Having qualified without much fanfare against Belgium, the French team will have to raise its level a notch against Portugal in a quarter-final that promises to be tense.
The matches between France and Portugal always have a special flavor, even more so when they take place in the context of a major competition. The one that is taking place this Friday at 9 p.m. in Hamburg should not deviate from the rule and will open the doors to the semi-finals of Euro 2024 for the winner. A tension that the Tricolores hope to feed on to finally enter their tournament and deploy their full potential.
A gloomy attack
Indeed, having arrived with the status of favourite, Kylian Mbappé and his teammates have not given full satisfaction since the start of the German campaign. Particularly in the offensive sector where the attackers gave the impression of searching for themselves. Certainly, there were 20 shots attempted against Belgium in the round of 16, drawing a desire to go forward, but of this total, only two found the target. It thus took a stroke of fate and an own goal from Jan Vertonghen on a missed shot from Randal Kolo Muani to impose itself.
This happy goal is already the 2nde After the one against Austria, France holds the record in this area with 5 own goals to its credit in the history of the Euro. In addition, the third and last goal scored on German turf was the work of captain Mbappé…on penalty.
The lack of execution in the game and the blatant lack of realism of the Blues is a source of questioning rather than concern. Indeed, internally, everyone seems confident in the ability of the Tricolores to score. The potential is there and Didier Deschamps should not upset his animation since Mbappé is assured to be there from the kick-off like Marcus Thuram. The unknown remains to know who will accompany them. The positioning ofAntoine Griezmann on the right against the Red Devils was not very conclusive and he could be led to go down a notch, also a return ofOusmane Dembele is not to be ruled out unless Deschamps gives a chance to Kolo Muani, deserving on his entries. However, it will take energy and determination to deceive a high-level Diogo Costa, galvanized by his immaculate penalty shootout against Slovenia
Another extension?
Beyond the offensive expression of the French team, Didier Deschamps will have to resolve the problem posed by the absence ofAdrien Rabiotsuspended. Several options are available to him. The first would be to reposition Griezmann at the heart of the game with Adrien Tchouaméni and N’Golo Kanté at his sides. A role that could suit him on condition that he stays close to the attackers and leaves the work of harassment and recovery to the Madrilenian and the former Leicester player. The other alternative would be to replace the Turin player with Youssouf Fofana or Eduardo Camavinga in order to maintain the defensive base which carried the Blues to the quarter-finals.
This defensive block will once again be the key to French success because everything else will depend on its solidity. Didier Deschamps knows that titles are not won from the front but from the back. With Williams Saliba finally blossoming and bringing his serenity, a Jules Kounde who is gaining momentum, the Tricolores are impressing in this sector of the game. The proof is that only Robert Lewandowski has managed to score a goal for the Blues in their last 6 matches, and it was on a penalty, taken twice. An impermeability that will be put to the test by Cristiano Ronaldo, whose last Euro this is, and his partners, who appeared less dashing in their last two matches.
One thing is certain, the tension will be at its peak in Hamburg between two nations that have become accustomed to engaging in fierce duels. Thus, all the knockout matches between them at the Euro have been decided after extra time. In 1984, Jean-François Domergue scored twice and Michel Platini delivered the French in the semi-finals (3-2, aet), Zinédine Zidane imitating him on a penalty in 2000 at the same stage of the competition (2-1 aet). In 2016, luck changed sides as Eder transformed into a Portuguese hero to offer his country the first international title…in France (1-0, aet). Enough to imagine a stifling and breathless scenario that the Blues hope to survive once again.
What composition?
According to the latest leaks, notably from L’Equipe, Didier Deschamps should renew his 4-3-3 victorious against Belgium (1-0) in the round of 16. Thus the team would remain unchanged with only Eduardo Camavinga who would take the place of a suspended Adrien Rabiot. Antoine Griezmann should be kept on one side. But another possibility presents itself in front of the Blues. The second probable composition would be a 4-2-3-1. The latter would allow Antoine Griezmann to be put back at the heart of the game, behind Marcus Thuram, with Ousmane Dembélé on the right and Kylian Mbappé on the left. N’Golo Kanté and Aurélien Tchouaméni would occupy a defensive midfield role. The most probable composition of the Blues : Maignan – Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Theo Hernandez – Tchouaméni, Kanté, Camavinga – Griezmann, Thuram, Mbappé.