the French team begins the competition with a narrow victory against Austria

Thanks to an own goal from Austrian Maximilian Wöber, the Blues started their European Championship with a victory on Monday evening in Düsseldorf (1-0).

Like other favorites – except Belgium –, the French team successfully entered the Euro 2024. Facing a serious Austrian team, the Blues won 1-0, Monday June 17 in Düsseldorf (Germany). Lacking efficiency in front of goal, they were well helped by Maximilian Wöber, guilty of a header in his own goal at the end of the first period (38th). While they had occupied more of the political field since their arrival in Germany, the French were finally able to express themselves on the sporting field. This success allows them to reach the Netherlands – winners of Poland on Sunday (2-1) – at the head of the group D. The two teams will meet again on Friday 21st of June.

Coach Didier Deschamps spoke before the match “not decisive, but very important to put yourself in a good position”, and the Blues had a good start to the competition to build confidence before the rest of the tournament. Pushed by 11 000 French fans who were quite noisy, but less numerous than the Austrians, the French team mastered their game. Faced with high pressure from their opponents in the first period, she took advantage of a few spaces behind them to bring danger to the Austrian goal, without however materializing.

The Blues were then warned for the first time, free of charge, on the clearest Austrian opportunity of the game, a duel won by Mike Maignan against Christoph Baumgartner (36th). A reminder which should have been followed by a corner, not seen by the referee and which pushed the Blues to react by scoring less than two minutes later, on a cross from Kylian Mbappé deflected into his own goal by Maximilian Wöber (38th).

This goal will be the only one of the game, despite a few additional opportunities to widen the gap in the second half. Kylian Mbappé notably had the ball for 2-0 at the end of his foot after having taken Lensois Kevin Danso in speed, but the attacker opened his foot too much and did not target his shot while he was alone facing to the opposing goalkeeper (55th). The image that will remain of the French captain’s evening will be his bloody nose after a header duel at the end of the match, and the worry of a possible fracture. The symbol of a match in which the Blues will have suffered a significant number of faults (18).

Jostled, the French team still holds its first victory for its entry into the competition, in Germany, by the smallest of margins, with an own goal. Or like during the Euro 2021, during the Blues’ first match against Germany. We can only hope that the outcome of the competition will be better.