The match: 1-0
France and Belgium were not the most spectacular teams in the group stage, far from it, and this Euro round of 16 reflected their limitations and the ambitions of two blocs obsessed above all with solidity. The seventy-sixth confrontation between the two nations was therefore not the most exciting in this long history, but this episode will fuel a little more the rivalry and frustration of the Belgians, once again defeated in the cruelest of ways, on an own goal by Jan Vertonghen, who deflected a cross from Randal Kolo Muani (85th).
Here are the Blues in the quarter-finals of the Euro, against Portugal after their narrow victory against Slovenia (0-0, 3-0 on penalties), and they will have suffered enormously to get there, against the Red Devils who had not come to Düsseldorf to take the slightest risk. They were still the first to be dangerous, with a free kick from Kevin De Bruyne whose trajectory surprised Maignan, who was forced to clear the ball with his foot on his line (24th). The rare thrills then came from the French, with a header from Marcus Thuram not far from the top corner, receiving a beautiful cross from Jules Koundé (34th), and a strike from Aurélien Tchouaméni above after a lot of work from Kylian Mbappé in the area (45th + 1).
Only one shot on target from nine attempts, in this case a too soft shot from Antoine Griezmann (10th), the record was depressing at half-time but the second half started better thanks to Tchouaméni, who finally gave Casteels some work, forced to lie down to deflect his shot for a corner (49th). The Belgian goalkeeper also saw shots from Mbappé (54th, 78th), Tchouaméni (69th) go over, and it was Maignan who had to shine to push away a powerful shot from Lukaku (71st).
It was tense, it was nerve-wracking, and the exit of the disappointing Marcus Thuram in favor of Kolo Muani (62nd) had not transcended the Blues, again saved by Maignan, solid against a missile from De Bruyne (83rd). Two minutes later, the light finally came and the relief was on a par with the boredom, which was quite immense.
Didier Deschamps is keen on Randal Kolo Muani, who is not coming off the best season of his life with Paris-SG, and he chose him to replace Marcus Thuram (62nd). Preferred to Olivier Giroud who did not even warm up, the former Nantes player did not have many opportunities to shine but it was his cross, deflected into the goal by Verthongen (85th), that changed everything. Deschamps’ only substitution therefore ended up weighing, and Kolo Muani’s smile livened up an attacking sector that inspires few positive feelings.
0
Belgium have not won any of their five matches played against France in major tournaments (World Cup and Euro).
