The cocktail of a France that flies to the quarter-finals has simple ingredients. A great goalkeeper, an old striker transformed into an attacking midfielder, the tackle of a full-back accustomed to showing us great solos and finally a bit of luck. Deschamps gets rid of Belgium thanks to an own goal and heads for Hamburg, where he will await the winner of Portugal-Slovenia. In Dusseldorf Bondy’s boyfriend decides: Kolo Muani. His shot was deflected by Vertonghen. He and Mbappe were born in the same year and also in the same hospital, all 15 days apart. This time it was he who dragged France along.
you sink
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In the first half there is fencing. France and Belgium peer warily at each other on the platform of the Merkur Spiel-Arena, home of Fortuna Dusseldorf. Woe to find out. Doku tries to swipe to the left and shows off fine dribbling, then Mbappè tries to do the same on the other side. The number 10 of the Bleus, on the pitch with the usual mask, takes the ball on the left-handed midfield and starts with his head down, while Koundè – very wide in the attacking phase – places a couple of interesting crosses from the right, even if when he has to defend he goes in difficulties on the Openda-Doku axis. Tedesco’s two wingers are the main weapons of Belgium’s first 45 minutes. Several occasions: in the 24th minute Maignan deflected De Bruyne’s dangerous free kick with his feet, in the 27th minute Theo saved France by blocking Carrasco’s right-footed shot (Openda’s action on the left was noteworthy). In the last 10′ France came out of their shell and threatened twice, first with a header from Thuram and then with a right-foot shot shot very high by Tchouameni. The best chance of the first half.
own goal
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Belgium is careful. Tedesco has prepared the race down to the smallest detail, but Deschamps’ France is a diesel. And he gains ground minute by minute. Casteels saves in the corner from Tchouameni in the 49th minute, while Mbappè – always doubled, sometimes tripled – juggles with two actions worthy of his name, but Theo has the most important flash. In the 61st minute he made thirty meters of the pitch, sliding to block a lunge from Carrasco, launched by De Bruyne’s usual through ball. Other lunges: the left-handed strikes of Lukaku and Saliba, thrown under the sectors of their fans, made the stands vibrate. As well as Mbappe, who started playing all over the pitch in the last ten minutes. A little to the right, a little to the left, then in the middle and on the trocar. A technical leader like De Bruyne, who frees himself with 8′ to go, tries to lunge and imagines his Belgium in the quarter-finals, but in front of him is Magic Mike, good at blocking. And in the end France passes: the action starts on the left, develops in the center with a first touch from Griezmann – now more of an attacking midfielder than a striker – and ends with Kolo Muani’s right-footed shot, aided by an unfortunate and decisive deflection from Vertonghen (86′). Belgium, thanks to Doku’s usual dribbling, tries to raise its head, but it is now too late. At the end of the match, Tedesco’s players were applauded by the yellow-red crowd under their sector, while the French fans – in a slight minority – called out for the players under the curve. Deschamps will play in Hamburg on July 5. Ronaldo or Ilicic are in his way. Few doubts about who he will cheer for.
