The group stage is now closed. The serious stuff can begin. The start of hostilities is scheduled for Saturday, June 29 in Berlin, with a mouth-watering Switzerland-Italy match.
The French team, which qualified without any momentum or certainty for the round of 16 of Euro 2024, will face Belgium, not in much better shape, on Monday in Düsseldorf from 5:00 p.m.
Kevin De Bruyne’s Red Devils, who were defeated at the start by Slovakia (1-0), had started against Romania (2-0). They failed to beat Ukraine on Wednesday in Stuttgart (0-0) and finished second in a group where, for the first time, the four teams have the same number of points after the final day of the group stage, overtaken by Romania according to the rather complex criteria established by UEFA.
However, the Belgians are like their centre forward Romelu Lukaku, once again silent against Ukraine in Stuttgart.
The Belgian top scorer in history set a new European record with 14 goals during qualifying for this Euro but has not scored in the final phase of an international competition, Euro or World Cup, since the previous European Championship in 2021.
A reason for hope for France, who will nevertheless have to be wary of the feeling of revenge that has driven the Red Devils since the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, lost 1-0 against Les Bleus, which had a profound effect on them.
France-Belgium is also a classic: Belgium is the opponent that France has faced most often in its history: 75 matches, 26 victories and 30 defeats.
If Belgium qualified painfully, eliminating Ukraine at the same time, Romania resisted Slovakia and the bad weather. Before a huge storm further damaged the lawn of the Frankfurt stadium, already badly damaged, she recovered a Slovak goal thanks to a penalty following a foul on Ianis Hagi.
First in Group E, Romania returns to the round of 16, which it had only reached once in its history in 2000, and will meet the Netherlands, 3rd in Group D, that of France. Despite its draw, thanks to its four points, Slovakia will also see the elimination phase. It will even have a chance to play in the round of 16 against the pale English, favorites at the start of the tournament, who have not stopped disappointing since.
But the feat of the day is to the credit of Georgia, little thumb of the competition, victorious over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal 2-0 and thus qualified for the eighth also, for its first participation in a major international competition.
The stars Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Georges Mikautadze and Giorgi Mamardashvili, gave themselves the right to challenge Spain, the most convincing team of the first round, which emerged without incident from the group of death which also included Italy and Croatia, Sunday in Cologne.
In Gelsenkirchen, Georgia shocked the Seleçao, already qualified and heavily reworked at kick-off, allowing their supporters to celebrate this historic qualification all night long. The noise also resounded in all the streets of all the major German cities, under the concert of horns offered by the strong Turkish community in the country, celebrating the qualification of Turkey, victorious 2-1 over the Czech Republic in Hamburg. With two victories and six points, Vincenzo Montella’s men finished second in their group, behind Portugal on goal difference and will face Austria in Leipzig in the round of 16.
