France fortune downs Belgium as Kylian Mbappe and co scrape into Euro 2024 quarters

France advanced to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals courtesy of a win over Belgium (Image: Getty)

Jan Vertonghen’s own-goal decided a gripping battle between France and Belgium in Dusseldorf, with Les Bleus booking their ticket to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals courtesy of a narrow 1-0 win.

Didier Deschamps’ players rode their luck but still managed to get the job done against FIFA’s third-ranked side, as goalkeeper Mike Maignan proved an impenetrable obstacle between the sticks.

Kylian Mbappe set up camp on the left wing looking particularly menacing with his protective mask, though there was nothing scary about the Real Madrid man’s first good look at goal, which he blazed over the bar.

Luckily for Belgium, they have a lightning-fast dribbler of their own. And Jeremy Doku made his presence known by drawing yellow cards from Aurelien Tchouameni and Antoine Griezmann in the space of a minute.

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But for all their good individual work; an awkward, bouncing free-kick from Kevin De Bruyne was the best the Red Devils could muster to threaten Maignan’s goal in the first half.

France offered plenty more in the opposite direction. Tchouameni bossed the midfield and he couldn’t miss with big, raking switches over to right-back Jules Kounde. One such pass set up a huge chance for Les Bleus as Kounde crossed for Marcus Thuram, whose header flashed narrowly wide of the near-post.

France, and Mbappe in particular, smelled blood and kicked things up a notch as the interval approached. Jinking and hustling down the wing, he somehow forced a dangerous ball across the box which Tchouameni sent soaring over the crossbar.

Jan Vertonghen's own-goal proved to be the difference in Dusseldorf (Image: Getty)

A familiar combination linked up when Kounde’s cross landed square on the head of Thuram, but the Inter Milan forward again missed the target, and he was hauled off 10 minutes later.

Increasingly keen to take matters into his own hands, a stepover and a shimmy from Mbappe saw him find space to unleash a shot which, like so many others, was watched over by Koen Casteels.

France were overdue a reminder that Belgium have attacking quality in their own right. It came when De Bruyne slid Yannick Carrasco clean through, but just when he went to pull the trigger, the marauding Theo Hernandez made a heroic, goal-saving block.

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Two more big chances fell to the Belgians as Maignan parried powerful shots from Romelu Lukaku and De Bruyne to safety before the game’s deciding moment. French substitute Randal Kolo Muani was at the heart of it, swivelling and shooting inside the box, but the deflection from Vertonghen was decisive and left Casteels helpless.

It was a cruel blow for a Belgium side who valiantly went toe-to-toe with their neighbours. And France once again counted on the good fortune of an own-goal, as they advanced to the quarter-finals without having scored from open play all tournament.

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