Euro 2024 – Netherlands 0-0 France

Much of the talk before the Netherlands took on France centered around Kylian Mbappe, but Les Bleus’ star forward—and his mask—stayed on the bench as his team struggled to find their cutting edge in Leipzig. Antoine Griezmann was the biggest culprit, missing two close-range opportunities, while Xavi Simons had a second-half goal ruled out for Ronald Koeman’s side after a lengthy VAR check.

Report

In the end, both sides will likely feel relatively satisfied with the draw, as each team now sits a point above third-placed Austria ahead of next week’s final group games.

The match was a defensive tussle, with the defenders emerging as the stars of the show. Netherlands’ captain Virgil van Dijk particularly impressed, effectively neutralizing France’s potent attacking threats.

The Oranje nearly took the lead within a minute when Jeremie Frimpong displayed lightning-quick pace to burst clear and latch onto a through ball, only for France goalkeeper Mike Maignan to tip his effort around the post. It seemed certain that Les Bleus skipper Antoine Griezmann would open the scoring in the 15th minute after Adrien Rabiot laid the ball perfectly for him close to goal, but Griezmann couldn’t get it out of his feet and curled wide moments later.

Marcus Thuram then broke the Dutch offside trap to race onto a wonderful pass from Jules Koundé, but blasted over from a tight angle, leaving the first half to end level.

The second period saw little goalmouth action until space suddenly opened up for Thuram, but the 26-year-old dragged his shot wide. France increased the intensity and looked the more likely to score, with Rabiot’s late break down the left posing a particular threat. However, there was no way through the orange wall, and the game finished 0-0. Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps opted to keep Kylian Mbappé on the bench throughout the match.

Analysis

France has played two games in Euro 2024, and thanks to a highly-debatable offside call against the Netherlands, they’ve secured two clean sheets. Arsenal’s William Saliba has been a significant factor in this, exuding class in the center of France’s defense.

Saliba has proven to be an ideal foil for the physical Dayot Upamecano, making Didier Deschamps’ earlier comments about his weaknesses seem increasingly unfounded. Few defenders in European football can match Saliba’s current form. The underlying statistics highlight France’s control more accurately than Xavi Simons’ disallowed goal. Against Austria, they posted an expected-goals total of 2.13 compared to their opponents’ 0.76. Against the Netherlands, their expected-goals total was 1.42, while their opponents managed a mere 0.33.

On the offensive end, goals are likely to start flowing soon. Even without Kylian Mbappé, France created ample chances. Antoine Griezmann should have scored at least one, missing two close-range opportunities. One goal in two games does not fully reflect their attacking potential.

Defensively, Saliba and Upamecano have been formidable, supported by rock-solid full-backs. In midfield, N’Golo Kanté remains as impressive as ever. While the forward players have yet to fire on all cylinders, France’s attacking options are abundant. Expect Mbappé to shine when the stakes are higher.

Despite having four points from two games—the same as England—France appears more confident and cohesive. Saliba has won over Deschamps, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the rest of France follows suit by mid-July in Berlin.

Key stats

• This was the only the second time the Netherlands have failed to score in their last 19 EURO group stage matches. It was their first 0-0 draw since a stalemate with Scotland at EURO ’96.
• Prior to tonight, none of the last 50 EURO matches had ended goalless since England and Scotland played out a 0-0 draw at EURO 2020
• The game brought to an end Cody Gakpo’s run of scoring in four successive major tournament group matches (three at World Cup 2022 and one at EURO 2024).
• Excluding penalty shoot-outs, France have now lost only one of their last 13 EURO games (W7 D5).
• Les Bleus are unbeaten in their last eight EURO group stage matches (W4 D4).
• Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann have both made 13 EURO appearances for France, moving level with Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps. Only Lilian Thuram (16), Hugo Lloris (15) and Zinédine Zidane (14) have more.

Player of the Match – Dayot Upamecano (France)

Though the game was not of the highest quality, Dayot Upamecano excelled in his defensive duties for France, delivering key moments during the first half when the Dutch posed their most significant threats. He remained strong in challenges and effectively managed the pace of Memphis Depay, Xavi Simons, and Jeremie Frimpong throughout the game, which limited the Netherlands to minimal chances in the second half.

In a goalless draw like this, it was clear that the defenders were not at fault for France only coming away with a single point. Upamecano’s performance was instrumental in securing the clean sheet and keeping France in control defensively.

PLAYER RATINGS

Netherlands: Verbruggen 7, Dumfries 6, De Vrij 6, Van Dijk 6, Ake 5, Schouten 5, Reijnders 6, Frimpong 6, Simons 7, Gakpo 6, Depay 4. Subs: Geertruida 5, Wijnaldum 6, Veerman 5, Weghorst 5.

France: Maignan 7, Kounde 6, Upamecano 7, Saliba 6, Hernandez 5, Kante 7, Tchouameni 6, Rabiot 5, Dembele 5, Griezmann 6, Thuram 4. Subs: Coman 4, Giroud 5.