EURO 2024: Highlights from France's draw with the Netherlands
Without Kylian Mbappé in the lineup, the French national team narrowly avoided a bitter defeat if not for the assistance of VAR technology.
A disappointing draw.
The match was expected to be exciting, with both teams creating numerous scoring opportunities in the first 20 minutes. Most notably, Antoine Griezmann missed a chance in the 14th minute when he failed to convert a close-range shot after a perfect pass from Rabiot.
Antoine Griezmann was also the one who missed France's best chance in the second half, failing to beat goalkeeper Verbruggen from close range.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands team has reason to regret the situation after the referees disallowed Xavi Simons' goal because Denzel Dumfries was in an offside position.
With this goalless draw, both the French and Dutch teams now have 4 points and a good chance of advancing to the Round of 16. However, both teams will have to work very hard in the final match to secure first place in Group D, thereby having a more favorable schedule in the next round.
It's still N'Golo Kanté
For the second consecutive match, N'Golo Kanté was voted Man of the Match. This proves the correctness of coach Didier Deschamps' decision to include the 33-year-old in this year's Euro squad.
N'Golo Kanté's relentless work helped the French team gain the upper hand against the Netherlands. Four interceptions, four successful duels, and three chances created are impressive statistics for the midfielder currently playing for Al Ittihad.
It's safe to say that, at 33 years old, N'Golo Kanté will still be a reliable pillar of support for his teammates in this year's tournament.
20-year record broken.
Matches between the French and Dutch national teams are always exciting and high-scoring. In the last 10 matches between the two teams, a total of 29 goals have been scored.
However, in the recent match, both teams were unable to find the net. And this is the first time in 20 years that a clash between the French and Dutch national teams has ended in a goalless draw.
This was somewhat disappointing for the spectators watching the match, especially Vietnamese fans who had to get up at 2 AM.
