In a tightly contested match, France secured a 1-0 victory over Belgium, thanks to a decisive deflected shot from Kolo Muani. The shot, which deflected off Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen, left goalkeeper Koen Casteels with no chance to save it. This win sends Didier Deschamps' team into the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the Portugal vs. Slovakia match.
The game began with France trying to penetrate the Belgian defense through precise passing, but their efforts rarely progressed beyond the three-quarters mark. Belgium, on the other hand, relied on counterattacks, with Openda and Doku making threatening runs from midfield to the wings.
Despite France's dominance in possession during the first quarter-hour, the first significant chance came from Belgium. At the 22-minute mark, Kevin De Bruyne took a free kick from the left, forcing a crucial save from French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who cleared the ball with his feet.
France's first clear opportunity came in the 33rd minute when Jules Kounde's cross found Marcus Thuram, whose header narrowly missed the near post. The last chance of the first half fell to Aurélien Tchouaméni, whose powerful shot from inside the area went over the crossbar.
In the second half, France improved their performance, with Kylian Mbappé leading the charge. Despite their efforts, they struggled with their finishing. Belgium had two clear chances to score through Romelu Lukaku and De Bruyne, but Maignan stood firm to deny them.
With five minutes remaining, the decisive moment arrived. Kolo Muani's shot inside the area deflected off Vertonghen, wrong-footing Casteels and sealing Belgium's fate.
Both teams had unexpectedly finished second in their respective groups. France's Group D campaign included a narrow win over Austria (1-0), followed by draws against the Netherlands (0-0) and Poland (1-1), leaving them one point behind Austria. Belgium started their Group E journey with a loss to Slovakia (0-1), then beat Romania (2-0), but a goalless draw with Ukraine left them tied on points, ultimately finishing second to Romania.
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