Good afternoon! Thank you for joining Sports Mole for today's highly anticipated clash between two familiar foes, both vying for a place in the last eight of Euro 2024.

France have yet to convince at these finals, but they've conceded just once in their last five matches ahead of today's knockout contest.

Meanwhile, Belgium have recorded eight clean sheets in their last 12 European Championship matches; and the Red Devils have recently lost only one of their last 18 in all competitions - to Slovakia two weeks ago.

Does that mean a close-fought encounter is on the cards? We shall see!

As kickoff is now less than half an hour away, let's take a look at the all-important team news...

FRANCE: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, T. Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni, Rabiot; Griezmann; Thuram, Mbappe.

SUBS: Samba, Pavard, Mendy, Camavinga, Giroud, Dembele, Kolo Muani, Zaire-Emery, Fofana, Coman, Clauss, Areola, Konate, Barcola.

There are no surprises in the selection of Didier Deschamps today, as Antoine Griezmann returns to the French starting XI after being benched against Poland, while masked man Kylian Mbappe captains the side from up front.

Marcus Thuram will join forces with the long-established duo, as Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola drop down to the bench - the latter pair could yet make a major impact later in the game.

BELGIUM: Casteels; Castagne, Faes, Vertonghen, Theate; Onana; Doku, De Bruyne, Ferreira Carrasco; Openda, Lukaku.

SUBS: Debast, Witsel, Tielemans, Trossard, Kaminski, Sels, Lukebakio, Vranckx, De Ketelaere, Mangala, Bakayoko, Vermeeren, De Cuyper.

Making two changes today, Domenico Tedesco seems to have gone for an attacking Belgium XI: Lois Openda and Yannick Carrasco come in, joining Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku in the final third.

Leandro Trossard has been demoted to the bench today, but quite how the Red Devils will line up remains to be seen. Perhaps a 4-1-3-2, or maybe Openda and Doku starting either side of Lukaku in an attacking triumvirate?

Having both underperformed in relation to their seeding, France or Belgium will have several substantial hurdles to clear just to reach the final: even after advancing today, not only could Portugal await in the quarters, but Germany and Spain are also in the same part of the draw...

While France went through the entire group stage without scoring a single goal from open play – having 47 attempts and creating 5.93 xG without success – Belgium have failed to find the net in two of their three games so far. Surely two teams packed with such proven quality can't let us down again today?

Belgium's record goalscorer is ready to roll. Cue 'Big Rom'......

Rom 💪#EURO2024 | #FRABEL pic.twitter.com/850arEUA02 — UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 1, 2024

Belgium suffered 2018 World Cup heartbreak against France, losing 1-0 to Les Bleus in the semis, and they were more recently beaten 3-2 in a 2021 Nations League semi-final. Many stars from those games have since departed the stage, so will a different script be written by Tedesco's team today?

The teams are out on the pitch, and kickoff is now just moments away! Anthems coming up....

Stirring stuff! Both teams have belted out their national anthems with great gusto. The waiting is nearly over.

With a place in the final eight at stake, France - wearing white shirts and blue shorts – and Belgium, clad in dark red and black, are both ready to kick off this last-16 clash. Game on!

KICKOFF:  France kick off, and we are under way in Dusseldorf!

Early on, France put a half-chance wide, as Rabiot prods the ball several yards to the left of Casteels' goal. It was a tough volley to execute, in all fairness to the Juventus midfielder.

Interestingly, six players that started the 2018 World Cup semi-final between these nations also start in Germany today: Mbappe, Kante and Griezmann for France; De Bruyne, Lukaku and Vertonghen for Belgium.

France are enjoying their first sustained spell of pressure, but it all dies out when Thuram tries to win a free kick from Theate on the right byline and his claims are quickly dismissed by the referee.

This is just the second time Openda and Lukaku have started together for their national team, and it seems a curious point of the tournament to experiment. Will Tedesco's tinkering pay off, though?

Allowed to travel through midfield and towards the edge of Belgium's area, Griezmann eyes up a shot. However, his 20-yard effort is sent bobbling low along the turf, and Casteels comfortably gathers it.

Griezmann and Kounde cleverly combine on the right flank, and the ball is cut back into the box by the latter, only to evade every French player. A real moment of concern for the Belgians there.

After Hernandez lays a short pass off to Mbappe on the left side of the area, the France captain lashes an angled shot towards goal. It takes a deflection and flies wide, but the referee somehow misses the Belgian defender's touch and awards a goal kick instead.

YELLOW CARD!  After France are mistakenly denied a corner kick, Tchouameni protests a little too long and too loudly, so he receives the game's first booking. He'll have to tread carefully from now on.

CHANCE!  France continue to press for an opening goal: Thuram arrives in front of his marker at the near post, only to steer a header from Griezmann's corner well wide of the target.

It's quite surprising just how passively Belgium have started this match, perhaps paying their old rivals a little bit too much respect. They've barely laid a glove on Les Bleus thus far.

With a wildly optimistic effort, Rabiot thumps a 30-yarder high and wide of the target. There was no pressure on the ball, so he felt entitled to have a go - surely the wrong option, though.

YELLOW CARD!  Doku jinks in from the left, driving towards the edge of the area. With Kounde caught on his heels, Griezmann drops back to help out and clips the Manchester City winger. That's a booking - and a rather harsh one.

SAVE!  From a free kick on the left side of the box, De Bruyne curls the ball towards the centre of the goal. Maignan sees it late, then scrambles it away to safety with a very unorthodox stop! He hacks it away with his legs!

YELLOW CARD!  The referee is starting to dish cards out freely now: Rabiot is booked for fouling Doku and will miss a potential quarter-final with either Portugal or Slovenia.

A pause in play for an injury to Doku allows both managers to give out some tactical instruction, and the players take on drinks, too. Fortunately, the Belgian winger is ultimately fit enough to return.

Carrasco has a volleyed shot blocked in the box, and there's no doubt that the Belgium have brightened up over the past 10 minutes or so. It had been a rather subdued start from the Red Devils.

France have had 58% of the ball so far, which demonstrates just how much they were on top in the early stages. It's developing into a much more even affair now, though.

A pretty woeful cross from the left by Hernandez sails straight over the byline and out for a goal kick to Belgium. For all their possession, Les Bleus have produced just one shot on target today.

CLOSE!  Again, Kounde advances down the right, and he delivers a dangerous ball to the near post. Thuram arrives to meet it with a well-timed leap, but his header zips narrowly wide of the right-hand post!

The Euro 2024 'Food Wars' continue...

🍟🤔#EURO2024 | #FRABEL pic.twitter.com/ER1PIsnTSf — UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 1, 2024

CLOSE!  At the end of a long French build-up, Tchouameni spots a chance to shoot from mid-range, but his power-packed effort rises just over the top-right corner.

France are now totally on top in Dusseldorf, where Belgium have again dropped deep. Even Openda and Lukaku are back inside their defensive third - they're all chasing shadows at the moment.

Thuram just can't reach the ball when Griezmann ends another clever passage of play by clipping a cute pass over the top. Casteels claims it, but Belgium are merely hanging on for half time here.

As France continue penning their opponents in, the officials indicate that just one minute of first-half stoppage time will be played.

CLOSE!  Right at the end of the half, Tchouameni again misses the target. Following persistent play by Mbappe on the left flank, the ball falls nicely for his new Real Madrid teammate; however, the subsequent shot is drilled about three feet over the top.

HALF TIME:  FRANCE 0-0 BELGIUM

Yet to fully ignite, this tense last-16 clash is still goalless at the break, with France unable to turn their dominance into a tangible advantage.

Meanwhile, Belgium will merely be glad that they remain on level terms, having failed to lay a glove on Les Bleus thus far - despite fielding several of their best forwards.

For all their promise, France have now failed to score a first-half goal in three of their four games at Euro 2024, and no team has done so more often to this point of the tournament.

Indeed, Belgium have done the same.....So is it too early to call extra time and penalties?

Look who's been watching the stands. Someone who played a major role in the 2018 World Cup clash between these two nations. Will victory go the way of France again today?

Paul Pogba is at the Düsseldorf Arena 🇫🇷

Watch 📲 https://t.co/Pg4hdfopOj#EURO2024 #OptusSport pic.twitter.com/poT023Ts5P — Optus Sport (@OptusSport) July 1, 2024

KICKOFF:  No personnel changes for either side during half time, and Belgium get us back under way in Dusseldorf.

SAVE!  Tchouameni tries his luck again, but Casteels is equal to it! The midfielder's dominant display continues, following a fine first half, as he strides forward and curls a shot towards the bottom-right corner: Belgium's goalkeeper tips it away!

CHANCE!  After an underwhelming set-piece situation, France recover the ball and then deliver it from the left towards Thuram at the near post. Again, the Inter Milan striker fails to connect correctly, and it comes off the top of his shoulder before flying well over the crossbar.

It's 'as you were', then. France have resumed their dominance of both ball and territory since half time, with Belgium meekly sitting back and vainly hoping to strike on the break.

CLOSE!  Mbappe almost breaks the deadlock! The France captain weaves in from the left at top speed, leaving several defenders in his wake, but his dipping shot zips narrowly over the crossbar! Brilliant stuff from Les Bleus' skipper!

Not for the first time, Kounde advances to the right edge of the area, and his ball sets up Mbappe. However, the latter can't control his shot, which skips well wide of the left-hand post.

Somehow, Doku extracts himself from a sticky situation: penned into the corner, near his own area, the winger's fleet footwork buys a free kick off Kounde. He took a risk there, but it payed off.

At the traditional hour mark, the time seems ripe for some substitutions. None appear to be on their way just yet, but Tedesco must surely be thinking of some changes; Deschamps, too.

CHANCE!  AC Milan teammates Hernandez and Maignan celebrate as if they've just scored a goal, as Carrasco is denied a chance to shoot from close range when played through by De Bruyne. It was good defending, but the shot needed to be taken sooner.

FRANCE SUB: Deschamps decides to shuffle his forward line, as Thuram departs and Kolo Muani comes on.

BELGIUM SUB: Tedesco responds by sending on Mangala for Openda. Surely that'll release De Bruyne to do his stuff further up the pitch.

France flood forward again: this time, Griezmann latches onto a pass and pulls his low shot wide of the right-hand post.

It growing ever more tense in Dusseldorf, where the one-way traffic continues. Can Belgium find a way to halt the French tide and start creating some of their own chances?

CLOSE!  Tchouameni shoots over again, following fine build-up play from Mbappe and Griezmann. This time, the ball is fired narrowly off target from around 20 yards out.

SAVE!  Lukaku denied! Belgium almost snatch the lead, against the run of play! Mangala bursts down the left, then cuts the ball back for the Red Devils' record scorer; Lukaku shoots low and hard but Maignan is equal to it!

Penalties and own goals excluded, France haven't scored with any of their 63 shots at Euro 2024 so far. The frustration must be immense for fans of Les Bleus.

CLOSE!  Saliba shows great skill to evade Doku in the Belgian area, then lines up a shot. However, he becomes the latest French player to spurn a half-chance, shooting over from 15 yards.

YELLOW CARD!  After getting entangled with Kolo Muani by the touchline, Vertonghen is shown a yellow card by the referee. For his subsequent complaints, Tedesco joins his defender in the book.

CLOSE!  Mbappe comes ever so close once again! He curls a first-time strike narrowly over the crossbar from just inside the area. Belgium can breathe again!

Both coaches have made just one change so far. Surely it's time to go for broke? Or are we ambling towards extra time in Dusseldorf?

SAVE!  Good stop from Maignan! Lukaku holds the ball up well, then Doku flicks it through to the on-rushing De Bruyne to shoot. He hits it hard and true from the edge of the box, but France's number one makes an important save!

GOAL!  FRANCE 1-0 BELGIUM (VERTONGHEN OWN GOAL)

GOAL!  France go in front! Just when it seemed they were all out of ideas! At the end of a smart passing move, Kante picks out Kolo Muani on the right side of the area, and the latter's shot is deflected past Casteels and into the back of the net! Vertonghen is the unlucky man, adding his name to several with own goals at Euro 2024.

Les Bleus lead. Can Belgium respond, or is it too late? They've really got to switch momentum now - and fast.

BELGIUM SUBS: On come De Ketelaere and Lukebakio; Castagne and Carrasco are hauled off. It's all or nothing now!

Theate tries to drive the ball into the box, but summing up Belgium's day, it strikes the referee and all momentum is lost.

In the second minute of at least three added for stoppages, Belgium are flooding forward in numbers. For the first time, France are on the back foot. Will Les Bleus see this out?

FULL TIME:  FRANCE 1-0 BELGIUM

It wasn't too pretty, but France see off their old rivals to seal a place in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, winning 1-0 in Dusseldorf thanks to a late own goal.

Belgium bow out, but they put on a meek performance and didn't really merit going any further.

Les Bleus were wasteful again - and are yet to score via any method other than own goals or penalties at this tournament - but they certainly won't care.

A cagey contest between two neighbouring nations ends with France beating the Belgians again, and Didier Deschamps and co march on to the last eight: we'll soon find out if Portugal or Slovenia will play them.

So, that's another big-hitter through to the quarter-finals. We'll depart with our match report from Dusseldorf. Thank you for joining us today, and goodbye!