France secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Belgium in the Euro 2024 round of 16 match on Monday, July 1, 2024, in DĂĽsseldorf, Germany. The tightly contested game saw both teams struggling to create clear scoring opportunities, with France dominating possession but failing to capitalize on their chances.The breakthrough came in the 85th minute when French substitute Randal Kolo Muani’s shot was deflected into the net by Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen, resulting in an own goal. This decisive moment proved to be the difference between the two sides, sending France through to the quarterfinals and eliminating Belgium from the tournament.French goalkeeper Mike Maignan played a crucial role in preserving the clean sheet, making several key saves to keep his team in the game. The match was characterized by its physical nature, with three yellow cards issued in the first 25 minutes.French coach Didier Deschamps expressed satisfaction with the result, stating, “It’s beautiful, we played a great game, it was tight but we enjoyed the possession and had more opportunities. We have to savor it, it’s a huge achievement. We’re in the quarterfinals, they’re going home”.France will now face the winner of the Portugal-Slovenia match in the quarterfinals, scheduled to take place on Friday. The Portugal-Slovenia game is set for 21:00 in Frankfurt on the same day as France’s victory.Despite the win, some observers have criticized France’s performance in the tournament as lackluster. The team will need to improve their finishing and creativity if they hope to progress further in the competition, especially considering potential future opponents such as Spain or Germany.
Key points
- France defeated Belgium 1-0 in the Euro 2024 round of 16 match.
- The winning goal came from an own goal by Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen in the 85th minute.
- France will face the winner of the Portugal-Slovenia match in the quarterfinals.
Contradictionsđź‘ľThere are slight discrepancies in the reports about who scored the winning goal.
Some sources attribute it directly to Randal Kolo Muani, while others correctly report it as an own goal by Jan Vertonghen.
