Facing Belgium in the round of 16 of EURO 2024, the French team spent most of the match deadlocked. The turning point only came in the 85th minute, when Randal Kolo Muani’s shot hit Jan Vertonghen and into the net, sealing a 1-0 victory for “Les Bleus.”.

The situation where the representative of the French Republic won the ticket to the quarterfinals originated from William Saliba’s winning fight on the home field. The Arsenal center-back strongly defeated Romelu Lukaku, despite the opposing striker’s efforts to suppress him.

 

View full screenSaliba uses Lukaku as a springboard to shine. Photo: Internet

The moment of brilliance was just one of many times Saliba dominated Lukaku throughout the 90 minutes. Statman Dave’s statistics show that no Belgian player dribbled past the Gunners star on the pitch today.

Saliba had a total of 2 interceptions, 4 saves, and a 100% tackle success rate. The number 17 of “Les Bleus” is nothing less than a “defensive machine,”  as described by his club teammate Gabriel Magalhaes.

 

Saliba is a very reliable and solid stopper. Photo: Internet

Saliba was once considered difficult to compete with the Dayot Upamecano-IIbrahima Konate pair in the tournament in Germany. However, the last 4 brilliant performances have explained why the Arsenal mainstay has won the full trust of coach Didier Deschamps.