After the sad spectacle against Israel, the France team challenges Italy with the intention of showing a different face. It would be a good idea to close out the year 2024.
The thick fog of the Milanese city glimpsed on Saturday evening sets the tone. The Blues are not arriving in Italy for a bit of fun. Swept away at the Parc des Princes (1-3) last September, and very disappointing against Israel (0-0) on Thursday, Didier Deschamps’ men have the opportunity to reverse a negative curve and contrasting feelings. State of play.
Break the general monotony
At a pre-match press conference, Ibrahima Konaté somewhat surprised the audience by analyzing the poor draw against Israel last Thursday (0-0). If he repeated his « frustration » and its “disappointment”the Blues defender, who could be captain on Sunday evening in Milan, asserted with confidence that “the only thing we lacked is efficiency”. Before replying: “If we had won 4-0, you wouldn’t have had the same question. » Simple facade speech or real denial of reality when France signed its fourth 0-0 in a calendar year on Thursday – never seen in 20 years – and it advances with the worst ratio of points, before Sunday evening, since 2013?
Whether at the stadium or in front of television, everyone saw the quality of the Blues’ game and the little spectacle on offer. Ultimately in line with what the second selection in the Fifa ranking has been offering for months. Whether at the Euro or since the start of the school year, the level of play raises questions. A sort of general monotony slowly sets in when a match for the French team is scheduled. Simple temporary disinterest or the beginning of a disenchantment? The meeting on Sunday evening, without any major challenge other than grabbing first place in the group, has the merit of offering a showcase to finally give people pleasure. By victory, but not only.
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Show that this team has a soul
“The most important thing in Football is to question yourself. » These words, spoken last month by Ibrahima Konaté, are perfect to contextualize the meeting on Sunday evening. These new version of the Blues, with only two 2018 titles (Pavard and Kanté) in their ranks, will pass a big test in the boiling San Siro and its 68,000 spectators. Between the Italian lesson at the Parc des Princes (1-3) in September and the recent draw against Israel, this new group that Deschamps is putting in place must show what he really has under the hood. No one doubts the difficulty of taking over from the big names who are now retired (Lloris, Varane, Griezmann, Giroud, etc.), while relaying the noted absence of usual executives (Mbappé, Tchouaméni), but the Milanese context is also conducive to famous “founding match”.
We saw it with the recent Italian victories, the French success in Belgium last month (1-2), somewhat of an illusion, is not enough to glimpse the true qualities of the Blues. Faced with a Squadra Azzurra undefeated for five matches after being swept away at the Euro in the round of 16 against Switzerland, we will know more if this “new-look” team has a soul.
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Deschamps must shake up players who have (yet) proven nothing
He said it again and again at a press conference on Saturday, his desire to rotate his squad and see people does not change. Italy or not Italy. Didier Deschamps will therefore make new changes to his starting lineup on Sunday at San Siro. The idea is clear: put elements in contexts that are not always favorable to learn lessons with a view to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup expected in 2025. Thursday evening, Olise, Zaire Emery, Barcola and even Camavinga failed in their task . Ditto for Kolo Muani. Against Italy, “DD” should revive Koné, Coman, Thuram and even Olise. Also a way of involving them and expecting from them a different face than the players seen at the Stade de France. The Munich player, who made a good start with his club after an attractive Olympics, must do more in the blue jersey. With and without a ball. If the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico is still far away, the first foundations are being laid now by the coach and his staff in this squad review.
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Leave a good last impression
More than knowing who will play well or not in the Milan context, the French public is mainly waiting to be enthusiastic about their selection, a feeling too little felt in recent months. With the Olympics having passed by, the profusion of club football every week and the decline in selection football between two international competitions, the Blues would do well to mark the occasion before closing the year 2024. Before making an appointment you in March for the quarter-finals of the Nations League and after qualifying for the next World Cup. In life, it’s never a bad idea to leave a good impression. Football is no exception either.
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