EURO 2024 | France 1-0 Belgium: Fortune favours Les Bleus

France reached the quarter-finals thanks to yet another own goal, this time off Jan Vertonghen, and a goal-saving Theo Hernandez tackle to eliminate Romelu Lukaku’s Belgium from EURO 2024.

They will face either Portugal or Slovenia in the quarter-final, but Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot will miss it due to suspension.

Les Bleus made radical changes after a disappointing group phase, using Inter striker Marcus Thuram as the striker in a hybrid 4-3-3 formation, with Milan pair Theo Hernandez and Mike Maignan. Belgium struggled too and Italy-born coach Domenico Tedesco also made some adjustments behind Roma’s Lukaku.

Maignan made a somewhat bizarre save using his legs on a Kevin De Bruyne free kick, which took a slight deflection off the wall, but still seemed to surprise the Milan goalkeeper.

Theo Hernandez also had to charge down a strike from Yannick Carrasco, while Thuram turned a couple of headers off target and Aurelien Tchaouameni forced a save.

Milan left-back Theo Hernandez had to get back and make a sensational goal-saving tackle on Carrasco, while Lukaku’s angled drive tested Maignan at the near post and De Bruyne stung the goalkeeper’s gloves.

France broke through moments later with a lot of luck, as Randal Kolo Muani saw his effort take a huge deflection off Jan Vertonghen’s knee to wrongfoot Koen Casteels at the near post.

Incredibly, Les Bleus have reached the final eight finding the net with only two own goals and a penalty in four games.

Vertonghen og 85 (F)