Rare French satisfaction, Tuesday, during the match against Poland, Bradley Barcola could have earned his stripes as a starter.
A qualification without fear and great defensive solidity: that’s pretty much all the Blues can remember from their group stage at the Euro. At least if we want to remember beautiful things. For the rest, the three matches played by the France team were sluggish, particularly in attack.
Didier Deschamps’ troops have scored only two goals in three matches, thanks to an own goal and a penalty converted by Kylian Mbappé. For the rest, the French have at best multiplied their mistakes in front of goal. One bright spot, however, in the pale blue sky: Bradley Barcola’s very successful performance against Poland for his first start in the French team.
Having remained on the bench during the first two matches, the young Parisian winger gave the Polish defense a headache before having to give up his place after only an hour of play to Olivier Giroud. A choice by Didier Deschamps that did not fail to raise eyebrows among supporters and observers. And for many, the former Lyon player deserves to keep his place against Belgium on Monday.
Barcola, the best in training
“I would make him the starter, said Maxence Caqueret, his former teammate, in the columns of The Team. He brings carefreeness, he is not afraid to dribble, even when he is not passing. He is one of the best one-on-one players on this team. And even if he doesn’t play, he could be a player to bring in. He’s someone we have to count on. »
“He’s a player that teams need, a player who is capable of making the difference by dribbling, of eliminating his direct opponent, added Rudi Garcia. He’s one of the solutions to bring danger offensively. Afterwards, in the French team, he’s the counterpart of Ousmane Dembélé on the other side, but it’s also a place where Kylian Mbappé can play.”
And if Didier Deschamps is cautious on the subject, his partners at the Blues are already convinced. “He’s probably the best in training in recent days. There are players who bet from the first game that he would end up starting before the end of the competition.”said a source close to the group.
