In a very uninteresting EURO 2024 round of 16 game, France dominated, had as many as 20 attempts (only two on target), and eventually emerged victorious thanks to Jan Vertoghen’s own goal – jubilee tenth in the tournament! The Belgian “golden generation” will, as it seems, remain trophyless, while Les Blues now can sit back and enjoy tonight’s match between Slovenia and Portugal, one of which will be their quarter-final rival.Having seen the list of round of 16 clashes, the France-Belgium duel immediately caught an eye as the biggest derby in the knockout phase. Truth be said, neither team was dominant in their groups, but the match was still characterized as promising and a treat for the football fans. Didier Deschamps opted for a rather offensive tactic with Kylian Mbappé and Marcus Thuram as forwards and Antoine Griezmann just behind them. On the other hand, Domenico Tedesco left Youri Tielemans and Leandro Trossard on the bench, giving a chance in the starting 11 to Loïs Openda and Yannick Carrasco. 🥇 UEFA Player of the Match for France vs Belgium: Jules Koundé for France 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/2piRmw4G5C— IBT4F (@ibt4f) July 1, 2024 France initially controlled the game, but both teams started cautiously, while Romelu Lukaku and William Saliba battled from the first minute. The only exciting moment within the first 15 minutes was the yellow card Aurélien Tchouaméni got for something he said to the referee Glenn Nyberg. Eight minutes later, Griezmann was also booked, and Adrien Rabiot was just after him, both for late challenges.The EURO champions’ 1/8 finals curse is still onThe Red Devils had the first so-so chance through Carrasco, whose shot was blocked by Théo Hernández. In the 24th minute, Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick flicked off the wall and bounced in front of Mike Maignan, but AC Milan’s goalkeeper deflected it to safety. It took 34 minutes for Les Blues to create a first goal-scoring opportunity. The ball was spread on the right to Jules Koundé who whipped a wonderful cross for Thuram, but his header went wide off the upright. Five minutes later, Tchouaméni attempted from more than 20 meters, but the ball flashed wide. Real Madrid’s midfielder also had the last chance in the first half, blasting the ball high over the bar from inside the area and highlighting himself as the best player in the first period.Most Successful Passes ✅Most Touches ✅Most Possession Won ✅Aurélien Tchouaméni’s looked very comfortable in the first half of this match for France.#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/hAWxrmiWAj— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) July 1, 2024 After the first 45 minutes, it was clear that the teams didn’t live up to expectations. France had more ball possession and shots, but their attacks were not concrete. On the other hand, as the break approached, Belgium focused more and more on defence. Surprisingly, the ones from whom everyone expected goals and chances – Mbappé and Lukaku – were almost invisible, especially the robust Belgian forward.The beginning of the second half brought two chances for the French. First, Tchouaméni attempted to bend the ball into the bottom corner, but Koen Casteels made a decent save, although the ball took a flick on the way through, and then Thuram headed it way over the bar. Les Blues’ pressure continued with Mbappé’s shot that rose above the crossbar. The first Saliba’s mistake could have led to a conceded goal. Arsenal centre-back lost possession, De Bruyne slid a brilliant ball through for Carrasco, but Hernández blocked the shot with a superly timed tackle.And we have a World Cup winner as a special guest at EURO 2024Both managers made subs in the 63rd minute. Randal Kolo Muani replaced Thuram for France, and Orel Mangala took Openda’s place for Belgium. Tchouaméni kept attempting from a distance, and once more, he blazed it far from goal. Lukaku was practically hiding for 70 minutes and then suddenly got the ball in the box, but Maignan blocked his powerful strike. Three minutes later, Saliba took a break from his defensive duties and found himself in an opportunity after a corner. He cut past Jérémy Doku’s challenge but powered the ball wide of the near post. That was Les Blues’ 19th shot, while only one of those was on target! Moreover, they had more yellow cards than shots on target?!🇫🇷 William Saliba for France vs. Belgium at #Euro2024:90 minutes77 touches64/66 accurate passes (97%)3/3 accurate long balls2/3 ground duels won2/4 aerial duels won4 clearances2 interceptions1 tackle0x dribbled past1 clean sheetIncroyable. 🧱 pic.twitter.com/y1lQ0RRYX8— afcstuff (@afcstuff) July 1, 2024 The Red Devils, on the other hand, had no problems with their attempts. Lukaku laid the ball off to Doku who teed up De Bruyne, but Maignan denied him again. And when everyone could already sense the extra time, France finally and very fortunately broke the deadlock in the 85th minute! N’Golo Kanté slid the ball to Kolo Muani whose shot flicked off Jan Vertonghen’s knee and went past a helpless Casteels. Hence, the French got the lead but remained on only one goal scored by their player – Mbappe’s penalty against Poland!Giorgio Chiellini had jokes after France’s win against Belgium in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 😂 pic.twitter.com/RQ6o025DzC— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 1, 2024 Tedesco tried to find the equalizer with some late substitutions, sending Charles De Ketelaare and Dodi Lukebakio in for Carrasco and Timothy Castagne, but in vain. We’ve seen a déjà vu of the 2018 World Cup semi-finals when Samuel Umtiti launched France to the grand final and eliminated the Belgians. This Red Devils’ generation with the leaders De Bruyne and Lukaku, probably missed the last opportunity to win a trophy. On the other hand, Les Blues continue their journey, and the next station is Hamburg, where they will face Portugal or Slovenia.EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP – 1/8 FINALSSaturdaySwitzerland – Italy 2-0 (1-0)/Freuler 37, Vargas 46/Germany – Denmark 2-0 (0-0)/Havertz 53 pen, Musiala 68/SundayEngland – Slovakia 2-1 (0-1) AET/Bellingham 90+5, Kane 91 – Schranz 25/Spain – Georgia 4-1 (1-1)/Rodri 39, Ruiz 51, Williams 75, Olmo 83 – Le Normand 18 og/MondayFrance – Belgium 1-0 (0-0)/Vertonghen 85 og/22.00: (1.43) Portugal (4.75) Slovenia (9.10)Tuesday19.00: (8.25) Romania (4.30) Netherlands (1.50)22.00: (1.95) Austria (3.50) Turkey (4.50)***odds are subject to change***
