Euro 2024: France make winning start against Austria; VAR strikes twice as Slovakia stun Belgium
France started their Euro 2024 campaign with a hard-fought win against Austria in Dusseldorf as Belgium suffered an opening day defeat to Slovakia after being wasteful in front of goal.
Kylian Mbappe played a crucial role, although his night was eventful and ended with a nose injury after a clash with Austria’s Kevin Danso.
Mbappe, who created the own goal with a cross that deflected off Max Wober’s head just before halftime, also had a dramatic moment when he returned to the field after being injured and was subsequently shown a yellow card.
Despite missing a clear chance in the second half after an impressive run past Wober, Mbappe’s pace and skill troubled Austria throughout the game.
France’s veteran midfielder N’Golo Kante, making a comeback after two years away from international duty, delivered an outstanding performance.
Overall, France weren’t at their best but managed to secure a vital victory against a well-organized Austrian side.
The win sets them up nicely for their upcoming Group D clash with traditional rivals the Netherlands on Friday.
Slovakia defeated Group E favourites Belgium in a thrilling match in Frankfurt.
The game was filled with drama, especially in the final minutes when Romelu Lukaku thought he had equalised, only for the video assistant referee (VAR) to disallow the goal due to handball.
This was Lukaku’s second goal that was ruled out by VAR, after earlier scoring from a header by Amadou Onana.
Ivan Schranz put Slovakia ahead when he capitalized on a mistake by Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku, stunning Belgium, who are ranked third in the world, while Slovakia sits at 48th.
Despite creating numerous chances, with many falling to Lukaku, Belgium couldn’t find an equaliser. Substitute Johan Bakayoko was denied by a fantastic goal-line clearance from Slovakia’s David Hancko.
Belgium will need to bounce back when they face Romania next. Romania recorded a surprising 3-0 win over Ukraine in the other match on Monday afternoon.
Belgium will travel to Cologne on Saturday in search of a victory, while Slovakia will face Ukraine.
