IN GERMANY: A deflected 85th minute strike by French striker Randal Kolo Muani which was later credited as an own goal by Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen was enough for the French to book their quarter final spot at the Euros.
France is yet to score a goal from open play but did enough to see off a plucky Belgium team who threatened sparingly on the break.
Despite France struggling to find any real fluency in attack, the French supporters have maintained a confidence and belief that this team is still good enough to go all the way.
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Attending the Reichstag fan zone in Berlin, I witnessed French fans gathering in good numbers despite the inclement weather as they nervously sat through a gritty French performance which has become symbolic of Didier Deschamps’ team.
In truth the game failed to deliver many highlights despite the talent on both sides as Belgium sat deep to contain the French attack.
Despite this, supporters from both sides maintained good voice throughout the contest with the late winner for France receiving an outpouring of emotion from the French supporters who had endured a dour showing up to that point.
France’s attacking struggles have been well documented with Deschamps team severely lacking creativity throughout the midfield in their performances.
In contrast to the heavy criticism though that England have been receiving for their uninspiring displays, the French fans have continued to back their manager and players with the sentiment after defeating Belgium that they are still the team to beat.
This confidence is born out of a knowledge that Deschamps is a proven winner as he seeks to become the first man to win both the World Cup and European Championships as a player and manager.
Reflecting post-match Deschamps unsurprisingly preferred to focus on the positives of his team’s display.
“We’ve always got the capacity to score more. It’s been like this for us since the start of the Euros, but it doesn’t mean we can’t score. We don’t want this to be a psychological barrier,” said Deschamps.
France though will be aware that their performance must lift and improve if they are to defeat a dangerous Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portuguese team in the quarter finals.
The French certainly carry an aura when it comes to their talent laden squad but whether this will be enough to carry them to a first European title since their famous 2000 win only time will tell.
One thing is for sure though, the French supporters believe that this could be their year and are already dreaming of lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy in Berlin come mid-July.