France got the better of Domenico Tedesco’s Belgium with a very late goal to seal the fate of the game. Substitute, Randal Kolo Muani saw his effort in the 85ᵗʰ minute take a slight deflection off the feet of veteran, Jan Vertonghen to take the ball beyond the Belgian goalkeeper, Koen Casteels. The goal was enough to take France to the quarter-finals and knock Belgium out in the process. “It’s a shame to concede a goal like that, but that’s football”, were the words of a disappointed Kevin De Bruyne after the game.
For large parts of the contest, fans were frustrated and discontent with the soccer on display. Both nations employed a conservative approach, where none was willing to take the extra bit of risk. France had more of the ball but could only manage two shots on target throughout the match. Belgium, on the other hand, sat back in the early stages, looking to hit on the counter albeit without any success.
Didier Deschamps is still struggling to find the right formation
French coach, Didier Deschamps made a surprising call with his starting line-up. In what initially looked like a diamond formation with Antoine Griezmann in the number 10 role, the actual shape could not have been more different. The Atletico Madrid legend was remarkably deployed as a right winger with Marcus Thuram being the sole striker.
Once again, the levels of the French performance were visibly off their usual standard. Griezmann, who is the main creative outlet for Les Bleus could not involve himself enough to make an impact. The most concerning sign for Deschamps will be the limited involvement of the captain, Kylian Mbappe so far. The Real Madrid superstar has been worryingly off-pace so far, which might hurt the French in the remainder of the Euros.
Same old story for Belgium
Belgian supporters hoped and expected that the European Championship 2024 would bring a different outcome than what they are used to. After several years, the Red Devils implemented a change in the setup with a new manager and a tendency to depend on a younger core of players. Despite all the build-up, Belgium could only manage one victory throughout the tournament and got eliminated in the traditional helpless manner.
The end of the run in Euro 2024 might also turn out to be the end for numerous senior individuals in the Belgian camp. Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Yannick Carrasco, Axel Witsel, Youri Tielemans, and Thomas Meunier have all been great servants to their country. Nevertheless, most of them would feel that their stint with the national team is over and it is time to hand the keys to the next generation.