France kicked off their Euro 2024 campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Austria on Monday, thanks to an unfortunate own goal by Maximilian Wober. The match, played in Duesseldorf, was a tense affair, with Austria’s high-pressing style causing France numerous problems.
Wober’s own goal came just seven minutes before half-time, diverting a dangerous cutback from Kylian Mbappe into his own net. The French, considered strong contenders for the tournament title, had to work hard for their victory against a resilient Austrian side.
The match saw Mbappe depart the field in the latter stages with a bloodied nose following a collision. Before his injury, he had a golden opportunity to extend France’s lead but surprisingly missed the target, sending the ball wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Despite not performing at their peak, France will be relieved to have secured a winning start, especially after a build-up overshadowed by political discussions rather than football. The victory leaves Didier Deschamps’ team tied on three points with the Netherlands, who defeated Poland 2-1 in Hamburg on Sunday.
The two sides will now face each other in Leipzig on Friday, while Austria takes on Poland in Berlin earlier the same day.
Austria, under the guidance of Ralf Rangnick, have enjoyed impressive form coming into the tournament, boasting a seven-game unbeaten run. With eight of their starting line-up playing in the German Bundesliga last season, they felt comfortable on home soil.
Meanwhile, France, arguably the most talented team in the tournament, is led by their captain, Mbappe. Having endured a disappointing performance in his previous Euros three years ago, failing to score and missing the crucial penalty in a shoot-out defeat by Switzerland, Mbappe would be hoping for a much better campaign this time around.
He had an early opportunity to open the scoring in the eighth minute, combining well with Antoine Griezmann and Theo Hernandez before cutting inside and aiming for the near post. However, Austria’s goalkeeper, Patrick Pentz, made a good save.
Austria missed a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 36th minute, with Christoph Baumgartner failing to convert a cross from Michael Gregoritsch, allowing France to take the lead just two minutes later.
Mbappe, after a strong run on the right, sent a low cross towards the goal, which Wober, unfortunately, deflected into his own net.
In first-half stoppage time, Mbappe attempted to round Pentz but was denied. However, he missed another clear chance in the 55th minute, sending his shot wide from close range after receiving a pass from Adrien Rabiot.
The match remained balanced, with Austria pressing for an equalizer but failing to find the back of the net. Mbappe, who appeared to be wasting time in the closing stages, collided with Kevin Danso in the box and required treatment. He left the field with his shirt stained with blood but then returned and sat down, earning a yellow card before being substituted by Olivier Giroud.
