The redesign will not have paid off. The France team conceded a draw on Croatia’s lawn in the League of Nations on Monday June 6 (1-1), three days after their home defeat against Denmark (1-2). The Blues have once again failed to offer a more attractive game, nor to hold the advantage in score. Some players nevertheless won points, like Mike Maignan, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot.
Mike Maignan: 6.5/10
The evening was not easy for the n°2. His third match with the Blues was a little livelier than the previous ones, against Ukraine in October 2020 (7-1) and South Africa (5-0) in March. If he did not manage to push back the penalty from Kramaric (83rd), the Milan goalkeeper completed the meeting with four saves, facing Modric from afar (71st), ahead of Kramaric (81st) then on his line against Vlasic ( 87th). He leaves the impression that the outcome of the meeting would not have been the same without his interventions at the end of the match.
Benjamin Pavard: 3.5/10
Imprecise in his defensive interventions and approximate in his alignment with the rest of the defense, the Bayern Munich player sometimes prevented the opposing attackers from being offside, including on the action leading to the penalty.
William Saliba: 5.5/10
A very active evening for the defender who shone with OM this season. If he multiplied the saving interventions (in front of Budimir in the 13th, on Kovacic in the 25th), some were often used to correct an error on his part. The attitude is irreproachable, but the lack of technical reliability spoils his game a bit.
Presnel Kimpembe: 5.5/10
Back as a starter, with the captain’s armband around his arm for the first time, Kimpembe was authoritative in duels. His tackle in front of Budimir (18th) also saved his team in the first period. He ends on a bad note, with a yellow card (85th) collected just after the equalizer. This sanction is the symbol of his lack of calm while the French team, in difficulty, needed a boss to remobilise.
Moussa Diaby: 4.5/10
Active, but rather messy, the frail and swift winger from Bayer Leverkusen lost several balls on the restart. He did not always make the right choices when he was in a good position, forgetting Griezmann, better placed than him, to shoot the goalkeeper (74th). Replaced by Jonathan Clauss (79th)guilty of a foul on Kramaric in the area just two minutes after coming into play, causing the Croatian equalizer.
1 – Jonathan Clauss is the first player of the French team to concede a penalty after entering during play since Moussa Sissoko against the Netherlands on November 16, 2018 in the League of Nations. Whoops. #CROFRA pic.twitter.com/Vgbta65yaP
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) June 6, 2022
Aurelien Tchouameni: 6/10
We would almost forget that he only arrived in selection last September. The Monegasque midfielder celebrated its tenth cap. Tonight, he was the only player retained in the starting XI after the defeat against Denmark (1-2) and he continued to prove that he was not just an option for the future of the Blues. By playing 30 minutes less than the others, he finished the encounter with the highest total of tackles (five), symbol of his slaughter in the heart of the game. Replaced by Boubacar Kamara (62nd)who was able to play his very first match for the France team.
Matteo Guendouzi: 6/10
We found the hyperactive midfielder of OM, not at all complexed for his first tenure with the Blues. Its complementarity with Tchouaméni could be observed even if the start was not ideal for the middle hinge.
Adrien Rabiot: 6.5/10
Used in a left-side midfield role, as against Switzerland during the early elimination at Euro 2021, the Juventus Turin player accepted unnatural tasks. He was rewarded by scoring his second goal for the Blues, after being found in the back of the defense by Ben Yedder. If he is never the one who shines the most in the game, Deschamps appreciates his versatility. His refusal to play the reserves before the 2018 World Cup now seems a long way off.
Lucas Worthy: 5/10
A performance in line with his appearances in selection, without too many ups and downs. He did not manage to make up for the absence of Théo Hernandez, whose offensive contribution was sorely lacking this evening.
Christopher Nkunku: 5.5/10
The midfielder of Leipzig was less shy than during his first tenure, against Côte d’Ivoire. He even thought for a moment to score his first goal in the France team, on a nice cross dive (31st), before being signaled in an offside position. His match almost ended very early because of a tackle from behind from Domagoj Vida (21st).
Wissam Ben Yedder: 5/10
He had a new chance to break his reputation for playing discreetly as soon as he wears the jersey of the France team. But his hour of play was not enough to contradict this idea, even if he was the decisive passer on the only goal of the evening. The Monegasque came out first (at the same time as Tchouaméni), before even attempting the slightest shot. Replaced by Antoine Griezmann (62nd)who stumbled on Livakovic (76th) then completely ruined a dangerous situation when he had passed the goalkeeper (88th).