France Vs Belgium Euro 2024 Round Of 16: Vertonghen-Own Goal Guides Les Blues Into Quarter Finals

France Vs Belgium Euro 2024 Round Of 16: Belgium suffer a heartbreak as a late own-goal eliminates them from Euro 2024. Here are the details. Read below.

France earned the victory via a late own-goal from Jan Vertonghen

France Vs Belgium Euro 2024 Round Of 16: It was an extremely dull France Vs Belgium Euro 2024 Round Of 16, as a late-own goal guides Les Blues into the quarter finals of Euro 2024. France were extremely lucky in their victory over Belgium, as the latter were wasteful in their chances in the final third, and it took a heavy deflection off Jan Vertonghen via a Randal Kolo Muani strike in the 86th minute to break the deadlock.

France are through to the quarter-finals! 🇫🇷#EURO2024 | #FRABEL pic.twitter.com/dxhOl5AoCY

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 1, 2024

France secure their place in the last eight 🇫🇷👏#EURO2024 | #FRABEL pic.twitter.com/dh7mS3XDVM

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 1, 2024

A defensive masterclass from the backline of France prevented the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Jeremy Doku from socring the opener for Belgian Red Devils, and with the win, France join Spain, Germany, England, and Switzerland as the 5th side to qualify for the last 8 of Euro 2024.

"For me, this was our best performance of the competition. We created a lot of chances, we played a comprehensive game, and the goal at the end made sure all our efforts were worth it," said Jules Kounde in a post-match interview, as he was awarded the Player of the Match award.

 

"It Is A Pity": Kevin De Bruyne On Heart-Breaking Defeat

Belgium came agonisingly close of knocking the Euro 2016 finalists out of the competition but now head out of the competition after losing 1-0 in their Round of 16 fixture, and their talisman Kevin De Bruyne, was immensely distraughted in the aftermath of the defeat. 

"It is a pity. We had a plan and we executed that plan pretty well. We knew that with their qualities they would have more of the ball. We had our moments, although there weren't very many. But we were dangerous at times. Our plan was good until their goal came. Then we had little time to respond," said De Bruyne in the post-match interview.