Kolo Muani's last-minute stunner saves France from Euro elimination

Facing Belgium in the round of 16 of Euro 2024, the French team clinched victory in the final minutes thanks to Randal Kolo Muani (1-0).

After a mixed group stage performance, securing second place, the French team faced Belgium, also struggling since the start of the tournament, at the Düsseldorf Arena on Tuesday night. For this knockout match, Didier Deschamps opted for a 4-3-3 formation without any Parisian players, replacing Ousmane Dembele with Antoine Griezmann on the right wing.

In a lackluster first half, the French team created no significant chances. The only real threat came from an off-target header by Marcus Thuram (34'). On the other side, the Belgians had one opportunity with a free kick saved by Mike Maignan’s foot (24'). The vice champions of the 2022 World Cup managed to hit the target just once out of nine attempts, while the Red Devils had only one shot in the entire first half.

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Kolo Muani's last-minute stunner saves France from Euro elimination

The second half saw a different French team. Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels saved a long-range shot from Aurelien Tchouameni (49'), and Kylian Mbappe missed the target after a quick burst (53'). A few minutes later, the former Parisian misfired from a good cross by Jules Kounde.

At the hour mark, Theo Hernandez made an excellent defensive play against Yannick Carrasco. Substitute Randal Kolo Muani replaced Marcus Thuram. Gradually, Belgium found their rhythm, and Mike Maignan parried a powerful shot from Romelu Lukaku (70').

In the 82nd minute, the PSG-trained goalkeeper saved an attempt from Kevin De Bruyne. Under Belgian pressure, the breakthrough for France came from a Rouge & Bleu player. Assisted by N'Golo Kante, Randal Kolo Muani scored with a deflected shot off Jan Vertonghen (1-0, 85'). The goal was ultimately credited to the Belgian defender by UEFA. Thanks to substitute Randal Kolo Muani, France won the close match against Belgium (1-0) and will face Slovenia or Portugal in the Euro quarter-finals.