FRANCE defeated Belgium 1-0 in Duesseldorf today to advance to the quarter-finals of the Euro 2024 European Championship in Germany.
Belgium centre-back Jan Vertonghen inadvertently put the ball in his own net late in the second half to hand France a tense victory in the round of 16 clash.
Both sides struggled to create any chances of note in a drab first half, with France having most of the possession but creating very little for the masked Kylian Mbappe and Marcus Thuram upfront.
The two goalkeepers had little to do for much of the encounter, although France’s Mike Maignan had to make late saves from Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne efforts.
France finally got a lucky break with five minutes left of regulation time as Vertonghen deflected Randal Kolo Muani’s attempt into the Belgian net.
Didier Deschamps’ side have now progressed to the quarter-finals despite scoring only three goals in four matches: two own goals and one penalty.
They will face the winners of tonight’s round of 16 clash between Portugal and Slovenia in the quarter-finals in Hamburg on Friday.
