Former Manchester United star Gary Neville pinpointed Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen’s role in their 1-0 defeat to France at Euro 2024.
The closely contested match in Düsseldorf remained scoreless until the second half.
However, a late strike by France’s Kolo Muani took a deflection off Vertonghen, deceiving goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and securing victory for Didier Deschamps’ men.
Neville, analyzing the game on ITV, believes Vertonghen will shoulder the blame, not just for the own goal deflection: “He needs to be tighter. Kolo Muani’s movement wasn’t exceptional, but Vertonghen should have been closer.
A yard or two makes the difference. It’s not bad luck; it’s poor defending. He’s an experienced player, and he knows that. It’s a costly mistake, and I’m sure he’ll be devastated.”
With the win, France advances to the quarterfinals, where they’ll face the winner of the Portugal vs Slovenia matchup.