An unfortunate own goal by Jan Vertonghen was enough for the French team to qualify for the quarter-finals. Because once again, luck faithful to Didier Deschamps was the spearhead of the French qualification, if we exclude once again a winning tactic from the French coach.
Regardless, France has qualified for the next round, and will face Portugal in the quarter-finals. In the French press, it is obviously time to celebrate, even if everything has not been easy for Kylian Mbappé’s teammates. The newspaper L’Equipe headlines “The deliverance”, explaining that the “Blues have long been clumsy“in the face of the Devils, but”got through at the end of the match, thanks to an own goal from Jan Vertonghen“.
Euro 2024: French cynicism eliminates Belgium again (1-0)
“France and Belgium were not the most spectacular teams in the group stage, far from it, and this Euro round of 16 reflected their limitations and the ambitions of two blocs above all obsessed with solidity.“, the newspaper continued.
On the side of La Voix du Nord, it’s the same story.Freed, delivered, the Blues are in the quarter finals of the Euro“, headlines the daily newspaper from the north of France.”It was difficult but Deschamps’ men will be there again. Overall, the match was successful but it seriously lacked precision for the Blues again tonight. But the main thing is there: QUALIFICATION!“
The Devils under the microscope: Openda and Lukaku powerless, Vertonghen the unfortunate
Further to the left, Ouest France prefers to wait and see on a difficult victory: “In pain, the French team qualifies for the quarterfinals by beating Belgium […] Make no mistake, Didier Deschamps’ players did not show a much brighter face than their neighbours from the Flat Country. But they had the merit of finding the fault, in the 85th minute“.
Finally, a great specialist in irony, So Foot distinguishes himself with a play on words: “France crumbles Belgium“. The media points out the lack of realism of the Blues, and a victory acquired like a miracle by Didier Deschamps’ troops: “Six years after their peak in the semi-final of the Russian World Cup, Les Bleus got the better of Belgium by the same score (1-0), but in a match of sad quality.“.
“After hearing the pThe Belgian public whistles La Marseillaise quite copiously, The neighborhood party turned into an awkward moment, between a France without ideas, without creativity, and a Belgium that had noted this limit, while having to deal with its own. The Red Devils offered so little that they did not manage to worry a defense that was still as solid“, continues the monthly.
