the French team qualifies for the quarter-finals after its narrow victory against Belgium

Coming on shortly after the hour mark, Randal Kolo Muani scored the only goal of the match five minutes from the end of regulation time.

They will not repeat the mistake of 2021. The players of the France team avoided an embarrassing elimination in the round of 16 of the Euro, Monday July 1, in Düsseldorf. No more effective than during the group stage, they still managed to get the better of Belgium (1-0). The solution came from Randal Kolo Muani, the only substitute to come into play, with a pivotal shot deflected by Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen (85th). In the next round, they will face the winner of the match between Portugal and Slovenia (kick-off 9 p.m.).

Although they did not resolve their efficiency problem (20 shots, 2 on target) and scored again with a goal counted as an own goal, the Blues controlled the match and once again displayed great solidity defensive (only 5 shots suffered). Romelu Lukaku, Kevin de Bruyne and Loïs Openda were muzzled (Jérémy Doku is the only one to have stood out) by the William Saliba-Dayot Upamecano hinge, close to flawless. Behind, in any case, Mike Maignan had again decided not to let anything pass (three stops).

This success is a tribute to patience. Despite the succession of strikes in the stands, the unusual lack of accuracy of Antoine Griezmann and the fluctuating contribution of relay players N’Golo Kanté and Adrien Rabiot, the players never gave up. However, after a good start to the second half, victory seemed to be slipping further and further away. After a shot finally on target that forced Koen Casteels to save (49th), signed by Aurélien Tchouameni, the French strikes tirelessly fled the frame (Thuram 50th, Mbappé 54th, 56th, Tchouameni 69th, Saliba 74th).

From the first act will remain the lack of intensity of this French team, nevertheless solid against the very offensive starting eleven aligned by Domenico Tedesco. By confiscating the ball (60% possession at the break), the Blues put themselves in the position of Belgium during the famous semi-final of the 2018 World Cup that the Red Devils had lost (1-0) despite their supposed domination.

The Belgians also had the two biggest chances of the first 45 periods. Mike Maignan first showed himself vigilant on a free kick with a vicious rebound from Kevin de Bruyne (24th), then Theo Hernandez sacrificed himself to block a shot from a launched Yannick Carrasco (27th), symbol of a team ready for battle. This is good timing, a high-flying duel is expected in the quarter-finals, perhaps against Portugal, who had shattered the French dreams in the final of their Euro, in 2016.