France – Belgium, a match between the two countries present in the heart of Thibaut Peyre. The French central defender, who has more than 200 matches in the Pro League, prefaced this match for us, before giving his prediction.
With Thibaut Peyre, the French central defender who has more than 200 matches in the Pro League, we prefaced the round of 16 of the Euro between France and Belgium (read the first part of our interview). With him, we obviously discussed and compared the defensive lines of the two teams.
“I don’t want to disrespect anyone. But this Faes – Debast central defense lined up in the first match… They are both good players, but… On the other side, the guys (sic.) play at Arsenal, at Bayern Munich, at Barcelona,… I’m not too worried about them.”
“Intrinsically, I think that France is stronger. But in a match, that means absolutely nothing. There is folklore around it and everything that follows. Personally, I really want to see a good match between the two countries that I have in my heart.”
Giroud and Lukaku, comparable?
As he told us during the first part of this interview, efficiency, which both teams lacked during the group stage, should be the key to the match. If on the one hand, Romelu Lukaku is still the starter at the forefront of the Devils’ attack, Olivier Giroud has lost his place with the Blues, in favor of Marcus Thuram and Kylian Mbappé often placed in the center. The one who won the 2018 World Cup without scoring a single goal is in the group, but has only played 45 minutes since the start of the tournament.
“Giroud’s absence is a choice of the coach. I like Lukaku, I like Giroud. Even if he is less mobile, he is more of a focal point for the others around him. The two players have very different qualities, but are capable of deflecting the ball to create a dangerous opportunity. Giroud has been criticized his entire career, but he has become a legend at every club he has been at.”
The N’Golo Kanté paradox
Since leaving Mechelen in January 2023, Thibaut Peyre has been playing for Al-Batin, in the Saudi second division. There, he can therefore observe every week the performances of the great European players who have decided to end their careers in the Middle East. Among them, N’Golo Kanté, who surprises. After a season spent in Saudi Arabia, the French midfielder is still impressing. And yet…
“When I see him in Saudi Arabia, he’s not at all the same player as at the Euro. The players are obviously less good around him, but he doesn’t really seem happy. In any case, people are disappointed with his performance He was enormous with the French team during the first two matches. Mentally, he is perhaps so happy to be there that that can explain his motivation and his performances. ask what the problem is in Saudi Arabia.”
In conclusion, the match between France and Belgium should certainly be balanced, despite the advantage of the Blues on paper. For Thibaut Peyre, “Belgium has about a 30% chance of qualifying.” Will that be enough? Answer on Monday evening, in Düsseldorf!
