The France team, deprived of Kylian Mbappé at kick-off, came up against a diligent Canada team (0-0) for its last preparation match before Euro 2024 (June 14-July 14 in Germany), this Sunday June 9 in Bordeaux. The Blues will enter the competition on June 17 against Austria in Düsseldorf.
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We will have to do more against Austria, on June 17, for the debut of the Blues at Euro 2024. They were less inspired than against Luxembourg (3-0), on May 5 in Metz, where Mbappé had them carried with two assists and a goal. But without their captain, spared after a blow to the knee received in the previous match and small problems with his back, the offensive expression of the Blues was very muddled against a disciplined but without genius opponent.
His entry (74th) made the Bordeaux stadium roar with joy, but with him the Canadian lock did not break either, despite a last counter (90th + 3). The Netherlands, France’s second opponent at the Euro on June 21, corrected the ” Canucks ” last week.
Giroud celebrated for his last match in France
Only Ousmane Dembélé, whom Mbappé replaced, created differences. He delighted the Bordeaux public, who were just waiting to get fired up, by drawing on his panoply of dribbles, hooks, small bridges, thrusts… But his incisive actions only too rarely brought danger in front of the Canadian goal, such as a point-blank shot from N’Golo Kanté blocked by Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau (8th).
At the start of the match, the Blues also hit the crossbar on an opportunity from Marcus Thuram (9th), and Antoine Griezmann saw his cross shot, and deflected, brush against the post (19th). Then, Didier Deschamps’ team frankly softened, like this missed header from Dayot Upamecano, although in a very good position (34th). Randal Kolo Muani also wasted a match point by hitting his head next to the cage (90th + 1).
Olivier Giroud, aligned at the forefront and wearing the captain’s armband for his last match in France with the Blues jersey, had no more weight. He attempted an acrobatic recovery (61st) just before being replaced, a gladiator exit to a standing ovation from an audience who royally celebrated him throughout the match.
Camavinga disappointing, Saliba solid
Otherwise, the animation really left something to be desired and this match did not provide many answers for the Blues before the start of the European Championship. In addition to the tenure of Giroud in place of Mbappé, the coach had changed three other players compared to Luxembourg. “ Dembouz », sick (rhinitis) in Metz, was therefore the only one to do well.
Eduardo Camavinga, lined up for recovery with Kanté, was less dashing than with Real Madrid. He lost a few balls and received a warning for a foul on Koné (40th). William Saliba, established as a hinge alongside Upamecano, provided defensive support, with two decisive saves in front of Cyle Larin (67th) and Jonathan Osorio (78th), but also showed limits in the recovery.
The new system put in place by Deschamps in these two matches, a three-way defense in the possession phase with Théo Hernandez very high on the left, caused fewer sparks than against Luxembourg. The Milanese came out at the break, replaced on the left side by Ferland Mendy, who had not yet played or worn this jersey since September 2022 (defeat to Denmark 0-2).
As Kingsley Coman also played the last quarter of an hour, in place of a still disappointing Thuram, there are only the convalescents Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot, and the two replacement goalkeepers, who did not play in this preparation. The French didn’t show much against Canada, they even got hot when Liam Millar in turn hit the bar (47th) or Saliba countered Osorio. The countdown to the match against Austria is now on.
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