- The French also win the second group game of the European Championship and have already secured their place in the quarter-finals.
- They start as furiously against Belgium as they did against Italy, but then break down and make it 2-1 over time.
- In the other Group D game, Italy and Iceland draw 1-1.
Shortly before the end, the French could have secured a clearer victory. After a hard hand penalty, Wendie Renard took the penalty. But the 31-year-old defender was first denied by Belgian goalkeeper Nicky Evrard and then miserably in the margin.
In the end it was still 2-1 and France secured three points in the second group game of the European Championship. The second half will give the team something to think about. “Les Bleues” decreased enormously compared to the first half and hardly had any chances to score.
Another strong start
The co-favorites started this game the way they had stopped in the first game against Italy in a 5-1 win: dominant, superior, impressive. The Belgians didn’t have a sting in the starting minutes and couldn’t keep up with the pace.
Consequently, Kadidiatou Diani headed the 1-0 for the French women after a quick advance in the 6th minute. The question of offside arose, but the referee decided on the same level after a VAR consultation.
Same height again
With around 70 percent ball possession and almost ten shots, the French should actually have extended their lead as a result. But in contrast to the Italy game with five goals in the first half, that didn’t work – instead the bell rang on the other side.
Out of nowhere and with Belgium’s first shot on goal, Janice Cayman made it 1-1. Again the question of offside was in the room, but again the officials and the VAR said: equal height.
Despite the equaliser, the Belgians didn’t regain their strength, and in the 41st minute French central defender Griedge Mbock Bathy adjusted the score to some extent with a powerful header to make it 2-1.
Here’s how to proceed
After the two wins, the French are already firmly in the knockout phase. But if they want to survive there, a strong half-time like on Thursday evening will probably not be enough. On the second place in the quarter-finals in group D are Belgium, Italy and Iceland, who had split 1-1 earlier on Thursday evening still had a chance.
At the end of the group stage, France meet the Icelandic women again in Rotherham on Monday, while Belgium also meet Italy in Manchester.