It was a stunning thriller at Dusseldorf Arena when two European powerhouses met during the Euro 2024 group of 16 match. Finally, France emerged victorious with the help of an own goal from a Randal Kolo Muani shot. The super sub, Kolo Muani, was the best France player on the ground today, exceeding the 90 minute long presence of star player Kilian Mbappe.

France is set to face the winner of the Portugal-Slovenia match in the quarterfinals.

Kolo Muani capitalised on a pass from N’Golo Kante, firing a shot that deflected off Anderlecht defender Jan Vertonghen and past goalkeeper Koen Casteels. Earlier, France controlled most of the match, with Tchouameni and Marcus Thuram generating opportunities before and after halftime, and Kylian Mbappe proving to be a constant threat with his speed and skill on the left flank. Belgium had a chance to clinch the game late, with Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne forcing excellent saves by Mike Mannan.

It was a meeting between the second (France) and third (Belgium) best teams in the world. Both teams limped into the knockout stage with unimpressive final group-stage draws, managing only two goals each from three games, leading to cautious attacking strategies.

Belgium attempted to slow the game down, often playing at a walking pace, with Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne positioned just in front of the back four. The best chance of the first half came for France after 34 minutes when Jules Kounde’s curling cross was headed wide by Marcus Thuram.

After that, Aurelien Tchouameni forced Koen Casteels into a save shortly after the break, while Kylian Mbappe miskicked a decent chance as France started to build momentum. A rare Belgian attack was thwarted by Theo Hernandez’s brilliant tackle on Yannick Carrasco. Shots from Lukaku and De Bruyne brought good saves from Mike Maignan. France’s poor finishing continued until Kolo Muani struck late to secure the win.