No Kylian Mbappé against the Netherlands, no goals for France. That was the outcome in the top match when the teams shared the points after a goalless encounter.
Hard to swallow, says Dutchman Xavi Simons about the referee's decision to disallow a goal.
There were plenty of chances for both teams when the Netherlands and France clashed in a match that probably decided the group win.
Both teams showed off their lively offence, but despite that, the meeting in Leipzig ended goalless. As a result, three of the four teams in the group have a chance to snatch first place in the final group round.
Disallowed goal
But despite the goalless outcome, the Netherlands actually had the ball in the net. In the 69th minute, Xavi Simons had a clear goal from just over 12 metres, and could have slotted it in.
But after main referee Anthony Taylor consulted with his linesman, it was established that right-back Denzel Dumfries had influenced the game by blocking the French goalkeeper Mike Maignan in an offside position. After VAR also reviewed the situation, it was clear that the referee's decision on the pitch was correct, and 0-0 stood until the end of the match.
Hard to swallow, says Xavi after the match.
I prefer to take the positives from the match. We showed the best of ourselves, which allowed us to hold off one of the big favourites in the tournament.
Mbappé on the bench
The French superstar Kylian Mbappé could only watch from the bench as his team failed to break down the Netherlands' defence.
I had two chances, but they stuck in my feet. It's really a shame, says Antoine Griezmann, France's captain in Mbappé's absence.
Mbappé broke his nose in the first group stage match against Austria. Since then, everything has been about whether the 25-year-old would be able to play in the next match against the Netherlands or not.
Yesterday, French RMC Sport reported that Mbappé would only be able to play if the specially made mask arrived on time. A little later in the evening, the star was seen training in the mask.
Poland eliminated
Despite that, the superstar was not included in the French starting line-up for Friday's match against the Netherlands. Mbappé was instead on the bench, and remained there throughout the match.
Kylian is one of the best players in the world, so not having such a player on the pitch is a loss for us, notes France's midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni after the match.
We hope he comes back as soon as possible.
Both teams now have four points. Austria has three, and Poland has zero and is thus eliminated from the European Championship.
In the final round, the Netherlands will face Austria, while France will meet Poland.
