Euro 2024: France advances to quarter-finals with a tense 1-0 win over Belgium

Euro 2024: France advances to quarter-finals with a tense 1-0 win over Belgium

France secured a spot in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals with a tense 1-0 victory over Belgium in Duesseldorf, courtesy of a late own goal by Jan Vertonghen. Despite dominating the last-16 clash, France struggled to convert their chances until substitute Randal Kolo Muani's shot took a fortuitous deflection off Vertonghen, deceiving goalkeeper Koen Casteels with just five minutes remaining. The fortunate breakthrough propelled the 2022 World Cup runners-up into a quarter-final clash in Hamburg on Friday, keeping their hopes alive for a third European championship.

Throughout the Euro 2024 tournament, France has yet to score from open play, relying on captain Kylian Mbappe's penalty against Poland and goals from opposing defenders for their tally. However, their defensive prowess has been impeccable, conceding only one goal—a penalty—so far.

Their defensive solidity was evident against Belgium's Romelu Lukaku and company, as Les Bleus managed to nullify their attacks effectively. Belgium, on the other hand, exits the tournament with disappointment, failing to replicate their success against France from the 2018 World Cup.

Both teams entered the match seeking redemption—Belgium for their semi-final defeat in the 2018 World Cup, and France aiming to make up for their penalty shootout exit in the Euro 2020 last 16 against Switzerland.

Despite being pre-tournament favourites, France faced challenges, including an underwhelming group stage performance and concerns over Antoine Griezmann's form. Griezmann, reinstated into the starting lineup alongside Marcus Thuram, contributed to France's offensive efforts against Belgium.

Belgium's coach, Domenico Tedesco, made tactical adjustments, deploying Yannick Carrasco and Lois Openda to bolster their attack alongside Lukaku, while Kevin De Bruyne played a deeper role. However, Belgium's defensive approach limited their offensive opportunities, failing to test French goalkeeper Mike Maignan significantly until late in the match.

Ultimately, it was France's persistence that paid off, with N'Golo Kante setting up Kolo Muani for the decisive strike that led to Vertonghen's unfortunate own goal. The result sees France advance, keeping their quest for European glory alive as they look ahead to the quarter-finals.