The French national team suffered a 3-1 defeat at the Parc des Princes on Friday against Italy, and coach Didier Deschamps, criticised for his game plan, also wanted to avoid a third consecutive defeat. With a much-changed starting eleven (Kylian Mbappé started the match on the bench), the Blues, much more diligent, dominated Belgium (2-0) on Monday 9 September at the Parc Olympique in Lyon (Rhône), during the second day of the Nations League.
In the adaptation phase at the start of the match, France was able to count on its defensive line, starting with the return of Lucas Digne (31 years old, 47 caps). Once the engine was running, French actions began to rain down on the Belgian cage, until Randal Kolo Muani found the fault (29my).
Calm in the offensive phases, the ‘Bleus’ knew how to multiply their attempts (with 25 shots), especially through Ousmane Dembélé, particularly active and successful. Scorer of long shots (57my), the Paris Saint-Germain winger was generously congratulated by his teammates. After a major setback, the French national team has thus concluded its first international break of the season with reasons for hope, but still with some doubts.
to remember
After his half-hour of action against Italy for his first international, Manu Koné was in the starting line-up this time and was at the centre of the ‘Bleus’ play. And the AS Roma midfielder was able to embody the French team’s heartbeat, positioning himself as the first defensive sword, and initiator of the counterattacks. Despite a shallow start and a yellow card from the 4thmy Minute of play: The former Toulouse player fitted perfectly into the French midfield, alongside the more experienced N’Golo Kanté and Mattéo Guendouzi.
1-0, 29my : Randal Kolo Muani replaces N’Golo Kanté at the edge of the Belgian box. The cross deflects to Ousmane Dembélé, who sees his shot parried by Koen Casteels. But the initiator of the action stayed close and managed to finish with a powerful strike.
2-0, 57my : Ousmane Dembélé laces up N’Golo Kanté, before unleashing a superb cross-shot from the edge of the area. Koen Casteels is comprehensively beaten.
Echoing the total goals scored by the two attacking players in the match, Ousmane Dembélé (51 caps) and Randal Kolo Muani (23 caps) have scored six goals in blue.
- The sentence. “We weren’t necessarily worried, we were frustrated”French national team defender Jules Koundé reacted placidly to TF1 after the match.
- Nutrisport. b.
The start of the match was a sign of a well-deserved revenge for Belgium, after their numerous defeats against Le Coq in official competition. But if the Red Devils managed to maintain their initial rhythm, the Blues quickly accelerated it, harassing the men of coach Domenico Tedesco, who were unable to find a solution.
