With a late goal deflected past Belgium goalkeeper Koen Casteels, Randal Kolo Muani secured France’s spot in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Euro.

Kolo Muani started the match on the bench but later provided a critical boost to assist France advance to the 2022 World Cup final. But he demonstrated his superiority when he found room in the box and Jan Vertognhen’s touch allowed his scuffed effort to find the back of the net.

There was a sensation that any goal could win as the clock approached ninety minutes. Mike Maignan was stung by goals from Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, while the outstanding William Saliba came dangerously close to scoring his first senior goal in France, but Kolo Muani emerged victorious.

The winners’ next match is a quarterfinal against Slovenia or Portugal. The outcome would be a rematch of the Euro 2016 final, which saw Portugal defeat France on home soil, if Roberto Martinez’s squad wins.

The game had begun slowly, but it had the potential to pick up steam when Kevin De Bruyne’s free kick caused France goalkeeper Mike Maignan to make an unusual save. Then came France’s best opportunity, but Marcus Thuram was unable to get a header on goal.

After some neat running down the left by Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni fired over to give France a very certain lead at the half. It appeared as though an error could be necessary to end the tie, and that almost happened when William Saliba’s careless play presented Yannick Carrasco with a chance, but the Belgian was stopped by a forceful challenge from Theo Hernandez.

However, France prevailed because of their goal that came late. These are the talking points from Mirror Football from a close round of 16.

1. Mbappe poses a problem for Real Madrid

Since Mbappe has always maintained that he performs best when playing from the left, the absence of Ousmane Dembele guaranteed that the new Real Madrid player would be Les Bleus’ primary outlet from wide positions. There are worse ways to win a game than to rely on a single magical moment, and Tchouameni’s more calm finish may have been sufficient to give his team a halftime advantage.

He looked hesitant at first, maybe still recovering from the broken nose he had against Austria, but he eventually warmed up to the game. But it begged the question of how Madrid will maximize his and Vinicius Junior’s potential.

Two of the best attackers in the world, both more potent when operating from the left, for a team that may have needed a central attacking focal point. There will inevitably be a disappointed party.

2. Openda’s audition is a failure

Although Jeremy Doku has been a reliable player for Belgium on one flank, none of the alternatives to the Manchester City player have been able to match his performances. In response to France, Domenico Tedesco started Doku and Yannick Carrasco wide and started Leandro Trossard and Dodi Lukebakio from the bench. Lois Openda was brought on to assist Romelu Lukaku in attack.

During the group stage, Openda, a forward for RB Leipzig, looked impressive coming off the bench, especially after he eventually used a handball to build up a goal that Romelu Lukaku was not permitted to score. Despite Lukaku being stifled by the French defense in the first hour, he was flatter this time.

Later in the game, Belgium seemed to have more balance as Orel Mangala was substituted for Openda. Nevertheless, when Belgium’s defense was unable to contain their opponents, an early inability to find the net proved costly.

3. Rabiot’s suspension forces France to make a choice.

Adrien Rabiot received his second booking of the competition in the first half, so he knew he would miss France’s run to the quarterfinals. The 29-year-old has started every match this tournament, demonstrating Deschamps’ strong regard for him and giving the manager a decision to make in the quarterfinals.

France will need to come up with a different strategy now that they are in the quarterfinals. Will this force Deschamps to adopt a risk-taking strategy, or will a different, more cautious midfield player join the team?

It’s likely that Deschamps determines that leaving opponents with the fewest resources feasible is the best way to win. If so, the next time around might not be as simple on the surface, but this is frequently a results-driven business above all else.

4. Kounde demonstrating his value on the right

France has been charged with forcing central defenders into full-back positions over the years. Although Jules Kounde emphasized that such a move doesn’t have to come at the expense of a team’s attacking production, it has occasionally been perceived as somewhat of a safety-first strategy.

Although the Barcelona player started out as a central defender, in more recent times he has transformed into a formidable full-back. He gave Doku a worthy opponent, but he also contributed to one of France’s more threatening first-half moments when Thuram’s deep cross made its way to Thuram’s head.

5. The quarterfinals require a stronger showing.

Before the games began in Dusseldorf, neither France nor Belgium were on the short list of teams who had performed well in Euro 2024. Sadly, when the last whistle blew, neither had made a threat to put their name on the list.

But as England demonstrated on Sunday, one can still advance in this competition even if they don’t play at their best. But is it feasible to play poorly in the last portion of the game and yet go to the last four or beyond? We’ll find out in a few days how that turns out.

France have demonstrated resilience on defense, if nothing else, with Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba displaying their characteristic stinginess. However, something might need to change on the other end.