A little own goal and that’s it. Facing an Austrian team which favored physical impact to the detriment of the game, the Blues won 1-0. A goal came at the end of the first half, following a header from defender Maximilian Wöber in the wrong direction on a cross from Kylian Mbappé.
Even if France was not very effective, the essentials were assured, believes defender Jules Koundé:
“I think we had a solid match. There was a respondent in front. We knew how to match the intensity. I think we created quite a few chances – if we had had at least one, it would have made things easier for us – but overall, I’m quite satisfied“, said the FC Barcelona player.
Austrian frustration
On the Austrian side, there is reason to have regrets. But for full-back Philip Mwene, this performance can serve as a basis for future matches.
“I always feel a little frustrated after a defeat. I find that despite the result, the way we approached the duels and the way we played gives me confidence for the next matches“, declared the one who plays in Mainz.
Next Friday, Austria will face Poland, while France will face the Netherlands, for what constitutes the shock of this group D. The Blues, whose captain Kylian Mbappé should hold his place despite his broken nose.
Slovakia surprises Belgium
Earlier today, Slovakia caused a surprise by beating Belgium 1-0 in Frankfurt. Trailing since the seventh minute of play and a goal from Ivan Schranz, the Red Devils never managed to reverse the trend. Romélu Lukaku even saw two of his goals canceled. We will now have to react very quickly, believes captain Kevin de Bruyne:
“When you lose the first game, you know you have to win the second. We will do everything to get there. We are going to regroup, we are going to make sure we are more effective in the next match. I’m not worried at the moment“, assured the captain of the Red Devils.
In the next match, Belgium will face Romania, leader of Group E following their 3-0 victory against Ukraine. A meeting which will take place on Saturday evening in Cologne. The day before, Slovakia will play against Ukraine in Düsseldorf.
Continuation and end of the first day of the group stage this evening: in Dortmund, Turkey will face Georgia. A meeting which will begin at 4 p.m. UT. This evening, Portugal will face the Czech Republic in Leipzig. Kick-off scheduled for 7 p.m. universal time.
