At 0:00 on July 2, Beijing time, the 1/8 finals of the European Cup will usher in the strong dialogue between France and Belgium. Will it be the Gallic Roosters who will shine in the first round of the knockout round and knock out the Red Devils Belgium, or will the Red Devils Belgium usher in a strong resistance to the Gallic Roosters? What about rewriting the declining trend of losing every major competition in recent years?
As the two teams in Pot 1 of this European Championship, France and Belgium have both performed poorly in the group stage of this European Championship. Especially on the offensive end, when both sides have the world's top scorers, they both coincidentally scored two goals in three group games. Such a list of achievements clearly does not match their status as a giant.
From the analysis of squad strength, the French team, which is currently ranked second in the world, has a slight advantage. The French squad with Mbappe, Giroud, Griezmann, Tchouameni, Dembele and other world-class stars is a luxury and luxury. The French team is worth a total of 1.23 billion euros, ranking second after England.
The French team seems to be the enviable world's top squad configuration, but there are certain shortcomings and hidden dangers. The biggest problem is the lack of organisation and creativity in midfield. Although the Gallic Roosters have the likes of Tchouameni, Camavinga and Emery in the midfield, they lack the leadership of Zinedine Zidane and Pogba who dominated the midfield. The ability to pass lethal balls in the opposition's dense close presses is difficult.
The current French team still relies on Mbappe's individual ability to attack the opponent's defence. If France want to go further in this European Championship and face stronger opponents in the knockout round, coach Didier Deschamps needs to make some tactical adjustments, so that this high-profile version of the French team can play team football, play a smooth and fluid combination in attack, and make the attack more layered and aggressive to tear apart the opponent's defence.
As the Red Devils Belgium gradually retire from the stage of history, the younger generation of players does not have the strength to succeed. This has also caused an embarrassing situation in Belgian football. The sharp decline in overall strength also contributed to their lackluster performance in the group stage.
Fortunately, the Belgian midfield still has a master of Kevin De Bruyne's position, but his team-mates are simply unable to share some of the pressure on him. This also caused De Bruyne to stand alone. Belgium's forward line still relies on the 31-year-old Romelu Lukaku. But Lukaku has a strong body, and his shooting skills are really not flattering, and there are often good opportunities in front of goal. Although the backline led by Ver Tongheng and Witsel is a little old, the experience of the veterans is still there, and the Belgian backline is still relatively solid.
The two sides have met in the past 5 times, and the French team has a slight advantage with 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss. However, the two sides have met four times in major international competitions (World Cup and European Championship), and France has won all of them. However, the attack of both sides in this European Championship is lackluster, and the defense does not concede many goals.
To sum up, the recommended score for this match: France beat Belgium 1-0 or 2-1.