France make unwanted history as they advance to Euros quarter-finals | OneFootball

France have made history by advancing to the quarter-finals of a European Championships, without any of their players scoring a goal from open play.

Les Bleus certainly haven’t been prolific thus far. After edging past Austria thanks to a Max Wöber own goal in the opener, their struggles in front of goal continued against the Netherlands as they slumped to a 0-0 draw. Didier Deschamps’ side had to settle for a single point against Poland too, with Robert Lewandowski’s spot-kick cancelling out a penalty from the returning Kylian Mbappé.

After successive draws,  France returned to winning ways in the Round of 16, against Belgium. However, once again, Les Bleus were reliant on a slice of luck. Substitute Randal Kolo Muani worked half a yard inside the Belgium box, late in the second half and got away a scuffed effort towards goal.

The ball was destined to go wide, however, Jan Vertonghen’s deflection diverted it in, with Les Bleus progressing to the quarter-finals as a result. France have now become the first team in the history of the Euros to progress to the quarter-final stage of the competition without any of their players scoring from open play.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle