DÜSSELDORF, Germany
Jan Vertonghen's late own goal took France into the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 on Monday as they edged Belgium 1-0 in a tense tie in Düsseldorf.
France had dominated the
last-16 clash but their profligate finishing looked set to force extra time
until they finally found a way through with five minutes left.
Substitute Randal Kolo Muani
collected the ball inside the Belgian penalty area and hit a shot that was
going wide until a deflection off the unfortunate Vertonghen took it past
goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
The lucky break sent the 2022
World Cup runners-up into a last-eight tie in Hamburg on Friday as they remain
on course to become European champions for the third time.
France are yet to score from
open play in four matches at the tournament – captain Kylian Mbappe netted once
from a penalty against Poland, while their other two goals came from opposition
defenders.
Crucially, however, they are
rock solid in defence, having conceded only one goal, from a penalty, so far.
Their back line was outstanding against Romelu Lukaku and his fellow attackers, and Belgium bow out after what will go down as a disappointing tournament for them.
Both of these sides were
looking for revenge, in Belgium's case for their 1-0 defeat against France in
the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, a result that still hurts six years on.
France, meanwhile, had a point
to prove at the Euros after going out in the last 16 three years ago on
penalties to Switzerland, a deeply disappointing result in between runs to
consecutive World Cup finals.
The French were widely seen as
the favourites to win this tournament before arriving in Germany, but they were
below par during the group phase.
The broken nose suffered by
Mbappe in their opening game against Austria did not help, and the uncertain
form of Antoine Griezmann has been a problem too.
Griezmann was dropped for the
last group match against Poland but returned here in one of two changes, with
Marcus Thuram also coming in as wingers Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola
made way.
Meanwhile Belgium coach
Domenico Tedesco's reaction to his own side's unconvincing displays in the
group stage was striking.
Yannick Carrasco and Lois
Openda were given starts to provide as much attacking threat as possible in
support of Lukaku, while skipper Kevin De Bruyne played a more withdrawn role.
The hope, for the neutrals at
least, was that so much attacking talent would lead to an open game full of
goals, but the reality was rather different.
Belgium were happy to sit back
and thwart France, and did not test opposition goalkeeper Mike Maignan at all
in the first half.
France had lots of the ball,
yet often looked untidy, imprecise and rather flat, with Griezmann appearing
lost on the right wing.
But they had chances in the
first half, with Thuram heading just wide from Jules Kounde's inviting cross
just after the half-hour mark and Aurelien Tchouameni twice firing off-target.
Real Madrid midfielder
Tchouameni then tested Casteels with a deflected long-range strike as France
upped their game at the beginning of the second half.
Mbappe accelerated inside and
smashed a shot just over, and there was a sense a goal might be coming.
The breakthrough almost came
for Belgium an hour in as William Saliba lost possession on halfway and De
Bruyne released Carrasco, who was about to pull the trigger when Theo Hernandez
arrived to make a brilliant saving block.
Maignan finally had to make a
save 20 minutes from the end of normal time, to keep out a drive from Lukaku,
and was called into action again to deny De Bruyne.
It was becoming clear that one
goal would decide the contest, and France got it in the 85th minute as N'Golo
Kante fed Kolo Muani, and his shot went in off Vertonghen to take Les Bleus
through.
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