The Guardian

France 1-0 Belgium: Euro 2024 last 16 – as it happened

By Barry Glendenning,

14 hours ago

7.30pm BST

Here is the report.

7.22pm BST

Want some more football? Of course you do.

7.06pm BST

“France are in the quarter-finals thanks to two own goals and a penalty. It’s one thing to grow into a tournament, and then there’s whatever this is,” says Kári Tulinius.

They’re smarter than us.

7.02pm BST

“France must be doing something to earn favour from the own goal gods,” says Peter Oh.

It’s a cunning plan.

6.56pm BST

Post-match reaction: Will Unwin is here to bring you the post -match reaction, as I have to go and record the Guardian Football Weekly podcast. Thanks for your time and I’m sorry I couldn’t deliver a better match.

6.54pm BST

Full time: France 1-0 Belgium

Jan Vertonghen unwittingly kneed a scuffed Randal Kolo Muani shot past his own hopelessly wrongfooted goalkeeper with just four minutes left on the clock to send France into the last eight of the competition. And truth be told, it was that kind of game.

6.52pm BST

90+4 min: It’s all over and please join me in prayer so we can all thank whatever deity is in your particular corner for that. France go through to the quarter-finals courtesy of a scrappy own goal befitting a scrappy game.

6.50pm BST

90+3 min: Kevin De Bruyne’s corner is cleared by France. Wout Faes gets the ball launched into the mixer from deep. Griezmann clears.

6.49pm BST

90+2 min: We’re well into three minutes of added time as Belgium search for an equaliser. Doku scurries through the left side of the penalty area and has a shot blocked. Corner!!!

6.48pm BST

89 min: The goal is being attributed to Vertonghen, who’ll be delighted, no doubt. It was N’Golo Kante who slipped the ball to Muani, whose mis-kick could see France into the quarter-finals. I won’t lie – even though I drew Belgium in the pub sweepstake and there’s over £100 up for grabs, I’ll be mightily fed up if they get an equaliser. That’s how dire this game has been.

6.46pm BST

87 min: France lead courtesy of a goal befitting the game. They were speculatively playing the ball back and forth across the pitch just outside the Belgium penalty area and it found its way to Muani. His shot was not clean but had enough pace on it to go in after taking a wicked deflection off Vertonghen that left Casteels with no chance.

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2tsEru_0uAeFujM00 — The French players and fans don’t care how the ball found its way into the net, they’re just glad to have the lead. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Updated at 7.16pm BST

6.44pm BST

GOAL! France 1-0 Belgium (Vertonghen OG 85)

France are in front! Randal Kolo Muani’s scuffed shot is deflected past the wrongfooted Koen Casteels.

Updated at 6.48pm BST

6.42pm BST

83 min: Kevin De Bruyne has his head in his hands. Why? He’s just had a low, rasping shot from just outside the France penalty area saved by Maignan after good work down the left by Doku and Lukaku.

Updated at 6.45pm BST

6.39pm BST

81 min: “If this is level at 90 minutes, can we organise some kind of emergency diktat to stop it going to extra time,” asks Harry Smart. “I don’t personally care if they go straight to penalties or settle it with a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, but I can’t take any more of this.”

6.37pm BST

78 min: This game is there to be won but both teams are focussing most of their energy on not losing. But what’s this? Mbappe runs on to a Kounde pass across the face of the Belgium penalty area and shoots high over the bar. Kounde was trying to pick out Griezmann and Mbappe might have been served keeping his broken nose out of proceedings and leaving the Atletico Madrid man to it.

6.34pm BST

75 min: “You have a great job getting paid to watch the Euros,” writes Debra. “Is the game so dire? Or are you just a miserabilist? Or a fan of England?”

I’m just calling it as I see it, Debs. And as an Irishman I can assure you the scars of last night’s trauma inflicted upon me by Jude Bellingham will never heal.

6.32pm BST

74 min: France corner. Griezmann’s delivery to the near post is cleared by the first man. France recycle the ball, Saliba cuts inside Doku from the right side of the penalty area and shoots wide.

6.30pm BST

72 min: Kante sends Muani on his way upfield with a lovely reverse pass near the halfway line but the substitute’s first touch is as deft as a street-mugger’s and Belgium get the ball back cheaply.

6.29pm BST

70 min: Belgium chance! Mangala drives through the left side of the France box and is picked out by Kevin De Bruyne, who spots his run. He pulls the ball back to Lukaku, whose low shot is well saved by Maignan. It’s a let-off for France.

Updated at 6.39pm BST

6.27pm BST

70 min: “Kante can’t be a G-Wagon; that’s a Benz,” writes Joe Pearson. “Maybe a Peugeot 5008?”

6.26pm BST

69 min: France get the ball back and Tchouameni fires another shot from distance high over the bar.

6.25pm BST

66 min: Belgium have the ball in their own half and seem determined to keep it there. Faes plays it to Onana who plays it to Castagne who plays it to Onana who plays it to Faes who plays it to Vertonghen who plays it to Theate who plays it to Casteels who plays it to Castagne etc, and so on. Rinse and repeat.

6.22pm BST

63 min: A couple of changes. Randal Kolo Muani is on for France, replacing the ineffective Marcus Thuram. Belgium bring on Orel Mangala to play alongside Amadou Onana in midfield and allow Kevin De Bruyne to play further up the pitch. Lois Openda makes way.

6.20pm BST

62 min: Kevin De Bruyne slips Yannick Carrasco in behind the France defence and he’s through on goal down the inside right. Theo Hernandez gets back to slide in and block his shot brilliantly. That was big chance for Belgium but their winger didn’t shoot quickly enough.

6.18pm BST

60 min: For the first time in this game, the hideous possibility of extra-time crosses my mind. Urgh …

6.17pm BST

58 min: Belgium’s manager is furious with the match officials, who have just let two blatant fouls on Jeremy Doku in quick succession by Jules Kounde and the G-Wagon/Transit van go unpunished.

6.15pm BST

58 min: Wout Faes blocks a low Kounde cross into the Belgium penalty area.

6.14pm BST

56 min: Mbappe makes a great diagonal run towards a low Kounde cross from the right and tries to steer his shot across the face of goal and into the far corner. Wide. The idea was great but the execution left a lot to be desired.

6.12pm BST

53 min: The second half has very much picked up where the first left off, with France in the ascendency but in dire need of some cutting edge. A case in point: Mbappe darts along the edge of the penalty area, cutting in from the left and then fires high over the bar. He’d given Kevin de Bruyne the slip, with the Belgium skipper unable to risk fouling him for fear of giving away a penalty.

6.09pm BST

49 min: Aurelien Tchouameni tries his luck from distance and his shot takes a nick off a defender. Koen Casteels gets down low to his left to bat it out for a corner. France subsequently win a free-kick, wide on the left. The ball’s sent in to the mixer, half-cleared and the ball drops nicely for Kounde. His floated delivery into the box is good and Thuram heads over from seven or eight yards. Not good enough, Marcus.

Updated at 6.10pm BST

6.06pm BST

48 min: France pass the ball around at the back with Lois Openda scurrying from one defender to the next, to no great effect.

6.04pm BST

46 min: “I’m not surprised that neither manager has made any changes at all because bizarrely, they’ll both be happy with how that first half went,” says Coisty on ITV co-comms. “It’ll be interesting to see which coach makes a change to actually try to go and win the game, rather than not lose it.”

Wise words, spoken in a lovely Scottish burr.

6.02pm BST

Second half: France 0-0 Belgium

46 min: Fasten your seatbelts, we go again. Amadou Onana and Kevin De Bruyne get the ball rolling and there are no changes in personnel on either side that I am aware of.

5.59pm BST

An email: “Kante a Transit?” writes Chris Ross. “The man’s a G Wagon. Peace and love.”

5.52pm BST

An email: “This is a typical Euro 2024 game: utterly pedestrian,” writes Kev McReady. “Incidentally, isn’t it funny the best player at this tournament is Kante? Like a Transit van winning a Grand Prix.”

While I wouldn’t necessarily agree that it’s typical of the tournament, many of the supposedly great teams have been dire. There have been plenty of terrific games in this tournament, many of them featuring Georgia.

5.49pm BST

Half-time: France 0-0 Belgium

It’s 45 minutes none of us will ever get back and France are in the ascendency but lacking that cutting edge that might have helped them take the lead they probably just about deserve. Belgium have shown signs of life but their head coach Domenico Tedesco Kevin de Bruyne has important work to do in the dressing-room over the next 15 minutes.

5.47pm BST

45+1 min: Good work by Mbappe, who scurries and ferrets along the byline before pulling the ball back to Tchouameni in a good shooting position. He blazes the ball high over the bar because of course he does. It’s half-time.

5.45pm BST

44 min: I’ve just been alerted to the fact that the name in the byline of this article was incorrect and has been fixed. Please feel free to direct your ire to Barry Glendenning, for it is me who has been tasked with reporting on this nothingness. Taha Hashim is completely innocent and France have a corner. Jan Vertonghen clears.

5.43pm BST

42 min: Mbappe plays the ball wide to Kounde on the right. He plays it back inside to Griezmann, who plays it out wide to Hernandez on the other side via Mbappe. For the love of God …

5.40pm BST

38 min: A Tchouameni dink into the Belgium penalty area is headed clear by Wout Faes as France continue to press and probe. I suppose if anything, this game is like a big steaming tur… chess match.

5.37pm BST

37 min: A quick switch of play from France. Jules Kounde’s cross is excellent but Marcus Thuram can’t steer his header on target. He should have done better.

5.36pm BST

33 min: Regarding me only being able to work with the game I’ve been given: “Just make stuff up!” writes Marlon Seton. “Sunak does it. Trump does it. Farage does it. I’ve no evidence but I wouldn’t be surprised if Le Pen does it.”

As much as I would like to, it would be a grave breach of the minute-by-minute reporter’s unwritten code of ethics. Unless, of course, this is a really pulsating thriller and I’m just pretending otherwise for an easy life.

5.33pm BST

30 min: Half an hour in and this is a very boring, turgid affair. My personal theory, which may be completely half-baked? Kevin De Bruyne thinks Belgium’s manager is not up to the job and may organise an on-field mutiny at some point later in the game if things aren’t going his side’s way.

5.30pm BST

28 min: More good work down the left from Doku. He picks out Openda, whose shot is deflected into the path of Carrasco. Hernandez blocks his effort in the penalty area and Belgium appeal for handball and a penalty. Neither the ref nor his video assistants are interested.

5.27pm BST

26 min: Our Swedish referee is unnecessarily fussy and books Adrien Rabiot very harshly for a challenge on Doku. I’m not even sure it was a foul but the France midfielder will miss the next game if his team wins.

5.25pm BST

23 min: Belgium get Jeremy Doku on the ball high up the pitch. He cuts in from the left and is felled by Griezmann, who is booked. De Bruyne’s viciously whipped, dipping free-kick is kicked clear by Maignan, who appeared to lose track of the flight of the ball as it came towards him. The France goalkeeper got away with one there.

Updated at 5.31pm BST

5.23pm BST

20 min: On ITV, Super Ally McCoist is on co-comms and remarks on how deep Kevin De Bruyne is playing, more or less side-by-side with Andre Amadou Onana in the Belgium midfield. “I don’t think he’ll be too happy with that,” says Alistair. “He won’t fancy playing there all day.”

5.20pm BST

20 min: Adrien Rabiot shoots high over the bar from distance.

5.19pm BST

19 min: I won’t lie, this is a tough watch. Apologies if it’s a tough read but I can only work with the game I’ve been given!

5.18pm BST

17 min: Jules Kounde sends a low cross into the Belgium box from the right and it’s put out for a corner. Griezmann’s excellent inswinger towards the near post is headed hopelessly high and wide by Marcus Thuram.

5.15pm BST

14 min: Griezmann takes a short corner, the ball finds its way to Mbappe in the Belgium penalty area and he shoots high over the bar, his effort taking a clear deflection. The referee awards a goal-kick and when France complain about his decision, he shows Tchouameni a yellow card. Nonsense.

Updated at 5.16pm BST

5.14pm BST

13 min: A feeble Griezmann shot is easily dealt with by Koen Casteels in the Belgium goal.

5.12pm BST

11 min: Romelu Lukaku sprints out to the touchline to chase a ball from deep but can only put it out for a France throw-in as William Saliba drapes himself all over him. Lukaku appeals for a free-kick but doesn’t get one.

Updated at 5.27pm BST

5.10pm BST

9 min: Lois Openda chases down a backpass to the feet of Mike Maignan but the France goalkeeper deals with it comfortably under pressure, pinging the ball to the feet of Theo Hernandez out by the touchline.

5.09pm BST

8 min: It’s cagey from both teams early doors but France are hogging the ball, pressing and probing for an opening.

5.08pm BST

7 min: Kylian Mbappe advances on the Belgium penalty area with the ball at his feet. He plays a sideways pass inside to Antoine Griezmann and sprints into the box looking for the return pass. His teammates nine-iron over the top doesn’t find him.

Updated at 5.37pm BST

5.06pm BST

5 min: France throw-in, deep in Belgium territory after good work down the right by Mbappe and Tchouameni. Timothy Castagne prevents the ball going out for a corner, opting for the lesser of two threats. Nothing comes of it.

5.04pm BST

3 min: With Belgium in possession, Lois Openda chases a long ball down the right but it’s dealt with comfortably by Dayot Upamecano, who plays the it back to Mike Maignan in the French goal.

5.03pm BST

2 min: Belgium goalkeeper Koen Casteels gets an early touch, his team having lined up with five at the back. Timothy Castagne and Yannick Carrasco are the wing-backs.

5.01pm BST

France v Belgium is go ...

1 min: Having won the national anthems, France get the ball rolling as they go about trying to win the match. They’re in white shirts, blue shorts and white socks. The players of Belgium are in – I’m going to say – maroon shirts, black shorts and maroon socks. Game on …

4.55pm BST

Not long now: The players march out on the pitch, France led by Kylian Mbappe and Belgium by Kevin De Bruyne, who struggled to hide his irritation with his manager, several of his teammates and the nation’s fans during and after their stalemate against Ukraine. But it’s a new day and a new dawn, as Nina Simone famously sang. We’ll find out in due course if Kevin is feeling good. Kick off is a couple of anthems, some handshakes, a coin-toss and a shrill blast of referee Glenn Nyberg’s whistle away.

4.46pm BST

4.37pm BST

4.36pm BST

4.28pm BST

France: Kylian Mbappe is at his best coming off the flank, but this may cause an imbalance in the side as they take on Belgium, writes Jonathan Wilson.

4.14pm BST

4.13pm BST

Those teams: As expected, Antoine Griezmann is recalled to the France line-up, while Marcus Thuram starts in place of Ousmane Dembele.

Belgium manager Domenico Tadesco makes two changes. Lois Openda and Yannick Carrasco come in to the side, with Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans making way.

Interactive

4.02pm BST

France v Belgium line-ups

France: Maignan, Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez, Tchouameni, Kante, Rabiot, Griezmann, Thuram, Mbappe.

Subs: Samba, Pavard, Mendy, Camavinga, Giroud, Dembele, Muani, Zaire Emery, Fofana, Coman, Clauss, Areola, Konate, Barcola.

Belgium: Casteels, Castagne, Faes, Vertonghen, Theate, De Bruyne, Onana, Doku, Openda, Carrasco, Lukaku.

Subs: Debast, Witsel, Tielemans, Trossard, Kaminski, Sels, Lukebakio, Vranckx, De Ketelaere, Mangala, Bakayoko, Vermeeren, De Cuyper.

Updated at 4.52pm BST

3.58pm BST

Today’s match officials

Referee: Glenn Nyberg
Referee’s assistants: Mahbod Beigi and Andreas Soderkvist
Fourth official: Donatas Rumsas
Video assistant referee: Pol van Boekel

3.44pm BST

Early team news

France manager Didier Deschamps has a full squad at his disposal and is expected to recall Antoine Griezmann to his starting line-up, with either Adrian Rabiot or Bradley Barcola likely to make way. Ousmane Dembele could also miss out after failing to impress in the group stages and should he drop to the bench, Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram is likely to get the nod.

Axel Witsel and Thomas Meunier are both injury concerns for Belgium, whose winger Dodi Lukebakio is available for selection after missing out on his side’s unimpressive stalemate with Ukraine through suspension. He or Yannick Carrasco may come in for Leandro Trossard, who contributed very little to the national cause in that stalemate. Kevin De Bruyne aside, few of Belgium’s players impressed in that game so it would be no great surprise to see a few changes.

3.41pm BST

Round of 16: France v Belgium

The Dusseldorf Arena is the venue for today’s match between France and Belgium, two heavyweights who have yet to play anywhere near their best in these Euros. Both nations failed to win their groups and had to settle for second place. Now only one can progress to the quarter-finals, with France the odds-on favourites who are far from racing certainties. Kick-off in western Germany is at 5pm but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.