France will be challenged by Belgium on Monday. The co-favorites must improve after a poor group stage. Slovenia, meanwhile, will be looking to upset the Portuguese.
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- In Monday's European Championship quarter-finals, France will face Belgium and Portugal will have to play Slovenia.
- France have scored two goals so far at this year's finals, one of which was an own goal from Austria and the other a penalty from Kylian Mbappé.
- Slovenia are still unbeaten at the tournament in Germany. Will this run continue against favorites Portugal?
L'Équipe is an institution in France, and when it raises a question, it is likely to be debated at all football fans' lunch tables. "Can we be optimistic about Les Bleus?", ask the experts on their discussion program "L'Équipe du soir".
It's about the French team's round of 16 match against Belgium on Monday (6 p.m.) in Düsseldorf. Raymond Domenech, who coached the national team for six years until 2010, will also be at the table. It's about the offense, which has struggled so far, producing just two goals in the group stage - one of which was an own goal by an Austrian and the other a converted penalty by Kylian Mbappé. It's about Antoine Griezmann, who always starts a tournament as a beacon of hope but has so far been ineffective in Germany and even slipped out of the starting line-up against Poland in the final group game. And it's about the Belgians, who may have as much offensive potential as the French, but their defense is "zero", nothing.
At this moment, it seems like an attempt to talk up a team that has so far fallen short of expectations by pointing to the supposed weaknesses of their opponents. After all, if the Red Devils' defense is so weak, an offense that can count on one of the best strikers in the world in Kylian Mbappé simply has to score a goal.
The reporter on site believes that we can be optimistic about this round of 16 clash with our neighbors. But you also have to be careful. That doesn't sound like anything more than optimism for a purpose.
Portugal again against an outsider
In Monday's second match, Portugal and Slovenia will face each other in Frankfurt this evening (9pm). The Central Europeans, who made it to the knockout phase for the first time at their second European Championship, can play freely in their encounter with the 2016 European champions. The Portuguese, meanwhile, must be keen not to let themselves be duped again by an outsider after slipping up in their last group game against Georgia (0:2).
SDA
