France left it late as they laboured to a 1-0 victory against Belgium to book their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
With the game heading for extra-time, Randel Kolo Muani was France’s hero as his 85th minute strike deflected off defender Jan Vertonghen and past goalkeeper Koen Casteels to seal victory.
France controlled possession for much of the contest and went closest to breaking the deadlock either side of half-time through Marcus Thuram and Aurelien Tchouameni, while Kylian Mbappe also threatened with some dazzling footwork – but his finishing was off colour as France struggled to test Casteels.
Belgium could have won the game themselves late on with Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne both forcing good saves from goalkeeper Mike Maignan, before the scruffy decisive moment sent France through to the next stage.
Image: Kevin De Bruyne’s late shot almost grabbed victory for Belgium
Didier Deschamps’ side will meet the winner of Monday evening’s match between Portugal and Slovenia in the quarter-finals in Hamburg on Friday (kick-off 8pm).
I think France were the better team. Obviously, the quality wasn’t really there. It wasn’t a surprise that it was an own goal that settled the game. You also need a bit of luck. France kept a clean sheet and when you do that, you will always have a chance.
Joy for France, despair for Belgium…
France have now won three successive games against Belgium.
Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Deschamps’ side have lost only one of their last 15 Euros matches (won eight and drawn six).
Can they go on to add to their 1984 and 2000 European Championship successes?
Image: France celebrate reaching the last eight
Image: Romelu Lukaku and Jeremy Doku react after Belgium’s 1-0 defeat to France
Neville: Vertonghen will be devastated by big mistake
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville speaking on ITV about France’s late winner and Vertonghen’s involvement:
“I think Vertonghen will be really disappointed [with the goal], and not just because it gets credited to him as an own goal.
“He has got to shift up. Kolo Muani doesn’t do anything amazing. He’s a little bit scruffy on the turn.
“But he’s got to shift up. Once you’re one or two yards off, that’s not unlucky, it falls into the category of poor defending and he knows that, he’s an experienced player.
“I’ve been there. I would class that from a defender with big experience as a big mistake. He’ll recognise that. He’ll be devastated because what he’ll also be thinking is ‘will it be the last time I’m here?’ That’s where it really hits home for players.”
Deschamps: Saviour the moment
France boss Didier Deschamps:
“It’s beautiful, we played a big game, it was tight but we enjoyed possession and we had more opportunities. We have to savour it, it’s quite an achievement. We’re in the quarter-finals, they’re going home.
“We made a lot of progress and our opponents were obviously cautious, even if they’re an attacking team on paper. We did everything we could to create chances, and we created more than them, but we played the waiting game and didn’t fall into their trap. I liked that, but obviously you can’t win through possession alone.
“I’d like us to create more chances but we’re into the quarter-finals and that’s what counts. Let’s not play down that moment.”
De Bruyne: We did everything to try and win
Belgium captain Kevin De Bruyne:
“We did everything to try to win. We were five minutes from extra-time.
“We had chances, not so many. Then they score and there isn’t enough time to react.
“We were defending pretty well but then there’s a deflection. It’s a shame but that’s football… I had that chance towards the end but couldn’t score. The keeper did well. The team really did everything we could do.”
Belgium will face France in the Euro 2024 last 16 after finishing second in Group E following a goalless draw against Ukraine.
All four teams earned the same amount of points, with Romania finishing top on goals scored as Belgium stumbled into the knockout phase having lost their opening game 1-0 to Slovakia.
The Red Devils failed to build on their 2-0 victory over Romania while Ukraine couldn’t find a crucial goal to turn the group on its head, finishing bottom and becoming the first team to exit the group stage with four points since the tournament was expanded.
Domenico Tedesco’s Belgium lacked a cutting edge despite the best efforts of Kevin De Bruyne and only created one significant moment. De Bruyne played in Romelu Lukaku with a smart pass but he could not make proper contact with his shot which was kept out by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.
Team news:
Ukraine benched Oleksandr Zinchenko and Andriy Yarmolenko while Mykhailo Mudryk was not in the squad due to injury.
Oleksandr Svatok, Vitali Mykolenko, and Roman Yaremchuk came into the starting XI as the three changes from their 2-1 win over Slovakia.
Leandro Trossard replaced the suspended Dodi Lukebakio for Belgium as the only change from their 2-0 win over Romania.
Ukraine were more dangerous, with Georgiy Sudakov’s stretching effort straight at goalkeeper Koen Casteels while Roman Yaremchuk inexplicably tried to pass across goal when he was in a seemingly better position to shoot.
Belgium had better control in the second half yet dropped off in the final 10 minutes. Ukraine’s Ruslan Malinovskyi almost caught Casteels out from a corner, whipping an effort to the near post which the goalkeeper parried away on the goalline.
Sudakob could have won it late on and sent Belgium home in the process but he shot straight at Casteels after a driving run.
What they said…
Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco on facing France:
“We go to win. We will face a top team and this is the reason why we qualified – otherwise we could have stayed at home.
“These are the games we are looking for, we can challenge everybody. I think we are ready, we are really ready.”
Ukraine manager Serhiy Rebrov said:
“We showed the character of our people. We need the support of Europe and we are part of Europe. It is very important for us to be represented here.
“Unfortunately we didn’t do well. This is like in life, you make some mistakes and then it’s very important how you react. I think we reacted well.
“We are very proud of the players. Everyone in Ukraine is unhappy with the score but there are no question marks for the players.
“It’s very important to show that we are still alive, we are still fighting and we will not stop.”
Much-fancied Belgium experienced a disappointing start to their Euro 2024 campaign after losing out to lower-ranked Slovakia 1-0 in their Group E opener.
Ivan Schranz was Slovakia’s hero, capitalising on a Jeremy Doku error and collecting the deflection from Juraj Kucka’s strike, before guiding the ball expertly into the far corner from a tight angle – a move that survived extensive VAR review.
Romelu Lukaku was not quite so lucky. Twice Belgium’s leading scorer had the ball in the back of the net in the second period, and twice VAR intervened to chalk goals off.
The No 9, attempting to atone for a wasteful first half, was ruled a toe offside when slamming home Amadou Onana’s cross in the 56th minute, before rounding off a smart move to plant Lois Openda’s cross beyond Martin Dubravka in the final minute of the 90.
Image: Romelu Lukaku appears to apologise to fans after Belgium lost to Slovakia
At first glance there looked to be very little wrong with the latter, but VAR was quick to spot the ball inadvertently glancing off Openda’s hand in the build-up, and recommended referee Halil Umut Meler take a second look. He did, and duly accepted the advice of the video official, controversially denying Lukaku once more.
Domenico Tedesco’s side, flat and frustrating for the most part, still created four ‘big chances’ (their most in a Euros game since 1980 vs Spain), but were unable to breach stubborn Slovakia, who top Group E alongside Romania.
Slovakia now face Ukraine on Friday knowing another win would send them into the last 16.
Image: Ivan Schranz celebrates scoring Slovakia’s winner
Analysis: Will Belgium ever live up to the hype?
Image: Romelu Lukaku was twice denied by VAR as Belgium fell to a shock loss in their Group E opener
Sky Sport’s Laura Hunter:
Perhaps Belgium are cursed. Perhaps unlucky. Or maybe this ‘golden generation’ simply isn’t as good as the hype – or third-place FIFA ranking – suggests. Whatever the intricacy or issue, they don’t seem to perform as predicted on the big stage.
Lukaku was wasteful, Kevin de Bruyne off-colour, Leandro Trossard ineffective. All over the pitch, in fact, Domenico Tedesco’s side underwhelmed, and that’s despite creating four ‘big chances’ and an xG of 1.91.
Game by game, the shine is flaking off what remains of Belgium’s reputation as one of Europe’s stellar sides. This is a team of individuals, far from a comprehensive unit of tournament winners.
And yet, there was something unjust about their opening game defeat. For all the obvious shortcomings, Lukaku did have the ball in the back of the net twice. The first was ruled offside, and so little argument can be made.
The second decision, however, jarred far more. This is the type of officiating that has drawn suspicion and skepticism in the Premier League, deemed by many as ‘re-refereeing’ – there is justification for both sides.
Lois Openda did handle the ball, but does that mean it’s handball? The rule is subjective, of course, but many believe this brand of VAR intervention to be a stain on the game. Jury’s out.
Either way, Belgium must improve if they are to avoid a repeat of Euro 2022, crashing out at the competition’s group stage.
Stats: Story of the match
Tedesco: We trust the officials
Belgium head coach Domenico Tedesco: “The only thing that we didn’t do well was taking chances. We had plenty. It’s part of the game. Of course the players were disappointed.
“We had many chances, we pressed high. Normally you don’t lose this game. It hurts.”
Speaking about two VAR decisions to deny Belgium an equaliser, he added: “I want to be a fair loser – we trust the referees.”
Opta: Misfiring Belgium punished
Belgium have suffered their first group stage defeat at the European Championship since losing 2-0 to Italy in 2016 – they had won five in a row in the group stages before today’s defeat.
Slovakia have won each of their last four competitive internationals, their best winning run in competitive games since a run of five between 2016 and 2017.
Ivan Schranz’s goal in the seventh minute was the quickest goal Slovakia have scored at a major tournament and his fourth goal in 23 caps for his national team.
Belgium missed four Opta-defined big chances in this match, the first time they’d done so in a European Championship game since 1980 against Spain (also four missed).
Image: N’Golo Kante was man of the match as France beat Austria
France have an abundance of young midfield talent in Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelin Tchouameni and Warren Zaire-Emery, yet still picked N’Golo Kante.
Many saw that call as a surprise given the 33-year-old now plays for Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, but it took just 90 minutes of France’s opening 1-0 win at Euro 2024 against Austria to see why Didier Deschamps got it right, once again.
Kante rolled back the years with a vintage display that looked exhausting from the outside. No France player won more tackles than the midfielder, with only William Saliba making more ball recoveries and winning more possessions in the defensive and middle thirds of the pitch.
The most important intervention came five minutes from time when Patrick Wimmer burst through after picking Saliba’s pocket. But covering the ground again was Kante.
The France midfielder also put his team-mates through on goal three times against Austria. His greatest skill of being unbelievably ubiquitous at both ends of the pitch has not faded.
“It was like a younger version of himself,” said Roy Keane of Kante’s display. That younger version won the World Cup with France six years ago. He may just be crucial in a bid to add the European Championships to that collection. Sam Blitz
Rangnick’s pressing offers Austria hope
Belgium are the only one of the fancied teams to suffer a setback so far in this European Championship but it has been encouraging to see so few sides setting up in a deep block and hoping to hold on. Austria came to impose their game on France.
It was easy to see why they had lost only one of their previous 16 matches coming into their Group D opener, a team revitalised under former Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick. They certainly looked well coached by the German.
Image: Austria made 27 tackles in their Euro 2024 game against France
Austria made more tackles in the first half against France than any other team in this tournament has made in a full match so far. It summed up their front-foot approach. Only a lack of individual quality prevented them from causing an upset.
The pressing challenged France throughout and it was a more entertaining match as a result. Kylian Mbappe had space to work with but the only difference between the sides was Max Wober’s own goal. Christoph Baumgartner really should have scored.
With Poland and the Netherlands to come, Austria should not be discouraged. To an extent, their plan work. They are well capable of getting out of Group D if they are able to maintain that intensity in the next two games. This tournament will be better for it. Adam Bate
Lunin’s lapse in concentration proves costly
Image: Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Lunin was at fault for two goals
One of the big decisions facing Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the Champions League final earlier this month was whether to stick with Andriy Lunin, the Ukraine goalkeeper, ahead of Thibaut Courtois.
At least, it was a topic of conversation in the media. Not for Ancelotti, who kept his cards close to his chest on the eve of Real Madrid’s encounter with Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
As it transpired, Courtois was entrusted with the gloves and the Belgian showed just why he is the Italian’s first choice when fit. Unfortunately for Lunin, his deficiencies were exposed by a rampant Romania in his first appearance since losing his place in the Madrid side.
Image: Ukraine extended their record of most games played at the UEFA European Championship without keeping a single clean sheet (12). They’ve also failed to score in 67% of their games at the EUROs (8/12), the highest rate of any nation to take part in mor
When faced with an intense press, the 25-year-old was sloppy with the ball at his feet as Nicolae Stanciu emphatically punished him with a sweeping finish into the top corner.
His second mistake was even less excusable as he allowed Razvan Marin’s speculative shot to flash underneath his body.
Serhiy Rebrov’s side paid dearly for their inability to convert their early possession into any real chances, as Romania soaked up the pressure and then struck on the counter after dispossessing Ukraine deep in their own half.
Ukraine were quarter-finalists at the last European Championships despite losing two of their three group games. All hope is not lost, as Rebrov said afterwards. But he must make a decision already on whether to stick or twist with Lunin. Ben Grounds
Dragusin leads Romania to famous win
Image: Tottenham’s Radu Dragusin excelled for Romania as they stunned Ukraine
In an admittedly quiet January, Radu Dragusin’s £26.7m move to Tottenham was the largest of the Premier League’s transfer window.
The centre-back was limited to just four league starts following his arrival. But as Romania earned their first win at a major tournament for 24 years, Spurs fans saw why their club invested so heavily in the Genoa defender.
Dragusin was outstanding in Munich. Every time Ukraine ventured into dangerous areas, they found the dominant 22-year-old in their way.
He made 10 clearances – twice as many as any other player – constantly positioning himself to quell the threat of Mykhailo Mudryk, Artem Dovbyk and Georgiy Sudakov.
It wasn’t just Dragusin – the entire Romania team bought into the game plan, sacrificing possession and protecting their area with admirable determination, before punishing Ukraine’s errors to score their goals.
Tougher tests surely await – Belgium also lurk in Group E – but those opponents may not find it easy to break Romania down with star player Dragusin in this form. Joe Shread
Will Belgium ever live up to the hype?
Image: Romelu Lukaku was twice denied by VAR as Belgium fell to shock loss in Group E opener
Perhaps Belgium are cursed. Perhaps unlucky. Or maybe this ‘golden generation’ simply isn’t as good as the hype – or third-place FIFA ranking – suggests. Whatever the intricacy or issue, they don’t seem to perform as predicted on the big stage.
Romelu Lukaku was wasteful, Kevin de Bruyne off-colour, Leandro Trossard ineffective. All over the pitch, in fact, Domenico Tedesco’s side underwhelmed, and that’s despite creating four ‘big chances’ and an xG of 1.91.
Game by game, the shine is flaking off what remains of Belgium’s reputation as one of Europe’s stellar sides. This is a team of individuals, far from a comprehensive unit of tournament winners.
And yet, there was something unjust about their opening game defeat. For all the obvious shortcomings, Lukaku did have the ball in the back of the net twice. The first was ruled offside, and so little argument can be made.
The second decision, however, jarred far more. This is the type of officiating that has drawn suspicion and skeptics in the Premier League, deemed by many as ‘re-refereeing’ – there is justification for both sides.
Lois Openda did handle the ball, but does that mean it’s handball? The rule is subjective, of course, but many believe this brand of VAR intervention to be a stain on the game. Jury’s out.
Either way, Belgium must improve if they are to avoid a repeat of Euro 2022, crashing out at the competition’s group stage. Laura Hunter
Slovakia veterans help deliver tournament’s first shock
Image: Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz celebrates with team-mates after scoring against Belgium in Euro 2024 Group E
All that was missing from a gripping start to Euro 2024 was a result to upset the apple cart; a result to get the underdogs dreaming. It came in game nine.
Sure, Belgium were denied an equaliser not once but twice after VAR reviews, but they lacked vigour in attack throughout the match and, to an extent, only had themselves to blame.
It was a momentous result for Slovakia as their first win in four attempts against Belgium gives them a solid chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of the competition.
But also because they achieved it having become only the second nation in European Championship history to name three players in their starting line-up who were aged 35 or older.
France did it at Euro 2008 with Gregory Coupet, Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram – and now Slovakia have matched it with Peter Pekarik (37), Juraj Kucka (37) and Martin Dubravka (35), who all played the entirety in Frankfurt.
Pekarik had a solid game at right-back and Juraj Kucka offered a decent enough threat in the middle of the park, but the pick of the bunch was Newcastle stopper Dubravka, whose five saves prevented 1.03 goals being scored by the Red Devils.
Albeit with a slice of luck, Francesco Calzona’s Falcons have passed what was thought to be the toughest test they would face in the group stages and their old guard have strengthened the case for age being nothing but a number. Dan Long
