In the eighth finals of Euro 2024 the France beats the Belgium 1-0 and waiting for the winner between Portugal and Slovenia. Match decided in the 85th minute by a shot from Muani City (replaced Thuram) diverted by Vertonghen. A very tactical game that was blocked for a long time but played better overall by Deschamps’ team who had more scoring opportunities.
THE MATCH
Mbappé doesn’t shine as he should, France’s attackers don’t break the deadlock (and don’t find the target at all) and so, cruelly, 5 minutes from the 90th minute the match is decided by an own goal, which sends Deschamps ahead and Tedesco home. France played the match more, facing a slower and wait-and-see Belgium but capable of staying together and defending well for a long time. Details, a matter of details. And luck, which doesn’t hurt in football.
The
Franco-Belgian question in football it’s a recent thing: it’s a
rivalry exploded, one might say, at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when in the semi-final in St. Petersburg a “catenacciara”, rough and defensive France barricaded itself around Umtiti’s goal, shattering the dreams of the Belgian Generation dorée and its refined, quality football.
In Brussels they never stopped holding grudges for that match, to the point that at the 2021 European Championships the celebrations began, complete with burning flags, at the news of the elimination of Deschamps’ team. Celebrations were then “reciprocated” in Paris, once the selection then led by Martinez was released. In truth, in addition to the language, France and Belgium have much in common
tradition and culturebut they end up being like those cousins who when they get together at Christmas, everyone thinks they get along but they put on forced smiles and feel like they’re in competition with each other about everything.
Enemies-friends, never too many friends. He was part of France during the
Napoleonic rule and began its journey of independence after
Waterloo: Belgium does not deny its “francité” but also claims its diversity. On a football pitch until a few years ago it was not thought there could be a competition but the rise of the generation of De Bruyne and his companions has ignited, or rekindled, feuds between bellicose neighbors.
Ready-go, it must be the rivalry that makes itself felt because
the match starts slow and is very tactical: both waiting, not inclined to press high but rather waiting for the others’ moves. France tries harder to play: Griezmann starts wide on the right and tends to centralize, Mbappé sprints from the left (where he often finds overlap with Theo Hernandez) and Thuram is the terminal in the middle of a penalty area that Deschamps wants to try to fill more, to solve the problem of a certain offensive paucity that has characterized his team up to now (only two goals scored in three matches, one of which was an own goal and one a penalty). The French become more dangerous and unpredictable when they phrase in the strait and exchange positions between the lines: the qualities to do this are there with the
midfielders Kante-Tchouameni-Rabiot but the only truly dangerous actions are a header to the side by Thuram and a high shot by the Real player.
Belgium gets to 3 and widens Carrasco to set up but the maneuver is slow and too often reliant on long throws. The attackers sacrifice themselves a lot in retreat to allow Tedesco’s 11 to remain short and compact. When he tries to run the ball, however, dangers arise: something that happens on the left where
Doku is definitely the most enterprising and Openda tries, much more than Lukaku, to lend a hand. More France, in possession and attempts to occupy the area, and less Belgium but not enough to break the deadlock in an unspectacular and still very blocked match.
In the second half
Belgium restarts with the usual slow construction but France begins to raise the pace in the engine. The conclusions towards the goal increase but, precisely, towards and not at the goal: because the
Deschamps’ team’s concreteness problem, who does not see the goal, it is evident, with all the conclusions, one from Tchouameni, regularly out. In the defensive phase, Belgium starts with a 4-4-1-1 with De Bruyne ready to launch Lukaku, more proactive and more sought after in the second half, and all the others careful to close the lines or in any case to dirty them as much as possible. Maignan saves first from Lukaku then from De Bruyne but
the number of occasions smiles on the albeit imprecise French. Kolo Muani, in place of Thuram, tries to be enterprising but in the end he is more fortunate because 5 minutes from the end it is his shot, after an enveloping action started by Theo and developed by Griezmann on the edge of the area, that is
deflected by Vertonghen into his own goal. Speaking of concrete problems: France finds itself in the quarter-finals thanks to
two own goals and a penalty. The resentment in Brussels can only increase. For Belgium, no revenge and yet another opportunity not exploited by the generation of phenomena starting at the end of their career. The rivalry, that one, will not end.
THE SCORESHEET
FRANCE-BELGIUM 1-0
France (4-3-1-2): Grandparents; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni, Rabiot; Griezmann; Mbappé, Thuram (from 17′ st Kolo Mouani). Available: Areola, Samba, Clauss, Konate, Mendy, Pavard, Camavinga, Fofana, Zaire-Emery, Barcola, Coman, Giroud, Dembele.
Ct: Deschamps
Belgium (4-4-2): Casteels; Castagne (from 43′ st De Ketelaere), Faes, Vertonghen, Theate; Carrasco (from 43′ st Lukebakio), Onana, De Bruyne, Doku; Openda (from 18′ st Mangala), Lukaku. In the disp.: Sels, Kaminski, Debast, De Cuyper, Meunier, Witsel, Tielemans, Vermeeren, Vranckx, Trossard, Bakayoko.
Ct: Tedesco
Referee: Nyberg (SVE)
Markers: 40′ st Aut. Vertonghen (B)
Ammonites: Tchouameni (F), Griezmann (F), Rabiot (F), Vertonghen (B), Tedesco (B), Mangala (B)
Expelled: –
2024-07-01 18:08:50
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