in a largely deserted Stade de France, the Blues concede a draw against Israel and qualify for the quarters

In front of 16,611 spectators, the worst attendance in the history of the Blues at the Stade de France excluding Covid-19, the French team could not do better than a draw (0-0) on Thursday. A meager point which nevertheless allows him to qualify for the quarters, which will take place in March.

A sad spectacle but the objective is fulfilled. A little over a month after its victory in the first leg (4-1), the French team this time conceded a draw against Israel (0-0), Thursday November 14, in a Stade de France deserted by a large part of the public due to a tense geopolitical climate and a large security system. A point which is nevertheless enough for it to qualify for the quarter-finals of the League of Nations thanks to Italy's victory against Belgium in the other group match (1-0).

Qualification is undoubtedly what the Blues will remember. Because whether in the stands or on the field, the score was not there Thursday evening. With 16,611 spectators, this match largely broke the record for the worst attendance for the Blues in the history of the Stade de France (excluding the Covid-19 period), which dated from a France-New Zealand during the Confederations Cup 2003 (36,842 spectators).

In content, the Tricolores were particularly muddled against a very low and well-organized Israeli block. They had control of the ball (71% possession) against an almost harmless team (one shot on target), but they rarely exploited it well, like Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola, holders on the wings and far too imprecise.

Until the replacements entered, it was the midfielders Warren Zaire-Emery and N'Golo Kanté, very good captain of the evening in the absence of Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouameni, who had the clearest opportunities seeing their point-blank shot saved by goalkeeper Daniel Peretz. They were imitated in stoppage time by Marcus Thuram, with a header, then by Christopher Nkunku, with a strike that was too axial.

But everyone was disgusted by the Bayern Munich replacement goalkeeper, who was the main architect of Israel's first point of this campaign after four defeats. “Qualification is assured, that’s the only positive point this evening”summarized Jules Koundé laconically at the microphone of TF1.

This meager point taken is therefore enough for the happiness of the French on Thursday evening. He sends them to the quarter-finals of the League of Nations even before the last day, a trip to Milan against Italy on Sunday, which will decide who will be first in the group between the two teams already qualified. France will have to win to hope to take first place from the Transalpines, who are three points ahead.

With 4,000 police officers deployed, no incidents were reported outside the enclosure, while several hundred demonstrators gathered around the stadium. Inside, scuffles between French and Israeli supporters broke out in the stands, under the eyes of Emmanuel Macron, François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, present for the occasion.