Rematching their FIFA 2018 World Cup semifinal match, France and Belgium will face off in the round of 16 of UEFA Euro 2024 on Monday in Düsseldorf. Neither team is currently leading the German standings. Didier Deschamps’ France team will play Domenico Tedesco’s team. It’s astonishing that both the French and the Belgians finished second in their respective groups, even though Kylian Mbappe is just marginally off after scoring in the draw with eliminated Poland in Group D after a nasal fracture in France’s first match of the tournament.
Even though Mike Maignan originally stopped Robert Lewandowski from equalizing from the penalty spot, the game ended in a draw, which was just as surprising as Austria’s victory against the Netherlands, which advanced them beyond Les Bleus as group champions. Because of this, France is now drawn against Germany, Portugal, and Spain in the European knockout stage. Belgium will be concerned since they have one of the cruelest defenses in this sport.
The Red Devils, who began the tournament with a stunning loss to Slovakia, recovered to defeat Group E champions Romania, and then drew goallessly with eliminated Ukraine, have now lost two of their three games and are averaging fewer than one goal per game. Romelu Lukaku is yet to score from above, and things may have gone worse for Tedesco if Koen Casteels hadn’t been more accurate. This summer, only one team scored less goals than the Belgians and the French: Serbia.
Many people’s thoughts will be focused on the 2018 World Cup semifinal, as Les Bleus caused their neighbors great sorrow. Additionally, a 3-2 defeat in the 2021 UEFA Nations League semifinal would provide Tedesco and his team with even more incentive. In the quarterfinals, Deschamps and his team will be looking to revenge their home defeat in the Euro 2016 final against Portugal.
These are our plots, along with information on how to watch the game:
How to observe and the odds
•July 1st, Monday | Time: 12 p.m. ET
•Düsseldorf Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany is the location.
•TV: FS1; live stream: Fubo (free trial available)
•France +100; Draw +220; Belgium +320 are the odds.
How they arrived here
France finished in Group D behind Austria but ahead of the Netherlands, who advanced as the third-place team. Neither team won their group. In the most evenly matched group of this season, Belgium did not win Group E either, finishing below Romania but ahead of Slovakia with four points each, one less than the French. The Red Devils had already suffered a loss in Germany, despite Les Bleus’ undefeated record.
Group D table
| TEAM | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | PTS |
| Austria | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| France | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Poland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
Group E table
| TEAM | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | PTS |
| Romania | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Belgium | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Slovakia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Ukraine | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Team updates
France: The return of vice captain Antoine Griezmann to the starting lineup after his substitution against Poland is hardly shocking. It was shocking to see Didier Deschamps decide not to use the Atletico Madrid player for the last group stage match, since the player has been a talisman throughout the years and a great creative center.
Again, even though many wonderful chances were created, the issue was not with the creation but rather with the finishing, which puts Griezmann back into play. It is not surprising in the slightest to be without Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain for this match. Dembele’s problem at the club level was that he was too unreliable in front of goal, even if he won the penalty against Poland. This seems like the beginning of France addressing their lack of bite in attack, but maybe it will startle him into a reaction, the way Deschamps would have intended to elicit a response from Griezmann.
Bradley Barcola, a PSG prospect who was unlucky to be left out of this starting lineup, offered a more direct danger versus Poland and wasn’t the poorest player on a front line that had trouble getting past Lukasz Skorupski. Though a wonderful impact replacement, Deschamps will be hoping that he doesn’t need Barcola’s aggressive style right away. The return of Inter’s Marcus Thuram alongside Mbappe, despite his inability to seem threatening in front of goal in Germany, is perhaps the most unexpected decision. Although Belgium’s defensive issues are well-known, this action essentially shows that, despite his years of service, Deschamps no longer considers Olivier Giroud to be a key component of his philosophy.
Confirmed France XI: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni, Rabiot; Griezmann; Thuram, Mbappe (c).
Belgium: Yannick Carrasco has moved into midfield, with Lois Openda and Jeremy Doku flanking Romelu Lukaku. Tedesco has dropped Dodi Lukebakio and Leandro Trossard from the attack. If Wout Faes receives a booking, he may miss the quarterfinals, but his valiant effort to stop Artem Dovbyk of Ukraine demonstrated his starting status. Thomas Meunier and Axel Witsel were always questions, and only the former made the bench. They were not likely to play a significant role here, if at all.
Confirmed Belgium XI: Casteels; Castagne, Faes, Vertonghen, Theate; De Bruyne (c), Onana, Carrasco; Openda, Lukaku, Doku.
Forecast
Belgium is neither tight enough in the back nor smart enough up top, while France has to improve their offensive game. Even though it was tight at points, the French should have advanced to the quarterfinals in the end. Select: Belgium 0 – France 2.
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