France – Belgium: France Forge Forward After A Lackluster Encounter (1-0)

This was indeed your typical knockout game, where both teams played with caution, and ultimately, one moment of decisiveness or misfortune, depending on one’s support, decided the game. France once again defeated Belgium, though not in the most spectacular fashion. However, considering Belgium’s comparatively timid approach, Didier Deschamps’ men, with their quality, deserved to advance to the last eight.

Tactical analysis and match report by Rahul Madhavan.

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Two teams that have shared the grandest stage on a few occasions faced each other early in the tournament. However, this matchup seemed fitting, as both teams had failed to meet expectations so far.

As tournament favorites, France progressed with relative ease, but Didier Deschamps would have been frustrated. They had a chance to finish top and move to the much easier side of the draw. All they needed was three points against Poland, but a stalemate, which required a Kylian Mbappé penalty to rescue them, highlighted their shortcomings. Unlike the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, which were more evenly matched on paper, France entered this clash as clear favorites to progress and face either Portugal or Slovenia.

Deschamps made a couple of changes to the forward line, keeping the defense and midfield the same as in their previous games against the Netherlands and Poland. Antoine Griezmann and Marcus Thuram replaced Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola, with Deschamps reverting to a familiar system he has used in recent times.

For Belgium, progressing from the group stage was indeed a challenging task. They narrowly avoided elimination by holding on to a draw against Ukraine and finished second in their group, with all four teams ending up with four points. Luck has not always been on their side, but apart from their win over Romania, they have largely been underwhelming. 

Tedesco decided to abandon his regular 4-2-3-1 formation in favor of a more open 4-4-2 shape. Koen Casteels continued in goal, while the back four remained the same as in their game against Ukraine. Yannick Carrasco replaced Leandro Trossard, and Tedesco added another forward, Loïs Openda, in place of Youri Tielemans. Openda partnered the out-of-form Lukaku up front, with Kevin De Bruyne playing behind the two forwards.

Focus on caution

Both teams boast exciting attacking options, but just when you would expect them to take center stage, the coaches opted for a more cautious approach, focusing on being risk averse and protecting their goal. But this approach made a lot of sense for Belgium, given their defensive struggles and the lack of pace in their back four.

Belgium started with a rigid and familiar 4-4-2 shape, thoroughly drilled in their defensive duties. Carrasco tracked back to double up on Mbappé on Belgium’s right side, while Doku played slightly higher up on the opposite flank in the initial stages. Belgium maintained a deeper defensive line, with Onana and De Bruyne staying narrow in the pivot to block central spaces. Under their new head coach, their compactness and ability to defend in a medium block have been very noticeable, and this game was another example of that in action.

Tedesco’s surprising decision was to use De Bruyne in the pivot alongside Onana. His initial reasoning may have been to utilize the Manchester City man in a deeper role to facilitate a direct approach with two forwards up front. However, this didn’t make much sense, both in and out of possession.

When in possession, Belgium often played vertical passes to Lukaku and Openda. France’s center-backs, strong in duels, usually won the first ball, and with De Bruyne (and Onana) positioned deeper, they couldn’t indulge in transition scenarios. France comfortably won the second balls, as there was no one behind the front two to capitalize. While De Bruyne was solid in the pivot without the ball, this positioning neutralized his strengths. Ultimately, he was unable to showcase his skill set in advanced areas and was largely confined to his own box, which effectively took him out of the game.

Well, Jan Vertonghen receiving the most progressive passes and the disconnect between the midfield and the forward line really encapsulates Belgium’s struggles.

France, meanwhile, were content to sit back and invite Belgium forward, but their shape out of possession constantly varied depending on the ball’s location. Initially, it resembled a 4-1-3-2 or sometimes shifted to a 4-1-2-3. The key aspect was that France allowed Belgium’s center-backs time and space on the ball while man-marking both De Bruyne and Onana. Thuram often dropped deeper to mark Onana, while one of the central midfielders (Rabiot or Kanté) would step up to closely mark De Bruyne. Tchouaméni acted as a screen in front of the center-backs, giving France an extra defender at the back.

Belgium’s only success came from quick transitional movements when Lukaku or Openda won their duels and brought others into play, or when Onana and De Bruyne were able to turn and pick out Doku, who was usually isolated against Koundé. However, these situations were rare, and even when Belgium managed to get into dangerous positions, they lacked the clinical edge to capitalize, largely because Tedesco played his best attacker in a deeper position.

France’s approach in possession

If you found Belgium’s approach overly passive, France, despite commanding the lion’s share of possession, were similarly hesitant to hurt their opponents. Initially, they adopted a system akin to Belgium’s 3-2-5, with Tchouaméni dropping to the left of Saliba to form a back three. As Belgium defended deep, France’s full-backs advanced to stretch the pitch. Rabiot and Kanté, starting in front of the back three, had the freedom to push higher, while Griezmann tucked inside to allow Koundé to overlap on the right.

However, France lacked the decisiveness to penetrate between the lines. They often resorted to a U-shaped passing structure, making it easier for Belgium to shift laterally and cover the near side effectively. In the first quarter, they displayed minimal movement, allowing Belgium to remain comfortable and largely unchallenged during settled possession phases.

France, however, did find success through Tchouaméni’s diagonal passes to the overlapping Koundé, as they capitalized on Doku’s reluctance to track the full-back. The Real Madrid midfielder orchestrated the first half, completing the most passes (53) and five long balls, the highest among all the players. Koundé’s recurring pattern of stretching the pitch and delivering crosses into the penalty box was evident; but this also played into Belgium’s hands, as they preferred France to attack from wide areas and were comfortable defending crosses from the touchline.

France had their moments, but it felt as though they didn’t fully capitalize on Mbappé’s ability to take on and drag players. The left side, where both Hernández and Kanté made underlapping runs from deeper positions when Mbappé received the ball on the touchline, was particularly effective in progressing the ball. However, France often appeared either too slow to switch the play or content to move the ball sideways, rather than seeking the incisive pass between the lines to Griezmann or Rabiot.

Minute 18: France’s offensive sequence. Hernández and Kanté’s runs dragged two players with them (Castagne and Onana), allowing Mbappé to take on Carrasco and shift inside. As Belgium shifted laterally to cover the central areas, Rabiot became the free man and switched the ball to Koundé, who received it in acres of space to deliver into the box. However, such situations were limited due to France’s reluctance to push Belgium into uncomfortable positions.

The game was largely characterized by passiveness.  The question of ‘how much caution is too much caution’ naturally arose, but it seemed that both sides were content to maintain their shape and wait for the other to make a mistake.

Quality comes through

The start of the second half unfolded similarly to the first, prompting a need for changes. Tedesco was the first to act, bringing on Orel Mangala for Openda, thereby pushing De Bruyne further forward. De Bruyne was granted freedom to roam in midfield, often positioning himself on the left side, where he frequently dropped wider to receive the ball and link up with Doku.

Doku also proved pivotal for Belgium in advancing the ball into the final third, benefiting from his club teammate’s presence to receive the ball while facing the goal and taking on his marker. Belgium appeared to find cohesion in midfield, yet France’s center-backs, particularly Saliba, remained resolute against Lukaku and that, ultimately, was the difference between the two sides.

Minute 70: Belgium’s offensive sequence. De Bruyne and Mangala rotate, with the former shifting wider to collect the ball. As Doku pinned Koundé and Lukaku occupied Upamecano, Mangala exploited the vacated space to create a clear-cut chance. The move, however, was initiated by De Bruyne’s initial reception and supported by runners ahead, which Belgium largely lacked.

However, most of Belgium’s threats originated from the left side, making their approach somewhat predictable. As the game entered its final quarter, France began to intensify their efforts, and Deschamps’ substitution of Kolo Muani for Thuram provided them with a fresh boost, with Muani making an immediate impact.

The goal came about when Griezmann shifted centrally, allowing France to stretch Belgium horizontally and exploit Doku’s delayed movement to adjust with his teammates. This was an opportunity they could have certainly capitalized on in the first half but did not. Koundé once again found space and found Kanté, who then played Muani through, and the striker’s deflected effort found the back of the net to seal another narrow win against Belgium in the knockout stages.

Takeaways

The match was far from a spectacle. Both teams approached cautiously, avoiding risks, but France’s defense proved to be the game changer. Deschamps’ men are yet to score from open play, a notable stat underscoring their attacking struggles. Despite creating better chances, they struggled to penetrate Belgium’s defensive block, but their progression to the quarterfinals is the important factor here, having failed to do so previously.

In contrast, Belgium failed to impress once again. Tedesco made questionable decisions, such as playing De Bruyne in a deeper role, but their strong defensive organization restricted France effectively. Yet Belgium’s lack of bravery in possession proved their downfall, something that they have struggled with throughout the tournament.

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