the summary of the invigorating success of the Blues

The setback suffered on Friday at the Parc des Princes (1-3) against Italy forced the French team to get a result, and coach Didier Deschamps, criticized for his game plan, also intended to avoid a third consecutive defeat. With a greatly modified starting eleven – Kylian Mbappé started the match on the bench –, a much more diligent Blues dominated Belgium (2-0) on Monday, September 9 at the Groupama Stadium (Rhône), during the second day of the Nations League.

In the adaptation phase at the start of the match, France was able to count on its defensive line, starting with the returning Lucas Digne (31 years old, 47 caps). Once the engine was running, the tricolor actions then began to rain down on the Belgian goal, until Randal Kolo Muani found the fault (29^e).

At ease during the offensive phases, the Blues were able to multiply the attempts (with 25 shots), notably through Ousmane Dembélé, particularly lively and successful. Scorer with a long-range strike (57^e), the Paris Saint-Germain winger was lavishly congratulated by his teammates. After a major setback, the French team thus concludes its first international break of the season with reasons for hope, but still a handful of doubts.

What you need to remember

After his half-hour of play gained against Italy for his first selection, Manu Koné was this time in the starting line-up, placed at the heart of the Blues’ game. And the AS Roma midfielder was able to embody the rhythm of the French team, positioning himself as the first defensive line and initiating counterattacks. Despite a touchy start – and a yellow card obtained in the 4th minute^e minute of play – the former Toulouse player blended perfectly into the French midfield, alongside the more experienced N’Golo Kanté and Mattéo Guendouzi.

1-0, 29^e : Randal Kolo Muani shifts to N’Golo Kanté at the edge of the Belgian area. The midfielder deflects to Ousmane Dembélé, who sees his shot pushed back by Koen Casteels. But the initiator of the action had stayed in the area, and manages to finish with a heavy strike.

2-0, 57^e : Ousmane Dembélé plays in support with N’Golo Kanté, before unleashing a superb cross shot from the edge of the area. Koen Casteels is largely beaten.

Echoing the total number of goals scored by the two attacking players in the match. Ousmane Dembélé (51 caps) and Randal Kolo Muani (23 caps) have now both scored six goals in the blue jersey.

• The sentence. “We weren’t necessarily worried, we were frustrated”reacted placidly the defender of the French team Jules Koundé, after the match, on TF1.
• Nutrisport. B.

The start of the match suggested a well-deserved Belgian revenge, after their many setbacks against the Rooster in official competition. But if the Red Devils were able to maintain their initial pace, the Blues quickly increased theirs, harassing the men of coach Domenico Tedesco, who were then unable to find a solution.