several masks for Kylian Mbappé and a glaring lack of skill for the Blues in training

The Tricolores, none of whom have scored a goal since the start of the Euro, practiced shooting on Sunday, but were clumsy once again.

France Télévisions – Sports Editorial

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Kylian Mbappé exchanges with Jules Koundé and Antoine Griezmann in training, June 23, 2024 in Paderborn (Germany).  (HORTENSE LEBLANC/FRANCEINFO: SPORT)

The nets shook during the Blues’ training on Sunday June 23, but rather those intended to protect the stands behind the goal. In a good mood and calm, the Blues practiced shooting, but their low success will not be likely to reassure them about their lack of efficiency. Kylian Mbappé, great host of the hitting session, also missed a lot, while he shot without his mask.

Before that, he entered the pitch at the Home Deluxe Arena in Paderborn with a new mask, with ventilation at the forehead, which he touched and adjusted less than the previous ones. But during an exercise in recovering crosses, which were sent to him at ground level, the striker of the French team, not successful (no goals on his first ten attempts), decided to change protection. He put on the mask he wore during the warm-up against the Netherlands and found the net more easily, before taking it off with joy to celebrate a goal. He then did not save it for a shooting session.

Only the substitutes for the match against the Netherlands, with the exception of Kingsley Coman and Eduardo Camavinga, who was hampered by an ankle but not seriously, took part in this striking exercise against Alphonse Areola and Brice Samba in goal. And the adjective most used by journalists posted in the stands to describe him was: “catastrophic”. Benjamin Pavard proved to be the best shooter among a group made up of Olivier Giroud, Randal Kolo Muani, Kylian Mbappé and Bradley Barcola. The latter even returned to the locker room earlier than the others, frustrated by his lack of success.

Kylian Mbappé also showed his frustration, while keeping a smile and self-deprecation. “But what? But what?”, he shouted for example, then blaming the balloons. He also did not hesitate to chamber Olivier Giroud, who certainly did not score points in the eyes of Didier Deschamps, and who returned the favor on his missed shots. A light atmosphere therefore, despite an awkwardness which will not give the blue attackers confidence for the match against Poland on Tuesday.


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