Enthralling draw but more finishing prowess needed

There’s no masking the truth from this first 0-0 of Euro 2024. France, the true favourites, currently lack end product.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

Netherlands 0

France 0

It does raise doubt over whether they can end this tournament as European champions, although it only adds narrative weight to Kylian Mbappe’s eventual return from his broken nose. He forced France’s only goal of Euro 2024 so far, and that was from an Austria defender. A promising Netherlands team did have the ball in the back of the net, although that was ruled out in the game’s most debated moment.

That wasn’t to say this was a bad match. It was often enthralling, although lacked more than the finish and the tournament’s outstanding player. That real impetus wasn’t there. Some of that may have been circumstantial.

As good as the game was, and as sensational as the tournament has been as a whole, this is maybe where the flaws of the 24team competition are revealed. It takes something from these matches between the heavyweights. They both know they have a safety net with four third-placed sides going through. That wouldn’t quite be the case if it was only two going through. There’d have been a greater tension, and maybe more output.