Jan Vertonghen’s own-goal decided a gripping battle between France and Belgium in Dusseldorf, with Les Bleus booking their ticket to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals courtesy of a narrow 1-0 win.
Didier Deschamps’ players rode their luck but still managed to get the job done against FIFA’s third-ranked side, as goalkeeper Mike Maignan proved an impenetrable obstacle between the sticks.
Kylian Mbappe set up camp on the left wing looking particularly menacing with his protective mask, though there was nothing scary about the Real Madrid man’s first good look at goal, which he blazed over the bar.
Luckily for Belgium, they have a lightning-fast dribbler of their own. And Jeremy Doku made his presence known by drawing yellow cards from Aurelien Tchouameni and Antoine Griezmann in the space of a minute.
But for all their good individual work; an awkward, bouncing free-kick from Kevin De Bruyne was the best the Red Devils could muster to threaten Maignan’s goal in the first half.
France offered plenty more in the opposite direction. Tchouameni bossed the midfield and he couldn’t miss with big, raking switches over to right-back Jules Kounde. One such pass set up a huge chance for Les Bleus as Kounde crossed for Marcus Thuram, whose header flashed narrowly wide of the near-post.
France, and Mbappe in particular, smelled blood and kicked things up a notch as the interval approached. Jinking and hustling down the wing, he somehow forced a dangerous ball across the box which Tchouameni sent soaring over the crossbar.
