whatever the result, it should be an intriguing affair. Let's start with a look at the team news...

PORTUGAL STARTING XI: Patricio; Vieirinha, Carvalho, Pepe, Eliseu; Pereira, Mario, Silva; Nani, Eder, Ronaldo

FRANCE STARTING XI: Lloris; Sagna, Varane, Koscielny, Evra; Cabaye, Sissoko, Matuidi, Pogba; Benzema, Fekir

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, as far as Portugal are concerned it is a much-changed team from the one that overcame Italy in their most recent outing, with only three players keeping their place from that match. There is a change in between the sticks as Rui Patricio comes in for Beto, while in defence Vieirinha is the only man to keep his place.

Veteran Ricardo Carvalho comes back in to the heart of the defence alongside Pepe, who is chosen despite not having started a game for Real Madrid so far this season. Those two have plenty of experience between them, but some feel that their best years may be behind them and it will be interesting to see whether they remain in Fernando Santos's thinking by the time Euro 2016 comes along. Of course, the Portugal boss is likely to have one eye on Monday's match against Albania too, which could be a reason behind so many changes. Eliseu makes up the back four on the left, incidentally.

Pereira is the second of the three who keep their place from that Italy win, but it is all change around him in midfield. The likes of Moutinho and Tiago have not made the squad this time, so it will be Joao Mario and Adrien Silva who accompany him in the middle of the park today. The width will in part be provided by Nani, who returns to the side, while spearheading the attack is Eder - the only out-and-out centre-forward in the squad. He got the only goal of the game last time out against the Azzurri.

There are no prizes for identifying the main dangerman for Portugal, though. Cristiano Ronaldo returns to the side having missed out against Italy, and he will be desperate to get back on the goal trail having uncharacteristically failed to find the back of the net in Real Madrid's opening two games of the season. He is already Portugal's top scorer with 55 international goals to his name, while tonight he will make his 121st appearance for his country, leaving him just six short of Luis Figo's record.

Any defence in the world would struggle to deal with Ronaldo if he is on form, but in Raphael Varane France have a player who should know the Portuguese skipper's game better than most. The pair play together at club level and, having made a promising start to the season at the heart of the Real Madrid defence, Varane may feel confident of dealing with Ronaldo this evening. That is far easier said than done, however, and he is likely to need a helping hand from Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny at times as well.

Elsewhere in the French defence, Bacary Sagna wins his 50th cap having impressed for Manchester City domestically this season, while on the opposite side Evra resumes at left-back. Varane, Evra and Lloris are the only players to keep their place from France's defeat to Albania in their last outing, however, with Didier Deschamps ringing the changes elsewhere, particularly in midfield, where Les Bleus have plenty of depth but are still looking for the best formula.

The talent in their midfield ranks cannot be doubted. Cabaye is expected to play in the deeper role this evening, and he will have the dynamic duo of Sissoko and Matuidi on his flanks in what is expected to be a diamond formation. Those two are very powerful runners and can really take the game to Portugal is given the chance. Further forward is perhaps the jewel in the crown of French football at the moment, with Paul Pogba the most advanced of the diamond quartet.

Interestingly, there is no room for in-form Antonio Griezmann in the starting XI, with Deschamps handing a first start to Fekir alongside Benzema, who displaces Giroud up front. Benzema is the highest scorer out of the current crop of French players, with 25 goals to his name, and he is expected to be first choice come the European Championship next summer. However, there is a healthy competition growing just behind him, with Fekir, Giroud, Lacazette and Manchester United's new £36m man Anthony Martial all in contention.

There is plenty of depth around the France squad at the moment, then, which is perhaps something that can't be said for Portugal. They have been subjected to criticism over their reliance on Ronaldo for some time now, although Fernando Santos has continually stressed that it is a team effort during his year at the helm. Of course, Ronaldo is always going to be the standout performer in that side, but it is worth noting that Portugal did beat Italy last time out without their skipper involved.

That 1-0 victory may have only come in a friendly, but it will still be an important one for the confidence of these Portuguese players. They have endured a very inconsistent few years and, while that has by no means been eliminated from their game completely, they certainly seem to be on the right track under Fernando Santos. This evening should be a good acid test for their ambitions next summer.

Indeed, they have won seven of their last eight matches coming into this one, a run that began after defeat to tonight's opponents back in October of last year. Their victories since then have not exactly been emphatic, but they have been picking up the wins, which Santos will know is the most important thing right now. The only blot on their copybook in the last 11 months was a rather embarrassing one, though, as they were beaten 2-0 at home by Cape Verde Islands.

It never seems to be easy for Portugal, though. The worse teams in Europe have certainly got better over recent years, but Portugal have not beaten anyone convincingly for some time. The last time they did beat a team by more than one goal was back in June 2014, when Republic of Ireland were put to the sword 5-1, while they haven't won by at least a two-goal margin at home since victory over Cameroon in March of last year.

Even so, they are in a strong position to qualify for the Euros next summer, sitting top of Group I going into this match with only three games still to play. They will be keeping a close eye on results elsewhere tonight, though, with second and third in the group - Denmark and Albania - facing each other in a crucial qualifier. Both are two points behind Portugal, so any winner would move top of the group, although Albania are in a better position as they also have a game in hand. Fernando Santos will no doubt be hoping for a draw in Denmark.

Portugal have suffered some mixed form in friendlies recently, winning two and losing two of their four within the last year. They have beaten the likes of Argentina and Italy, both away from home, in that time but as already mentioned, have also been beaten by France and the Cape Verde Islands. At home their record is surprisingly poor, with just one win in their last five friendlies and two in their last eight, that following a run of 12 unbeaten prior to that.

That defeat to Cape Verde was their last match in front of their own fans, incidentally, and another defeat today would consign them to back-to-back home losses for the first time since 1984-85, when Sweden and West Germany won during qualifying for the 1986 World Cup. Defeat would also harm their confidence and momentum ahead of Monday's crucial qualifier in Albania. Denmark at home and Serbia away will be their final two qualification games.

For France, there are no such qualms about qualifying. As hosts of next summer's tournament, they have been limited to friendlies ever since the World Cup in Brazil, but Didier Deschamps will still be taking every game seriously. He has a wealth of talent at his disposal and, with Euro 2016 being on home soil, his side will be amongst the favourites to win it. There are still questions lingering over his best XI, however, and he will be desperate to have the answers by the time June rolls around.

Nine months may be a long time in football, but France have just eight more confirmed friendlies, including tonight, before they are due to kick off the tournament. They will take on Serbia on Monday night before also facing Armenia and Denmark when the next round of qualifiers come along. Germany and England will provide their last opposition of 2015 before final warm-up games against Netherlands and Russia next year.

Deschamps would probably want a little more time than he has if you offered it to him, with his side seemingly heading in the wrong direction over the past few months. They have lost three of their last four outings, with the only exception to that being a 2-0 victory over Denmark in March. Their last two games, against Belgium and Albania, have both ended in defeat.

The match against Belgium was a particularly memorable one, but the scoreline flatters France a little. Belgium may be ranked among the world's best teams right now, but Deschamps would have been dismayed to see his side go 3-0 down inside 50 minutes before letting in a fourth just a minute after they have pulled one back to seemingly drag themselves into the match. France scored twice more in the dying stages to make the scoreline less embarrassing, but it was still a pretty disappointing home loss for Les Bleus.

Defeat this evening would consign them to three losses in a row for the first time since 2013, when Spain, Uruguay and Brazil all beat them from March to June of that year. Their current run of three defeats from their last four friendlies follows a run of 12 unbeaten, which included victories over Spain or Portugal, so the big questions for Deschamps to answer now is just where it has gone wrong for his side.

The recent form is particularly disappointing considering it comes off the back of what was a successful year in 2014. They impressed at the World Cup before being edged out by eventual winners Germany in the quarter-finals, and that was their only defeat of the entire calendar year. They won 10 and drew four of their other 14 outings, scoring 34 goals in the process. They bounced back well from the defeat in the World Cup too, going six games unbeaten after that, but so far 2015 has not been as kind to them.

They have not travelled particularly well when it comes to friendlies in recent years either. They have only won one of their last six friendlies on the road, failing to score in four of those. That is a run that stretches back to November 2012, with a 3-0 win over Armenia providing their only triumph in almost three years since a 2-1 victory over Italy.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes away from kickoff in Lisbon, which means that it is time for a prediction! The form book points to a Portugal win tonight, but their performances can be very inconsistent and France will fancy their chances tonight. They have a strong side out and plenty more talent on the bench too, so I'm going to side with France nicking a win in this one. I'll go for a 2-1 away victory.

The recent history between these two countries certainly belongs to France. They have won each of their last nine meetings with Portugal, a run that stretches all the way back to 1975. That 2-0 win 40 years ago came in France too, meaning that Portugal have not beaten tonight's opponents on home soil since 1946.

The last time these two sides met was in October of last year, with Benzema and Pogba both on the scoresheet as France ran out 2-1 winners. Portugal did pull a goal back through Quaresma, but it was not enough to get anything from the game. That was their first meeting since the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when a Zinedine Zidane penalty knocked the Portuguese out.

These two sides haven't met on Portuguese soil since 1997, and current France manager Didier Deschamps was actually on the scoresheet in that game. He managed just four goals throughout his 11-year international career, but one of them came in Portugal as he and Ibrahim Ba scored in a 2-0 win for Les Bleus.

We're just a couple of minutes away from kickoff in Lisbon now, so there is just time to let you know that we also have coverage of the Euro 2016 qualifiers involving Germany, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland this evening. I will keep you up to date with the latest from Denmark too, where the hosts and Albania are both trying to knock Portugal off top spot in Group I.

KICKOFF: Here we go then! Portugal get us underway in Lisbon as they look to end a 40-year wait for a win, or even a draw, against France.

Portugal look to find Ronaldo with an early ball out to the left, and his first touch of the match is an attempted flick inside the full-back. Sagna slips as he tries to fend off the danger, but he does just enough to prevent the skipper from latching on to his own touch.

It is France who has started slightly the better of the two teams here, but in truth there isn't much to separate them so far. No chances to report in what has been a solid opening five minutes for both sides.

The initial teamsheet suggested that Pogba could be playing at the point of a midfield diamond, but he has started fairly deep today. He is the more advanced of the central two, but you wouldn't describe his position as an attacking midfielder just yet.

Ronaldo has already switched over the right flank now, and you can expect to see that a fair amount from him tonight. He and Nani will trade roles on the wings with regularity in order to keep Sagna and Evra guessing.

Good spell of possession for Portugal, but it all coming in the middle third, with very little penetration to threaten the France defence.

Good move from France as Pogba drops off before finding Sissoko in a bit of space down the right flank. He fires in a low cross towards Benzema in the middle, but Pepe is there to make an important interception and clear the danger.

Portugal respond with a bright break down their right, but some good defending means that an inviting Nani cross goes through to safety. Moments later, Fekir goes down without an opposition player near him. Big concern for France.

FRANCE SUB: It is a nightmare full international debut for Fekir as he is forced to limp off inside 15 minutes. He is replaced by Antoine Griezmann.

Good work from Matuidi down the left as he somehow manages to keep the ball in and squeeze a cross into the middle. It is over Griezmann's head, but Eliseu takes a chance at the back post and his touch almost gifts it straight back to Griezmann. Patricio is quickly off his line to mop up the danger, however.

Just going back to that early France change, that will be a big blow for Deschamps too. He was keen to see Fekir up front in a more central role alongside Benzema tonight. Griezmann can also play there, so Deschamps can continue looking at this formation, but it is dreadful luck for Fekir.

Lovely play from Sissoko as he dummies the ball past Eliseu before collecting it on the other side and driving down the wing. His cross isn't great, though, and Benzema can only knock it back into the keeper's arms at the far post.

YELLOW CARD! They may be former teammates, but there is no love lost between Evra and Nani here. The France left-back went in hard and late on the Portuguese winger and picks up a yellow card as a result. No complaints there, even in a friendly.

Nasty one for Carvalho as he tussles for the ball with Evra before falling over and catching a stud in his head. That opens up a cut which pours with blood, forcing the defender off to get bandaged up.

UPDATE: There has been a goal in Portugal's group... but it isn't one that has a direct impact on Fernando Santos's men. Serbia have taken the lead against Armenia in the other game in Group I tonight.

Almost a chance for France as Griezmann slides a pass down the right channel for Sissoko, who has made a good run behind the defence. He opts to cross instead of going for goal himself, but his low pass towards Benzema is comfortably cut out.

PORTUGAL SUB: Now Portugal are forced into an early change. Carvalho's treatment is taking too long for Fernando Santos's liking, so he is taken off in favour of Jose Fonte.

This Portugal front three is continually changing around as they look to establish themselves in the game. France have kept them very quiet so far, but now Ronaldo has gone through the middle, with Eder on the left and Nani on the right.

CHANCE! The first big chance of the evening falls France's way, but it is a poor finish from Matuidi. It was a lovely move from the visitors as they passed the ball about swiftly on their way forward to the edge of the box, where Matuidi's touch takes him inside the defender and into space. He has time to pick his spot, but the shot is so tame and easy for Rui Patricio to save with his feet.

France win a free kick in a good position after Ronaldo fouled Sissoko in his attempts to win the ball deep inside his own half. Griezmann is standing over it, but his delivery is disappointing as he hits it straight out for a goal kick.

SHOT! Half-chance for France as again they speed up the play in the final third. The ball is worked out to Sagna on the right, and the Man City full-back swings a cross in towards the back post. Benzema looks interested in it but receives a shot from Matuidi behind him, only for the midfielder to lash a volley off target.

Ronaldo simply hasn't been given a sniff so far tonight, and he looks like he is getting frustrated now. France have defended really well, closing Portugal down quickly whenever possible.

Perhaps a chance for Ronaldo here, though. Portugal win a free kick a good 35 yards from goal, and the skipper looks interested...

SAVE! It is not a bad effort by any means considering the distance, but Lloris is unlikely to be beaten from there. It is still a difficult one for the Spurs keeper, though, with the ball dipping and swerving and bouncing right in front of him, but he parries it away to safety.

There is very little in it in term of possession, with France just edging it at the moment, but it is the visitors who have carried more of a threat going forward. Even so, we have only had one shot on target apiece so far.

Another chance for Ronaldo to test Lloris from a set piece? He goes down rather dramatically under the challenge of Sissoko, although the angle is very much against him.

Indeed, he opts for a cross, but the offside flag is raised as the ball arrives in the middle. Meanwhile, the official indicates a minimum of two minutes added time.

The first half comes to an end in Lisbon, then, and we're still goalless between Portugal and France. There hasn't been much in terms of goalmouth action in all honesty, but France have looked the more threatening of the two sides and will be confident of finding the breakthrough in the upcoming 45 minutes. Better quality in the final third is needed all round, though.

The only clear chance of the first half fell the way of France and Blaise Matuidi shortly past the half-hour mark. It was a lovely move from France that ended with Griezmann sliding a pass in to Matuidi on the edge of the box. The midfield cut inside the defender and had time to pick his spot, but a tame finish with his weaker right foot allowed Rui Patricio to stick out a leg and make the save.

Matuidi had another sight of goal shortly afterwards, although this one was a lot tougher for the PSG man. Sagna's cross from the right initially looked like it was intended for Benzema, but the Real Madrid striker got a shot from Matuidi at the back post and subsequently left the ball for him. However, Matuidi could only fire his first-time volley high and wide of the target.

Portugal have only had one shot in the match so far, and that came from a good 35 yards out as Cristiano Ronaldo lined up a free kick. The home skipper unleashed a dipping and swerving effort towards goal that bounced a few yards in front of Lloris, but the Tottenham keeper was able to push it away. It wasn't the easiest one to deal with, but a keeper of Lloris's quality is unlikely to be beaten from such a distance, even by Ronaldo.

And that concludes the goalmouth action of the match so far! Portugal have offered very little in an attacking sense, with Ronaldo and co being kept very quiet by what has been an impressive French defensive performance so far. They have been quick to limit Portugal's time on the ball, with the likes of Cabaye in midfield helping out a defence that has coped comfortably with Eder, Nani and Ronaldo.

One other talking point from that first half was a couple of injuries that forced both sides into early substitutions. The most frustrating one for either manager would have been that suffered by Fekir after less than 15 minutes, with the striker going down when no other player was around him. His full international debut was very short-lived as a result, with Griezmann coming on to replace him. Portugal, meanwhile, saw Carvalho depart due to a gash on his head after being caught by Evra's stud accidentally.

KICKOFF: France get us back underway for the second half, and the first thing to tell you is that there has been a change for the visitors at the break. Off goes Cabaye and on comes Morgan Schneiderlin.

Pogba really has been impressive on the ball today. He is so strong in possession and never looks flustered, holding off Portugal players with ease to carry the attack forward.

CHANCE! Big chance for France to break the deadlock early in the second half. Some incisive passing in and around the Portugal box between Sissoko and Griezmann sees the latter find himself with only the keeper to beat, but Rui Patricio is quickly out to thwart the danger with a good save. It was on Griezmann's weaker right foot, but he should have done better there.

Ronaldo is desperate to go for goal any chance he gets given that he has barely seen any of the ball so far. He lets a throw-in run across his body and it bounces up kindly for a left-footed volley, but he slices his effort well wide.

Really good challenge from Schneiderlin to help out his full-back against Ronaldo, who looked like leaving Sagna for dead there. The half-time sub slid in to make the tackle, although Ronaldo is unfortunate not to get a corner out of it.

CHANCE! Another good chance for France, and this time it is too easy for them to get in behind Portugal. Schneiderlin is the man who slips a pass in to Benzema inside the box, but the striker's curling effort is too central and relatively easy for Rui Patricio.

UPDATE: Serbia have doubled their lead against Armenia in Portugal's Euro 2016 qualifying group, but those two are out of contention anyway. The important game from Portugal's point of view - Denmark vs. Albania - remains goalless, which would be a perfect result for Fernando Santos's men.

Ronaldo picks up the ball in a rare yard of space and again seems to think of a shot, despite being out on the right touchline! In the end he decides against it, instead trying some skill to beat Schneiderlin, but France have doubled up on him and win the ball back.

This match is being played at a slow tempo at the moment. It needs somebody to grab it by the scruff of its neck.

PORTUGAL SUBS: A double change for the hosts as Adrien Silva and Vieirinha make way for Miguel Veloso and Southampton's Cedric Soares.

SHOT! Eder almost comes up with something special out of nothing here! He picks up the ball inside the box, but with his back to goal and the angle against him. He shows strength to hold off Koscielny before lashing a shot on the turn towards goal. It flies over the top, but it was good, inventive play from the Swansea man.

This is a bit more like it from Portugal. They have upped the tempo a little since those two changes and are now enjoying their most promising period of the match, although that isn't saying much.

Matuidi does well up against two markers to earn a free kick in a good crossing position. However, not for the first time tonight, Griezmann's delivery is disappointing.

Portugal break quickly from that poor free kick and it is Ronaldo leading the charge down the right. He slips a pass inside, but a good attacking platform comes to an end when Nani slices an effort closer to the corner flag than the goal.

PORTUGAL SUB: That is all we will see of Ronaldo this evening. He makes way to rapturous applause, being replaced by Ricardo Quaresma.

YELLOW CARD! This is the clearest yellow card that you will ever see. Benzema wrong-foots Danilo to drive towards goal, prompting the Portugal man to clearly tug the arm of the striker.

SAVE! Bezema himself takes on the free kick and it is a fine effort from the striker, who bends one over the wall and just under the bar from 30 yards. Rui Patricio isn't struggling to get there, but he takes the safe route in tipping it over the top.

CHANCE! Varane and Benzema both attacking the resulting corner really well, and it looks like the former who gets his head to it. His effort is straight at Patricio, though, and the Portuguese keeper collects it comfortably.

Portugal just don't seem to have the guile required to find a way through. They have tried a number of long shots, the latest of which sees Cedric fire one well wide from around 35 yards.

FRANCE SUB: Manchester United fans, sit up and take note. On comes the £36m man, the most expensive teenager in football history, Anthony Martial, for his international debut. He replaces Benzema.

A little better from Portugal as they work the ball down the right before Cedric sends a cross into the middle. Nani attacks the near post, but Koscielny follows him all the way and the Portugal winger is unable to turn the ball goalwards.

We're into the last 15 minutes now and, in truth, I can't really see where a goal is coming from. Neither side looks particularly like scoring at the moment and it would not be a surprise if this one were to finish goalless.

PORTUGAL SUB: Another change for the hosts as Joao Mario is replaced by Danny for the final 11 minutes.

FRANCE SUB: The visitors respond with a change of their own as Mathieu Valbuena comes on in place of Sissoko.

There aren't many better sweeper keepers than Hugo Lloris, and the French skipper is called upon to play that role again here. Eder links up well with a teammate and looks to be in down the right flank, but Lloris is off his line and makes an important challenge.

Portugal have still only had one shot on target, and that one came from Ronaldo's long-range free kick in the first half. It has not been a good attacking performance by the hosts at all today.

Opportunity for France here as Fonte is rather harshly penalised for a challenge on Griezmann in a very promising position...

It looked like it would take a moment of magic to break the deadlock here, and Valbuena, who has only been on the pitch for a matter of minutes, provides it. It is a superb free kick as the diminutive midfielder bends it over the wall and back below the bar, just away from the fingertips of Rui Patricio. It wasn't right in the corner, so the Portugal keeper may feel that he could have done better, but take nothing away from that strike.

PORTUGAL SUB: The hosts made a change in the immediate aftermath of that goal, with Bernardo Silva replacing Danilo.

Suddenly the pressure is arriving from the hosts as they go in search of a quick equaliser. They win three corners in the space of a couple of minutes having only had one in the previous 87, but they are unable to find a breakthrough.

FRANCE SUB: Another change for France as Griezmann, himself a sub in the first half, is replaced by Olivier Giroud.

There will be a minimum of three minutes added time at the end of this match. Can France hang on for a 10th consecutive victory over Portugal?

UPDATE: It's all over in Denmark and, while they may lose this, Portugal will take solace in the fact that they remain top of Group I. Denmark and Albania have played out a goalless draw to leave both sides a point behind the leaders.

France hold out for the victory to end their two-match losing streak, while Portugal fall to their 10th consecutive defeat at the hands of Les Bleus. In truth, it was not the best match this evening, but a moment of magic proved to be the difference between the two sides in Lisbon, sending the hosts into Monday's pivotal Euro 2016 qualifier against Albania on the back of a defeat.

That moment of magic came from Mathieu Valbuena just five minutes after he came on as a sub, with the midfielder bending a fine free kick past the despairing dive of Rui Patricio. Portugal disputed the award of the free kick and, in fairness to the hosts, it was a little harsh as Fonte appeared to get the ball off Griezmann. However, nothing should be taken away from Valbuena's strike.

That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match between these two European heavyweights as France prevail in a tight contest in Lisbon. Our match report will be on site shortly, and he sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!