Tonight, the first round of the European Cup knockout round 16 into 8 competition ushered in a blockbuster competition, the favorite French team is about to face Belgium, this is not only the competition of Mars hitting the earth, but also a big test for the Deschamps team, to see if they are not good enough, whether there is a chance to compete for this Delaunay Cup. Of course, De Bruyne on the opposite side will definitely not be so easily captured, this is their last chance to compete as the team known as the "golden batch" of national brands. Old boys' dreams, still have a chance to come true?
Status information for both teams
France finished second in Group D, which is hard to satisfy. In the group stage, they won 1 and drew 2 in 3 games, scoring only 2 goals and conceding 1 goal, which is really disappointing. Although it can be explained by excuses such as "Mbappe is injured". But Deschamps' team has a lot of problems, will this restrict them from moving forward?
Belgium, on the other hand, is even more difficult. In the 2022 Qatar World Cup, they collapsed, and this tournament is almost repeated. Thanks to their "magical" group, several teams have almost equal scores, which gave Belgium's 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss a chance to advance. In terms of goal difference, they also have 1 (scored, 2 conceded, 1), which is completely difficult to match the attitude of the giants.
France are currently ranked No. 2 in the world with a combined value of €1.23 billion, while Belgium is ranked No. 3 with €585 million.
Historical head-to-head situation
France and Belgium have been almost evenly matched in the last 5 meetings. France has a slight advantage with 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, but the results of scoring 7 goals and conceding 6 goals still do not explain the advantage. In the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 UEFA Nations League, Deschamps' team maintained a winning streak, which is a mental advantage for them.
However, again, the scores between the two sides are very close and there is almost no difference (3-2 once, 1-0 once).
In terms of injuries, Mbappe has basically made a comeback, and the mask has been removed, which is very helpful for him, after all, it is difficult to play with a stuffy mask. Belgian veteran Witsel suffered a groin injury, and it is unknown whether he will play in this round of competition.
Highlights of the game
1 - Mbappe's self-certification
Obviously, Mbappe will be the first attraction of the French team, and he will also be the player that Deschamps relies on at all. After suffering an injury, France's attack was basically dumb, which shows Mbappe's value. Of course, this time he is a fully recovered version, without a mask constraint.
Kylian Mbappe is a huge challenge to Belgium's ageing defence, with his pace and individual movement that can tear down the opposition, so it will be a problem for Tedesco. Didier Deschamps will certainly use Mbappe's ability to create chances, just like they showed at the World Cup.
2 - Dembele wingman value
It is useless to rely on Mbappe alone, after all, football is an 11-a-side game, and team-mate cooperation is extremely important. For Didier Deschamps, if Dembele can maintain a tacit understanding with Mbappe, then they will inevitably have more advantages in firepower. Fortunately, Dembele played well this time, his personal posture was correct, and he created a lot of chances on the flanks. If he can take turns with Mbappe, it is estimated that it will be difficult for other teams to maintain an effective strategy against them.
3 - Lukaku's role
If Belgium want to win, the key will be for Romelu Lukaku, not Kevin De Bruyne. Because De Bruyne is likely to maintain his masterful performance and send a through ball, the question is whether the Belgian goalscorer can score. Romelu Lukaku has been criticised for having wasted too many chances, but to tell the truth, he still has the attributes of a number 9 and is the eye of Belgium's entire squad. If he can improve himself and take advantage of the opportunity to score goals, then Belgium's overall results will inevitably be a few notches higher than they are now.
Forecast:
Considering the team's performance and staffing, the French team has a big chance of winning. However, their firepower is indeed not on the line, and it is estimated that the possibility of extra time is very large, and France is favored to win 1-0, 2-1.