Domenico Tedesco’s game plan worked until it didn’t. The generally superior French team finally found the flaw and eliminated the imprecise Devils.
We expected a reaction from Domenico Tedesco as much as from the Red Devils for this round of 16, and the coach did not disappoint, daring a cheeky tactical response to the French system: a 4-4-2 with Openda and Lukaku, but above all with… Onana and De Bruyne in midfield.
Not good news for the neutral supporter, because the Devils let it come… and the Blues do not reveal themselves. We quickly feel that Jules Koundé can put Theate in difficulty, but apart from distant and not very dangerous strikes, France fumble.
A Belgian highlight, several French
The first real opportunity is even Belgian: Doku wins a good free kick, and Kevin De Bruyne hits Maignan who pushes it back with difficulty (24th). Belgium proceeds with long, imprecise balls, but a Doku-Openda combination offers a new opportunity to Carrasco (27th).
The Blues, frankly not pushed by their public unlike the Red Devils (and this was the first positive observation of the evening), nevertheless found their marks at a trot: Koundé offered himself yet another overflow and deposited a caviar on the head of Marcus Thuram, who placed it wide (34th).
Faes had lost his duel, but fortunately the Leicester defender was there on a new overflow from Mbappé a little later. The last quarter of an hour of the first period is a pure attack-defense in favor of the French, and a final strike from Tchouaméni narrowly misses leaving us behind at the break.
Casteels saves the Devils again
France moved up the pitch much better than the Devils and moved the ball around more fluidly: it took Koen Casteels’ first real intervention on a deflected shot from Tchouaméni to prevent the 1-0 very early on (49th). The danger came from the second line, because despite Mbappé’s efforts, he couldn’t find the target, whether after a dribble or on a cross from Koundé.
But the Devils do not give up: if Lukaku lives a nightmare match, a good pressure from Openda allows KDB to launch Yannick Carrasco and forces Théo Hernandez to a disaster return celebrated like a goal (61st). Despite that, it is Openda that Tedesco takes off, for Mangala.
The coach almost got it right immediately when it was an infiltration from the same Orel Mangala who went to get Lukaku, whose first shot on target found Mike Maignan (71st). After three quarters of an hour, we are forced to draw an observation: this round of 16 is the weakest since the beginning, between two teams who are not very playful and lacking ideas.
Belgian regrets
And when we lack ideas, we rely on individuals: Jérémy Doku, generally below par this evening, still finds Kevin De Bruyne in space…. and Maignan intervenes (83rd). Despite the entry of Mangala, however, our Devils lose their footing at best: N’golo Kanté and Aurélien Tchouameni are imperial.
It is also with Kanté at the helm, always well helped by the incessant and intelligent movements of Griezmann, that Randal Kolo Muani is found in the rectangle. He turns, strikes… and Vertonghen, impeccable until then, deflects into his net (87th, 1-0). Ten minutes earlier, we had said it to ourselves: whoever scored would qualify. Despite a final hurrah, imprecise once again, Belgium will not score and is taken out. The post-match analyses will determine whether it is with honors or not…
