In the early hours of July 2, with the final whistle, the French team defeated Belgium dramatically with a score of 1-0 in the 1/8 finals of the European Championship, and the climax of this key battle came in the 85th minute, when substitute Muani scored a goal that caused the opposing defender Vertonghen to inadvertently set himself up to seal the victory for the French team and eliminate Belgium.
Defence is king: Didier Deschamps' cautious layout
Against arch-rivals Belgium, France coach Didier Deschamps showed his tactical wisdom and opted for a relatively conservative strategy. The pairing of N'Golo Kante and Tchouameni in the starting line-up underlined Didier Deschamps' determination to ensure the quality of midfield, even if it meant sacrificing a certain amount of attacking power up front. At the same time, Antoine Griezmann's position dropped back to the right of midfield, and the former striker took on more of the defensive responsibility in the field, which significantly curtailed his attacking firepower.
Dull first half: Attacking the Gallic Roosters with a dumb fire
In the first half, France's attack was particularly lackluster, with their expected goals for the entire first half being just 0.38, according to post-match statistics, a statistic that intuitively reflected France's lack of creating effective scoring opportunities. Despite having world-class attackers such as Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann, France struggled to find a break in front of Belgium's solid defence and the game fell into a stalemate.
Second Half Storm: Redemption of the Substitute Wonder
Yibian fought again, both sides strengthened their offensives, and the situation on the field gradually heated up. France made a crucial change in the 62nd minute, with Muani coming on for Thuram, a change that was the turning point of the game. It was Muani's aggressive running and shooting attempts in the 85th minute that allowed France to find the door to victory in an almost desperate moment, where a fatal crack appeared in the Belgian defence.
France's worries: The goalscoring puzzle remains to be solved
Despite their successful progress, France have scored just three goals in four games, including two own goals and one penalty, and have yet to make a breakthrough in the open game. This statistic undoubtedly exposes the problems of the French team in the attacking end, and they desperately need to find a way to break down the opposition's dense defense and add firepower to the subsequent knockout stage journey.
The Belgian Dream is Broken: The Regret of the Golden Generation
For Belgium, the defeat meant they failed to reach the post-round of 16 stage for the first time in an international tournament since 2002, ending a run of four consecutive tournaments to reach at least the quarter-finals. In particular, a great opportunity missed by De Bruyne two minutes before conceding the goal was bravely defused by French goalkeeper Maignan and became an indelible pain in the hearts of Belgian fans.
Epilogue: Lady Luck's Preference and Harsh Reality
France continued to defend their title with a hint of luck at the end of the game, however, their defensive solidity contrasted with their lackluster attack, and the future was full of unknowns. The farewell of the Belgian golden generation makes people sigh at the cruelty and regret of competitive sports. The European Championship is always so dramatic and unpredictable that every moment can become a classic in history.