Who will face France in the RO16 stage of the Euros? | OneFootball

France have been held to a draw against Poland at Dortmund this Tuesday for their final group-stage game at the Euros. For his return to the starting line-up, Les Bleus captain Kylian Mbappé (25) opened the scoring from the spot before Robert Lewandowski (35) restored parity with a second penalty attempt in the dying minutes of the game. In letting their lead slip, France have allowed Austria to leapfrog them and win Group D, leaving Les Bleus in second place.

The consequences could prove costly for Les Bleus. First of all, France have lost a day’s rest. Had they won against Poland, they would have played their RO16 game on Tuesday, July 2nd. They now have to settle for a 6pm CET slot the day before, on Monday, July 1st, at Düsseldorf. France will face the runners-up of Groupe E whose identity is not yet known. Indeed, the four teams in this Group are level on points. On Wednesday, Group 3 will be settled shortly before 8pm CET when Ukraine v Belgium and Slovakia v Romania will end.

The biggest consequence of France’s second-place finish lies in the half of the bracket Les Bleus have fallen into. Should they qualify for the quarter-final stage of the Euros, France will presumably face their Euro 2016 tormentors: Portugal, which have impressed so far. Tournament hosts Germany and free-scoring Spain are also on this side of the bracket.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval