France have qualified for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 after a 2-1 victory over Belgium in Rotherham resulted in them winning Group D.
Kadidiatou Diani and Griedge Mbock Bathy got the goals for Les Bleues at The AESSEAL New York Stadium as Corinne Diacre’s side made it two wins from two.
France started the match full of confidence and they were ahead after only six minutes. Sakina Karchaoui’s cross was met by Diani who headed home from just a couple of yards.
Delphine Cascarino then saw a vicious effort fly just wide before Belgian keeper Nicky Evrard pushed a Diani shot onto the post and to safety.
France looked likely to net the game’s second goal but Belgium grabbed a leveller against the run of play. Good work from Tessa Wullaert left Janice Cayman with a race for the ball. She got there first and prodded the ball into an unguarded net.
France soon regained the lead when Mbock Bathy impressively headed home from a Clara Matéo cross.
The start of the second half was much less eventful than the end of the first period with Cascarino and Diani both firing France’s only efforts wide.
Just after the hour, first half substitute Ouleymata Sarr should have made it 3-1 but she scuffed her shot straight at Evrard.
France had a golden opportunity to net a third goal at the death when Belgian substitute Amber Tysiak committed a hand ball in the box and was dismissed for a second booking following a VAR review. Captain Wendie Renard saw her poor penalty saved by Evrard before ballooning the rebound wide.
Sarr and Renard both tested Evrard again in injury time but neither were able to capitalise as the game ended 2-1 in France’s favour.
On Monday, France complete the group stage with a match against Iceland while Belgium take on Italy with the runners-up place very much at stake.