In the confrontation between Belgium vs France, despite the surrounding controversies, the French national team managed to win against Belgium. This win shows that the French national team can achieve success even without Mbappe. However, a closer analysis of the team’s performance shows that they faced significant problems in the first half, making individual mistakes that gave the opposition numerous scoring opportunities. This shows that the presence of Mbappé can be a decisive factor in big matches.
“Belgium vs France “Match Analysis
The encounter between the national teams of Belgium and France in the fourth week of the UEFA Nations League was one of the most exciting games of the tournament. The match, which ended with a 2-1 victory for France, featured thrilling events, including missed penalties, beautiful goals, and a player’s red card. In this article, we will conduct a thorough analysis of the match and examine the factors contributing to France’s victory and Belgium’s weaknesses.
First Half: A Stormy Start and a Balanced End
The game began with intense pressure from Belgium, creating several good scoring opportunities for the team. The brilliance of Mike Maignan, France’s goalkeeper, and the inaccuracy of Belgian attackers prevented the hosts from scoring. Later, a penalty foul on Ikoma Openda and the subsequent missed penalty by Youri Tielemans robbed Belgium of a significant opportunity.
Following this incident, France gained better morale and scored with a controversial penalty. However, Belgium equalized with a beautiful header just before the end of the first half.
- Belgium’s Initial Dominance: Belgium’s high pressure forced France to play deep in their half. Utilizing width and penetrating from the flanks resulted in multiple scoring opportunities for Belgium.
- Mike Maignan’s Brilliance: France’s goalkeeper made several stunning saves, preventing his team from conceding. His stops on headers and long-range shots injected confidence into his defensive line
- .Inaccuracy in Final Strikes: One of Belgium’s weaknesses in this half was their inability to convert scoring chances effectively
- .Penalty and France’s Scoring: The penalty foul on Ikoma Openda and Randall Kolo Muani’s successful penalty disrupted the balance of the match, boosting France’s confidence
- .Belgium’s Quick Response: Immediately after conceding, Belgium responded with a beautiful header, indicating that they were not giving up and continued to strive for victory.
Detailed Minute-by-Minute Analysis of the First Half
Minutes 1-10: Belgium pressed high into France’s half, attempting to penetrate the opponent’s defense from the wings. Several dangerous crosses from Belgian players were well defended by France.
Minutes 11-20: The game slowed down as both teams sought ways to break through each other’s defenses. There were several short passes in midfield, but neither team created serious scoring opportunities.
Minute 23: A turning point in the match! A penalty foul on Ikoma Openda by William Saliba and the subsequent miss by Youri Tielemans could have changed the game’s course, but Tielemans’ inaccuracy allowed France to breathe a sigh of relief.
Minutes 24-30: Following this incident, France gained better morale and began their attacks. Several dangerous attacks from the right flank were launched, but Belgium’s defense held strong.
Minute 35: A penalty for France! A handball by a Belgian defender led the referee to award a penalty. Randall Kolo Muani calmly converted the penalty, giving France their first goal.
Minutes 36-45: After conceding, Belgium sought to quickly equalize. Several dangerous attacks were launched towards France’s goal, but their defense remained solid. In the closing minutes of the first half, Belgium scored a beautiful header to level the match at 1-1.
Second half: gradual advantage of France
In the second half, France became more dominant in the game by making several tactical changes. Using the speed and technique of the wing players and accurate passes from the flanks created numerous scoring opportunities for this team. France’s second goal was the result of these targeted attacks. After conceding the second goal, Belgium tried hard to make up for the result, but France’s strong defense and the dismissal of Schwameny prevented it from doing so.
- Gradual Control by France: France utilized quick counterattacks and leveraged their players’ speed to create dangerous opportunities against Belgium. They also slowed the game by retaining possession in midfield, reducing Belgium’s pressure
- Strong Defense by France: The French defense, playing cohesively, prevented Belgian attackers from penetrating. They cut off aerial and ground balls, denying access to the depth of their defense.
- Belgium’s Heavy Pressure and Its Futility: Belgium attempted to break France’s defense through increased passing and wing plays. However, France’s solid defense and inaccuracies in the final strikes thwarted their efforts.
- Impact of Chouameni’s Red Card: Chouameni’s dismissal forced France to change their tactical approach and focus more on defense, putting additional pressure on the remaining players.
- Player Fatigue: In the final minutes of the half, a decrease in speed and passing accuracy indicated player fatigue, affecting their decision-making and performance.
- Tactical Changes by Coaches: Substitutions made by both coaches aimed to strengthen weaknesses and exploit the strengths of their teams. Some substitutions achieved the desired results, while others had minimal impact.
- Referee Performance: The referee’s decisions, especially regarding Chouameni’s red card, significantly affected the match’s flow and final result. Players’ protests highlighted the importance of this decision in the match.
Detailed Minute-by-Minute Analysis of the Second Half
Minutes 46-60:
- France’s Effort to Maintain Lead: France, utilizing the speed and technique of their wide players, sought to penetrate Belgium’s defense. Several dangerous attacks came from the flanks.
- Belgium’s Attacks to Equalize: Belgium, through short passes and central penetration, aimed to create scoring opportunities. However, France’s solid defense prevented this.
- Disallowed Goal for France: In the 60th minute, Manu Koné scored with a beautiful header, but after VAR review, the goal was disallowed. This decision affected the morale of Belgium’s players.
Minute 62: France’s Second Goal: Lucas Digne delivered an accurate cross from the left, reaching Randall Kolo Muani, who scored France’s second goal with a precise header. This goal solidified France’s lead.
Minutes 63-75:Increased Pressure from Belgium: Following their second goal, Belgium intensified their pressure on France’s goal. Several substitutions by the Belgian coach aimed to rejuvenate the team’s composition.
Strong Defense from France: France maintained a multi-layered defense to protect their lead, seeking to extend the margin through counterattacks.
Minute 76: Chouameni’s Red Card: Aurélien Chouameni was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, making things more challenging for France.
Minutes 77-90: Ineffective Attacks by Belgium: Belgium continued to attack with one less player but failed to penetrate France’s defense.
Heroic Defense from France: France defended resolutely, protecting their goal while pursuing scoring opportunities through counterattacks.
Player Fatigue: In the final minutes of the match, both teams appeared fatigued, and the game concluded with a score of 2-1.
Deschamps: Mbappé Must Answer for His Behavior!
The controversies surrounding Kylian Mbappé, the young star of French football, have recently become a hot topic in the football world. His absence from several national team camps and his leisure trips during important matches have raised many questions about his commitment to the national team. This article will analyze the articles presented and examine the statements of Didier Deschamps, the head coach of the French national team, regarding these controversies and their impact on the national team.
Didier Deschamps’ Statements
Didier Deschamps has taken a cautious approach in response to the Mbappé controversies. While emphasizing Mbappé’s importance to the team, he has placed the responsibility for addressing these issues on Mbappé himself. Deschamps has also clearly stated that fueling rumors regarding this matter is not in the national team’s best interest.
Reason for Mbappé’s Absence
Although the reason for Mbappé’s absence from the national team camp was cited as the need for rest, his two-day presence in Stockholm, Sweden, and attendance at a nightclub while France faced their opponent in the Nations League reignited the controversies against him.
It’s worth noting that Mbappé posted a photo of himself working out yesterday, suggesting he was in Madrid, ending his controversial two-day trip in Sweden.
