This France – Belgium will be a special poster for Thibaut Peyre. The native of Martigues, who passed through Mouscron, Union Saint-Gilloise and Mechelen, will never forget his years within our borders. But on Monday, it is the Blues that the Al-Batin player will support.
“It makes me happy for Belgium. A country that I always carry in my heart.” Thibaut Peyre’s words at the end of our interview are authentic. The native of Martigues, who played for Mouscron, Union and Malines, has not forgotten his good years in our country, in which he played 165 Jupiler Pro League matches, and 65 in the second division.
Today in Al-Batin, in the Saudi second division, the 31-year-old French central defender gave us a preview of the Euro round of 16. “It’s going to be a good match. Belgium is waiting for France, France is waiting for Belgium. A feeling that has been even more present since 2018.”
The key to the meeting will be the implementation
This France – Belgium is perhaps, on paper, the most beautiful 1/8th final of this Euro. A meeting, however, between two teams that did not really convince during the group stage. If Domenico Tedesco’s choices are criticized within our borders, those of Didier Deschamps are also criticized by our French neighbors.
“We criticize him for things, but he knows what he is doing. Sometimes, we say that he is too defensive. But for ten years, he has always succeeded in his tournaments, if we omit the fiasco of 2021 against Switzerland I find France less worrying than Belgium, because they have a lot of chances. Their last match against Poland, I don’t know how many times the goalkeeper performs a miracle. which is one of the disappointments at the start of the tournament, with England.”
I hope Lukaku does not regain his effectiveness against France, but I wish Belgium the best.”
The key, for two teams that have created a lot, but have not scored a lot (or even not at all from full play for the Blues), will therefore be efficiency. “Without taking away the merits of the goalkeepers, of course. But if the attackers finally put it in the back of the net, that could make the difference.”
“Mbappé must be more effective. The same for Lukaku, a player that I like a lot and of whom I am a big fan, but he must be more effective, despite his disallowed goals. I hope that this will not be the case against France, but I wish the best to Belgium.”
