Maignan 7
He once again kept his team in the game at the cost of several decisive saves, on De Bruyne (24, 83) or Lukaku (71). With him, the blue cages are well guarded since he still has not conceded a single goal in the game.
Koundé 7
Many feared his duel with the whirling Doku. The former Bordeaux player won almost all his duels without ever losing the serenity he has displayed since the start of the tournament. A little more in difficulty towards the end when the ex-Rennais finally accelerated. Offensively, he finally delivered a few crosses. Named player of the match.
Upamecano 6
When Lukaku felt he wouldn’t get past Saliba, he ran into Upamecano’s area. Without being as radiant as his defensive partner, the Munich player played it sober and was not caught out.
Cross 8
He never gave up in front of the mountain Lukaku with whom he delivered a tough duel. A titanic match for the former Olympian who disgusted the Belgian giant and even offered himself a great opportunity, with his left foot (74). The only downside was that he lost a ball which led to a dangerous counter (61). No consequences.
T. Hernandez 5
Once again, we saw him venture too little into the front positions. No doubt Deschamps’ restrictive instructions for this born counter-attacker. He played at a trot but made a decisive return to the feet of Carrasco (61).
Kanté 6
He didn’t shine like he did in his first two outings, but he did his job, and rather well. Even if his way of being reluctant to shoot at goal, even in a good position, makes him too predictable.
Tchouaméni 6,5
The hub of the French game. He alternated well between the short game and the long game, delivering precise crosses, often towards Koundé, to unsettle the Belgian block. Casteels deflected his only shot on target (49), the others flying into the stands of the Merkur Spiel-Arena.
Rabiot 4
He never got into his game to deliver a performance far from his promising debut. Without rhythm for 90 minutes. Warning, he will miss the quarter-final to serve his suspension, pushing Deschamps to review his midfield.
Griezmann 3
What was his use on the right side of the attack? Not much given his profile. He played while walking without ever managing to accelerate. He crushed a shot in a good position (10), didn’t get another one on target (65), and almost never managed to get into the flow of play. Tough…
Thuram 3
Lined up at the tip of the attack, he suffered against the Belgian rearguard even if he never gave up the fight, with two small headed chances that he failed to put on target. Replaced by Kolo Muani (62) who brought a bit of madness and dared to shoot on goal, leading Vertonghen to deflect into his own net (84).
Mbappe 3
He played from a standstill, waiting to have the ball to start. It’s hard to surprise your goalkeepers by playing like that… He also distinguished himself by his waste in front of the opposing goal. A slalom in the Belgian defense punctuated by a shot over the top (54) sent a slight shiver down your spine. Especially because the rest was insipid.
