Euro 2024: at what time and on which channel to watch the round of 16 between France and Belgium ?

Théo Hernandez et les Bleus doivent passer l'obstacle belge. EPA – FRIEDEMANN VOGEL

Après un premier tour très poussif, l'équipe de France doit impérativement hausser son niveau pour se défaire de la Belgique en 8e de finale de l'Euro-2024 et éviter une énorme désillusion, lundi (18 h) à Düsseldorf.

A climate of doubt has settled around the favorite of the competition, incapable until now of being worthy of this status. Coming out second in Group D with a small victory against Austria (1-0) and two not very exciting draws against the Netherlands (0-0) and Poland (1-1), the vice-champions of the world have not really impressed and are advancing towards the knockout matches without any real benchmarks.

The start of the tough matches will perhaps allow Didier Deschamps' men to shine, as in 2018 when, after a worrying start to the tournament, they managed to win a second world title in Russia. The Belgians still remember it, they who broke their teeth against the iron French defense in the semi-final (1-0) despite an avalanche of opportunities.< /p>

A new seum

A setback that they never really digested. "Let's forever remove the word "seum" from our vocabulary, wrote the Belgian daily La Derniere Heure this week. But before considering a hypothetical continental coronation, on July 14 in Berlin, the Blues must first find the spark that they have lacked so much for the moment in Germany .

The coach hopes that it can come from the feet of his star Kylian Mbappé, who certainly opened his score with a penalty against the Poles but has not yet cleared up all the questions concerning him. The captain has not given the full measure of his immense talent and his physical state is still a source of uncertainty after a chaotic season at PSG and its various glitches since the start of preparation for # 39;Euro (back, knee, broken nose). But without a great Mbappé, there cannot be a great French team and Deschamps is counting on his No.10 to revitalize a sluggish attack (2 goals, one against his camp and one from the penalty spot).

 "We're not afraid" 

Antoine Griezmann is also eagerly awaited, he who was downgraded by being ejected from the starting lineup during the last match after two performances unworthy of his rank. The main cog in the French game under the Deschamps era, major architect of the success in the World Cup in 2018, will undoubtedly return to challenge the Red Devils and will have to bring creativity to an offensive sector which is sorely lacking in it .

Belgium, which no longer has anything to do with the magnificent team of 2018, does not have the same defensive solidity as France and has reason to fear the awakening of the Mbappé-Griezmann duo. Under fire from their supporters after three lackluster outings (1 victory, 1 draw, 1 defeat), Kevin De Bruyne's teammates are not tackling this 76th "derby" between neighbors in the best possible arrangements.

"We can compete with any team. It is for these types of matches that we qualified for this competition. We are ready and we are going there to win, however launched the Italian coach of Belgium Domenico Tedesco. The blue wall, embodied by the central hinge Dayot Upamecano-William Saliba, will have to particularly keep an eye on the colossus Romelu Lukaku while Jules Koundé will have to subdue the dribbles of Jérémy Doku.

Not counting the science of De Bruyne in the middle. "We'll be there, too. We're not going to look down on them, they're a very good team with very great players. But we are not afraid", explained Saliba. For Didier Deschamps, there is no doubt: "In terms of motivation, we will have to be at our maximum"< /em>, he warned.