Euro 2024 in Germany moves on to the knockout phase this weekend after a group stage which saw all of the continent's biggest names advance to the last 16 even if some of the favorites have failed to convince. France and England were widely tipped as the leading contenders before the tournament, but both stumbled unconvincingly through the first round, each scoring only two goals in three matches despite boasting some of the best forwards in the world, AFP said. The most impressive team has been Spain, probably followed by the hosts Germany, even if their group stage performance was not flawless in similar fashion to a strong Portugal team.
Yet those three sides now all find themselves in the harder half of the draw alongside Belgium and France, after the stuttering 2022 World Cup runners-up proved incapable of winning their section. "We were in a very tough group. We beat Austria but they finished top," pointed out France coach Didier Deschamps, whose side were not helped by Kylian Mbappe breaking his nose and missing the goalless draw with the Netherlands.
"We have achieved our first objective. A new competition starts now." A veteran of five previous major tournaments in 12 years as France boss, he also pointed out that the impressions left in the group stage "are not always the same later on".
Had France finished first, they would have been on a collision course to play England in the semi-finals. Lop-sided draw Instead they meet Belgium in the last 16, with the winner of.
