“You almost have to be Belgium to have so many chances without realizing them,” is one of the many criticisms of our national team. France, even without shining, once again took the upper hand (1-2) over Belgium, giving rise to reflections on the resilience of the Devils against their neighbors.
A series that continues
The sports daily The Team did not fail to note the long series of French victories. “We perhaps shouldn’t yet talk about the Guinness Book of Records (Editor’s note: the Guinness Book of Records), but the Blues are building an impressive series against Belgium,” writes the newspaper. The Belgians have not beaten France in an official match for more than forty years. The Blues, for their part, have already won three times against the Devils in 2024.
Even finishing the match with ten men and starting timidly, the Blues were able to win. “This way of winning is only possible against Belgium. Because even when the Devils play well, they remain absolutely powerless. »
Belgian self-deprecation singled out
On the side of Parisianthe tone is even more severe, highlighting the chronic inability of the Belgians to capitalize on their opportunities, even when they are in numerical superiority: “The Belgians did not even know how to take advantage of their superiority when they were playing 11 to 10.”
The most biting remark, however, comes from RMC Sport: “Belgium has been self-sabotaging for ten years. The Red Devils, in blue this evening, always find a way to shoot themselves in the foot during big matches. They set a hellish pace for thirty minutes, but you almost have to be Belgium to have so many chances, including a penalty, and do nothing with them. »
A victorious France, even without shining
While France fielded a team diminished by the absences of Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, The World stressed that this did not prevent the Blues from winning: “Even without two of their biggest stars, the Blues got the job done. Belgium had to, for the fifth time in a row, lose to France, ending their Nations League hopes. »
Finally, Le Figaro noted the relative weakness of the French performance, while praising their ability to react collectively: “For forty-five minutes, the Blues were looking for their rhythm against a courageous Belgium. Despite worrying performances from Saliba and Digne, the Blues ended up winning, thanks to the ineffectiveness of the Red Devils. » While the Belgian public demanded the resignation of Domenico Tedesco, Didier Deschamps was able to celebrate a new victory which brings his team closer to qualification.
The Red Devils must once again recognize their powerlessness against France.
