the Blues move on to the reveal of the round of 16 against the Red Devils

4 mins

This time, the Blues no longer have the right to make mistakes. After a group stage finished in 2nd place in Group D – after a narrow victory against Austria (1-0) and two draws against the Netherlands (0-0) and Poland (1-1) – Didier Deschamps’ men will have to move up a gear against a Belgium team which is also struggling to convince in this Euro 2024, but which has always delivered intense duels to the Blues in major competitions.

The most anthological of them obviously remains the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup won by the French against the Belgians (1-0) led by their golden generation (Hazard, De Bruyne, Kompany, Courtois…). Three years later, a new duel at the top between the two neighbors in the last four of the League of Nations: the Devils first knocked out the Blues with two goals in the first period, before the Tricolores made a spectacular comeback and snatched the victory. victory down to the wire thanks to a goal from Théo Hernandez (90th, 3-2). Cruel for the Belgians.

Read alsoEuro 2024: Open round of 16, with a France-Belgium clash on the programme

So has the time finally come for Belgium? Despite the absence of his impassable goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who has withdrawn from the competition, Domenico Tedesco can nevertheless count on a talented new generation (Doku, Trossard, Faes…) and executives who have experience of major events, like his playing master Kevin De Bruyne and his scorer Romelu Lukaku, often criticized for his lack of efficiency (three goals refused by the VAR in this Euro) but always difficult to muzzle in the area.

The Manchester City midfielder did not fail to praise the defensive qualities of the French team. This is a team that leaves little space. We are clearly not favorites but this outsider position suits me perfectly », he declared in the Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws. The defensive block of the Blues is indeed the main satisfaction of the first round of the competition, with a solid central hinge Upamecano-Saliba and rather convincing full-backs. On the offensive side however, the Blues clearly missed their entry into the competition.

An attack and landmarks to find

After three contested matches, Kylian Mbappé and his teammates have not scored a single goal in the game. Their inaugural victory against Austria came from a CSC from Wöber, while the draw conceded against Poland was thanks to a penalty. Statistics that stand out for a team expected to be one of the most prolific in the tournament.

Several things explain this poor form of the usual dynamiters of the French team: Mbappé’s nose fracturewhich occurred against Austria, and his poor physical condition after a chaotic season at PSG are a first clue. The same goes for Antoine Griezmann, author of two disappointing first matches and even left the starting eleven during the 3rd match against Poland. Alongside them, Marcus Thuram still lacks cutting edge at the tip of the attack and Ousmane Dembélé is rarely decisive, despite obvious activity on his wing.

But as Didier Deschamps likes to remind us, the decisive matches which begin from these round of 16 are a “ another competition starting » and the French coach can rely on the example of the 2018 World Cup won by the Blues but also started without brilliance. At the head of the selection for 12 years, Deschamps has already been confirmed in his position until 2026 before the start of the competition by Philippe Diallo, the president of the French Football Federation. But disillusionment with Belgium in the 8th could nevertheless reshuffle the cards.

The fact remains that Les Bleus had their fair share of chances during the group stage, lacking above all in finishing. After a five-day rest and the tactical adjustments concocted by Deschamps – including a probable 4-4-2 diamond system with Griezmann supporting a Thuram/Mbappé duo – the players of the French team could approach this clash with a newfound serenity and benefit from the defensive largesse of Belgium, a team that is also playful. The explanation will in any case be between neighbors and opponents familiar with the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf.

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