France played out a 0-0 draw against the Netherlands without their star player Kylian Mbappe in a Euro 2024 group stage match on Friday. Meanwhile, Ukraine secured an emotional 2-1 victory over Slovakia, marking their first win of the tournament.
Mbappe, the new Real Madrid recruit, was an unused substitute in Leipzig, forced to the sidelines due to a broken nose sustained in France’s opening game of the tournament. Didier Deschamps included him in the matchday squad but decided against risking him, as France’s qualification for the knockout phase was nearly assured.
“Of course, Kylian is one of the best players in the world, so a player like that who is not on the pitch is a loss for us. But other players performed really well,” said France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. “We hope he comes back as soon as possible.”
The Netherlands had a goal controversially ruled out for offside in the second half, while Antoine Griezmann, captaining France in Mbappe’s absence, missed two key opportunities to score. “I had two chances, but they got caught up in my feet. It’s a real shame,” said Griezmann. “We have to work on scoring. I think that defensively we were OK, tactically we were fine, we’re just missing this goal for the strikers, but it’s going to be fine.”
Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons thought he had scored with 20 minutes left, but Denzel Dumfries was deemed to be interfering with French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, leading to the goal being disallowed after a lengthy VAR check. “For me, it was a valid goal, but he didn’t give it. It’s a shame,” said Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk. “One point is good. We haven’t lost; it’s all in our hands.”
Poland, who lost 3-1 to Austria in Berlin, became the first team eliminated from the tournament following the draw between France and the Netherlands. France and the Netherlands, both with four points, top Group D and will play their final group matches on Tuesday against Poland and Austria, respectively.
In Group E, Ukraine’s players shed tears of joy after coming from behind to beat Slovakia 2-1 in Duesseldorf. This victory, their first in Euro 2024, earned praise from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Roman Yaremchuk scored the winner off the bench, following Mykola Shaparenko’s equalizer after Ivan Schranz had put Slovakia ahead. Zelensky congratulated the team on social media, highlighting their resilience and spirit.
Despite the return of talisman Robert Lewandowski from a thigh injury, Poland is heading for the exit. Lewandowski, who missed Poland’s opening loss to the Netherlands, came on as a substitute but could not turn the tide against Austria. Krzysztof Piatek’s goal for Poland was not enough, as Christoph Baumgartner and Marko Arnautovic secured a 3-1 win for Austria. Poland coach Michal Probierz insisted Lewandowski was fit to play.
Looking ahead, Belgium will try to recover from a 1-0 loss to Slovakia in their Group E opener as they face Romania in Cologne on Saturday. Portugal can secure a last-16 spot if they beat Turkey in Dortmund. Additionally, the Czech Republic and debutants Georgia will both be searching for their first points in Group F as they meet for the first time in Hamburg.
