Game 41: France vs Belgium live from the Düsseldorf Arena. ITV1 5pm

[TalkSport]

Feels this game has pens all over it unless someone spanks one in from distance. Neither side will fully commit players.

[Bliss Seeker]

Belgium turned into England there with those passes between the defence

 

[Reggiana]

In a match with not much happening, this ref is managing to still stand out as useless.

[aiston]

Ref?

Surely a foul, literally just targeted the man ignoring the ball.

[Barry Cartman]

Belgium would be much better going forward if Doku had other players with any sort of pace to play with

Watching Lukaku and KDB running in mud around him is painful 

[EnterUsernameHere]

Deschamps is such an annoyingly boring man.

[noikeee]

3 minutes ago, Barry Cartman said:

Belgium would be much better going forward if Doku had other players with any sort of pace to play with

Watching Lukaku and KDB running in mud around him is painful 

He had one in the first half. Openda who is dazzlingly quick

But they weren't connecting often because having Openda meant one fewer midfielder and Doku had to stay deeper. It didn't quite work.

[Darius1998]

Finally.

[GunmaN1905]

[TalkSport]

Deflection  **** off France. 

[EnterUsernameHere]

That's the winner. Belgium aren't scoring.

[CFuller]

Kolo Muani breaks through for Les Bleus!

[Barry Cartman]

OG surely 

[Darius1998]

Surely another OG?

[Harryseaess]

How crap is this commentator? Just such long silences over and over again. Really weird.

[Barry Cartman]

Deschamps the only manager in the world luckier than Southgate 

[The_jagster]

What a crap goal to presumably decide this

[Rob1981]

What are we saying about the celebration?

[Orzelek]

Kolo Myuani saves us from extra time  

[The_jagster]

Just now, Harryseaess said:

How crap is this commentator? Just such long silences over and over again. Really weird.

I do agree with this, but I think she's fine normally

[HOORAY HENRIK]

Vertonghen pointing at the player he should have been tight to, Muani.

[Darren Moores Mum]

Just now, Rob1981 said:

What are we saying about the celebration?

Can't be celebrating those. Took a massive deflection. Embarrassing.

[Barry Cartman]

Goal comes from Lukaku being unable to hold up a simple ball 

[Freakiie]

I'd say that's another one for own goal.

And Tedesco must be really loving that Mangala for Openda sub right about now.

[Darius1998]

De Ketelaere on for 3 mins.

[The_jagster]

I'm sure Carrasco has been good at some point in his career, just not when I've watched him

[GunmaN1905]

3 minutes ago, Barry Cartman said:

Deschamps the only manager in the world luckier than Southgate 

Dalić is the most lucky person in the universe, not just among football managers.

[DJ]

Was that handsball by the ref a natural way to hold his hand? Where is the VAR?

[Orzelek]

2 minutes ago, The_jagster said:

I'm sure Carrasco has been good at some point in his career, just not when I've watched him

 

Going to China didn't exactly help his career.

[XuluBak]

2 minutes ago, The_jagster said:

I'm sure Carrasco has been good at some point in his career, just not when I've watched him

I’m sure he was selected to help defensively on that side, but think he should’ve been sacrificed instead of Openda.

[Harryseaess]

3 minutes ago, The_jagster said:

I do agree with this, but I think she's fine normally

It’s like she’s distracted doing something else at the same time. I’m pretty sure she said nothing leading up to the goal for a good 10 seconds until she just shouted “GOAL” when it went in.

[Barry Cartman]

Great ball from Doku, no one there again 

[Orzelek]

1 minute ago, GunmaN1905 said:

Dalić is the most lucky person in the universe, not just among football managers.

 

His luck run out this tournament though.

[XuluBak]

Someone has to be there for the tap in.

[CFuller]

Terrible news for Lukaku's useful and loving fans. 

The plastic generation blow it again. 

[The_jagster]

I can live with not seeing this Belgium side again

[GunmaN1905]

Just now, Orzelek said:

 

His luck run out this tournament though.

Conceding from counter-attacks in stoppage time, in two consecutive games isn't bad luck.

 

France-Portugal should go straight to penalties, tbh.

[Astafjevs]

France were deserved winners really.

[enigmatic]

The caption saying Mangala misses the next match as the final whistle blew felt unnecessary 

[TalkSport]

Hopefully Portugal knock France out. Dull side and can’t be having them 1-0 their way to a tournament win and it lauded as a benchmark. 

[titchuk]

I missed about 20 mins of the second half but it wasn't a very good game was it.

[titchuk]

Just now, TalkSport said:

Hopefully Portugal knock France out. Dull side and can’t be having them 1-0 their way to a tournament win and it lauded as a benchmark. 

Not scored a goal from open play yet.

[Constantine]

Deschamps' France is how Southgate thinks his England is; always in control and can score from nothing.

[Pedwar Pump]

Just now, Constantine said:

Deschamps' France is how Southgate thinks his England is; always in control and can score from nothing.

As long as that nothing is an own goal or penalty 

[Reggiana]

4 minutes ago, Astafjevs said:

France were deserved winners really.

Definitely the better team, not sure I can get onboard with that match having a deserved winner though!

[CFuller]

2 minutes ago, The_jagster said:

I can live with not seeing this Belgium side again

I can live with not seeing them at a major tournament for another decade.

Let's go back to when they had such great players as Van Buyten, Buffel and Carl Hoefkens and never qualified for anything. 

[Heartwork]

Tbf watching the election results this morning won't have done much to motivate the French team

[Gary_Parker]

That was a very tough watch. Doku and Griezmann spent a lot of it trying to see who could come up with a worse final ball between them. France have managed to ********* their way to the QF's without scoring a goal from open play. Madness. 

[craigcwwe]

France somehow into the QFs despite scoring a penalty and getting two OGs. 

[XuluBak]

Finishing aside, I thought France played quite well after a slow start. Considering their path to the final, they almost certainly need to sort out their finishing though.