Without convincing and despite a very messy performance, the French team achieved the essential by winning their first meeting at Euro 2024 against Austria (1-0), Monday in Düsseldorf.
- The match was broadcast on TVA Sports.
After two days marked by the clear positions of Marcus Thuram and Kylian Mbappé on the subject of the French political crisis and the next legislative elections (June 30 and July 7), the Blues were able to ignore this heavy context to launch on their adventure is on the right track.
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Perhaps somewhat tense and tense after 48 hours during which the sporting challenge was largely eclipsed, the vice-world champions, who are among the big favorites of the tournament, sometimes suffered and their game generally lacked fluidity. As for realism, he ran away from them on several chances to take a 2-0 lead. But they managed to make the difference and snatch three points which will undoubtedly allow them to free themselves for the rest of the competition.
Didier Deschamps was thus faithful to his legend, winning his first match in a final phase as coach for the 6th time.
During a first period where the opportunities were very rare, the deliverance came from the feet of the one everyone was waiting for, namely Kylian Mbappé. The French star was able to be decisive by overflowing on the right side before sending a cross headed into his own goal by the unfortunate Maximilian Wöber (38th).
The captain of the French team, who caused a sensation the day before at a press conference by calling for a barrier to “extremes” during the legislative elections, turned into a savior, as he knows how to do so well, for his 80th selection.
Huge Kanté
After a chaotic season at PSG, a delicate preparation with various physical problems (back, knee) and four missed training sessions, the future Real Madrid striker did not seem particularly hampered on an athletic level and this is his feet that the most dangerous actions happened (9th, 45th+1, 54th with an inexplicably failed duel, alone in front of the Austrian goalkeeper, Patrick Pentz).
However, he came out in stoppage time with a bloody nose after a collision with Austrian defender Kevin Danso.
For the rest, French production was rather poor. The other two attackers, Ousmane Dembélé and Marcus Thuram, had a lot of waste and the offensive animation was very dull, like the Blues’ last outings.
Deschamps’ choice to start Adrien Rabiot in midfield, however, was judicious. Even if the Juventus Turin midfielder had not played since May 20 due to injury, he did good to the French with the tireless and always valuable N’Golo Kanté at his side, back for this Euro after two years of absence and exile in Saudi Arabia (Al-Ittihad).
“NG” was enormous at the end of the match to cut the trajectories, especially after a big miss from the defense and Wiliam Saliba in the 85th minute.
But the French rearguard was generally solid and that is the other positive point to remember. Saliba, established in central defense to the detriment of Ibrahima Konaté, held his position well, despite this big alert, and formed an effective hinge with Dayot Upamecano to extinguish the offensive desires of the Austrians, who pushed in the second half to equalize .
But fortunately for France, the opposing attackers were not strong enough to worry the French defenders more than necessary. It will be different music on Friday in Leipzig where the Netherlands will stand in the way of the Blues for the shock of group D. We will certainly have to show another face to snatch the ticket for the 8th finals.
SUMMARY
(38th) Austria 0 – France 1 | France opened the scoring after an own goal from Austrian defender Maximilian Wober.
