Euro 2024

[monks data]

European Championship | Round of 16

Jul 1, 2024 at 5pm UK

Merkur Spiel-Arena

France
1 - 0
Belgium

Vertonghen (85' og.)
Tchouameni (14'), Griezmann (23'), Rabiot (24')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Vertonghen (76'), Tedesco (76'), Mangala (90+3')

France 1-0 Belgium: Les Bleus through to quarter-final due to Vertonghen own goal

By Carter White | 01 July 2024

France squeeze through to Euro 2024 last eight after Belgium success

France book a spot in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 at the expense of a resolute Belgium side, who were downed by an own goal from Jan Vertonghen in the second half.

France have secured their spot in the last eight of Euro 2024 after beating Belgium in Dusseldorf on Monday afternoon.

The Red Devils sacrificed a lot of their attacking play in order to keep their opponents at bay, with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku doing plenty of work in their own half.

Didier Deschamps's side had control of possession for the majority of the contest but failed to find a game-changing moment early on, with lots of efforts from outside the box failing to work Koen Casteels.

With the Belgians tiring, Les Bleus managed to break the deadlock as the full-time whistle approached, with Randal Kolo Muani's effort deflecting in off former Tottenham Hotspur man Jan Vertonghen.

France are now just three victories away from continental glory in Germany, whereas Domenico Tedesco's men will exit the competition at the first hurdle of the knockout stages.

Vertonghen own goal breaks Belgian hearts

A late own goal from Jan Vertonghen gives France the lead 🇫🇷

And Belgium have 5 minutes to find a response... 👀#Euro2024 | #FRABEL pic.twitter.com/wYvuX4HldO
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 1, 2024

After putting in a sensational defensive shift throughout the 85 minutes leading up to the game's defining moment, Belgium will feel hard done by the nature of which they have been eliminated from the competition.

Moving in off the left flank, Theo Hernandez moved across a retreating Belgian backline before finding Jules Kounde on the right, with the Barcelona man and N'Golo Kante eventually working the ball into the feet of substitute Kolo Muani.

The 25-year-old did excellently to wriggle around in the box and find a yard of space for his shot, which deflected off Vertonghen's knee, dipping over the diving Casteels to ensure that Deschamps's blushes were spared.

France saved by Hernandez heroics

Theo Hernandez with some brilliant last ditch defending 🙌#Euro2024 | #FRABEL pic.twitter.com/TlaVfyXQTv
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 1, 2024

Keen to prevent France from having too much space on the attack, Tedesco set up his Belgium side with a midfield pivot of Amadou Onana and De Bruyne, a duo that rarely escaped into the opposition half at points.

That all changed when the Manchester City playmaker was moved into a more advanced role during the second period, with the five-time Premier League winner feeding a brilliant ball through to Yannick Carrasco.

The winger was bearing down on goal and looked set to slot the Red Devils into an unlikely lead on the counter, however left-back Hernandez recovered remarkable to execute a last-gasp block.

France shooting on sight

Having failed to score from open play during the opening three matches of this competition, Deschamps would have been reassured by the amount of chances his France XI created in Dusseldorf.

That being said, Adrien Rabiot, Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni were all guilty of firing efforts well over the bar, when a little more composure could have led to a more comfortable victory.

Les Bleus peppered the stands instead of Casteels's goal, registering 16 shots off target over the course of 90 minutes, managing just two on net.

Record-breaking evening for Vertonghen

37 - Jan Vertonghen (37 years, 68 days) is the oldest player to score an own goal at the EUROs and the first-ever Belgian to do so at the tournament. Unlucky. #EURo2024 pic.twitter.com/SoE8NzsRJq
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) July 1, 2024

What's next for France and Belgium?

Following a narrow success in Dusseldorf, France will fight for a spot in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 against either Portugal or Slovenia on Friday night.

As for Belgium, a round-of-16 exit means that Tedesco's major tournament debut has ended on a sour note, with the Red Devils back in action in September, when they will commence their UEFA Nations League campaign versus Israel.