France – Belgium 1:0 (0:0)
France won the European Championship round of 16 against Belgium 1-0 and is the fifth team to reach the quarter-finals. In front of 46,810 fans in Düsseldorf, Belgian Jan Vertonghen secured the French victory with an own goal in the 85th minute: He unfortunately deflected an already uneven shot from Randal Kolo Muani and made it unstoppable for goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
France continued its minimalist style of play in the knockout rounds. The supposed duel between two European Championship favorites was lacking in highlights for a long time, and Belgium also had no good chances. Both teams seemed uninspired for most of the time, with France in particular making too little use of the technical skills in the squad. The Belgians, on the other hand, lacked the necessary precision in attack, and the team’s stars were unable to make an impact.
Les Bleus had their best chance of the first half after just over 34 minutes – typical of the whole match. Former Gladbach player Marcus Thuram headed the ball just wide of the goal. Although Belgium had actually looked a little more dangerous up until then, the game remained very static and uneventful on both sides. Despite some clear shots, neither attacker even managed to hit the opposing goal. Even after half-time, the game remained slow and without any great chances. In the 83rd minute, Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne was once again denied by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan with a powerful shot, before the goal of the evening was scored on the other side.
The French will face the winner of Portugal’s match against Slovenia in the quarter-finals on Friday. Midfielder Adrien Rabiot is suspended and received his second yellow card of the tournament today.
European Football Championship
This year’s stars
Z+ (subscription required content); Football in France: In the land of super talents
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Z+ (subscription required content); Check24 jersey: The shirt of this European Championship
France won the European Championship round of 16 against Belgium 1-0 and is the fifth team to reach the quarter-finals. In front of 46,810 fans in Düsseldorf, Belgian Jan Vertonghen secured the French victory with an own goal in the 85th minute: He unfortunately deflected an already uneven shot from Randal Kolo Muani and made it unstoppable for goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
France continued its minimalist style of play in the knockout rounds. The supposed duel between two European Championship favorites was lacking in highlights for a long time, and Belgium also had no good chances. Both teams seemed uninspired for most of the time, with France in particular making too little use of the technical skills in the squad. The Belgians, on the other hand, lacked the necessary precision in attack, and the team’s stars were unable to make an impact.
