Saliba Shines in France’s Euro 2024 Victory

William Saliba played a crucial role in France’s 1-0 victory over Austria at Euro 2024 on Monday night, helping his team keep a clean sheet. Selected by Didier Deschamps for his 16th international appearance, Saliba partnered with Dayot Upamecano in the center of defense, ahead of Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate. The match, held in Düsseldorf, saw France take the lead in the 38th minute when a Kylian Mbappe cross resulted in an own goal by Austria’s Maximilian Wober.

This lone goal secured the win for France, moving them to second place in Group D, just behind the Netherlands, who lead on goals scored following their 2-1 win over Poland.

Trossard and Belgium Upset by Slovakia

In other Euro 2024 action on Monday, Leandro Trossard played 74 minutes in Belgium’s surprising 1-0 defeat to Slovakia. The game’s only goal came early, with Ivan Schranz capitalizing on a loose ball from Jeremy Doku in the seventh minute. Trossard, making his 35th international appearance, had a chance to score with a long-range shot that sailed over the crossbar. Despite Romelu Lukaku finding the net twice, both goals were disallowed by VAR. Trossard was replaced by Youri Tielemans, and the final whistle left Belgium in third place in Group E.

Romania Overpowers Ukraine

Romania delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over Ukraine, with Oleksandr Zinchenko earning his 64th cap by playing the full 90 minutes. Nicolae Stanciu opened the scoring with a spectacular long-distance strike, followed by Razvin Marin’s precise finish for the second goal. Denis Dragus sealed the win, pushing Ukraine down to fourth place in Group E.

Post-match, Zinchenko expressed his disappointment: “It’s a shame to look into the eyes of the fans who came to support us today. We will do everything in the next match to please our fans again.”

Looking Ahead

Ukraine faces a crucial match next as they seek to keep their hopes alive for advancing out of the group. Zinchenko highlighted the need for a win: “In the next game, we only need to win to have any chance of getting out of the group.”

The upcoming fixtures will be pivotal as France aims to maintain their strong performance, Belgium looks to bounce back, and Ukraine fights for survival in the tournament.