The second part of the Euro begins Monday July 1 for the Blues, and this time, there will be no second chance for Didier Deschamps’ men. They face Belgium at 6 p.m. Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf. The Belgians will be keen to erase the 2018 defeat (1-0) in the semi-final of the World Cup in Russia.
A French attack still silent in the game
France and Belgium both finished in second place in their groups. While Les Bleus showed great defensive solidity against Austria, the Netherlands and Poland, it was in attack that things were lacking. It’s simple, the French team didn’t score any goals during the game (an own goal against Austria and a penalty against Poland).
An unconvincing Belgium since the start of the Euro
On the Belgian side, things are no better. The Red Devils were surprised from the start by Slovakia (1-0), before recovering against Romania (2-0). Kevin de Bruyne and his teammates, on the other hand, delivered a lackluster performance against Ukraine (0-0), which allowed them to ensure their qualification in the round of 16, but not to reassure them about their ability to beat one of the favorites of the competition.
A big rivalry
Belgium is the team that France has faced the most (75) in its history. The rivalry was exacerbated after the defeat of the Red Devils in the semi-final of the World Cup in Russia.”We know it’s not going to be easy, it’s an excellent team with very great players. We’re not going to look down on them, we’re going to give everything to qualify.”said William Saliba at a press conference on June 27.