The French team begins its year 2022 with a victory. At the end of an average match, the Blues managed to win on Friday March 25, in an almost full Vélodrome stadium, with 62,000 supporters, against a tough team from Côte d’Ivoire (2-1). Held in check until the very end of the match, Didier Deschamps’ players managed to snatch victory in this friendly match thanks to the goal in added time by Aurélien Tchouaméni (90 + 2nd).
>>> To read also: the notes of the Blues
Despite the victory, we will not go so far as to say that the performance of the Blues was good tonight. In a Vélodrome in the still fresh air despite a beautiful day at the start of spring, the Tricolores therefore relied on Aurélien Tchouaméni and his goal from a corner so as not to lose face. Author of a great performance, he confirms that he can be a credible alternative in the absence of N’Golo Kanté.
9 – The French team have not lost any of their last 9 matches after conceding the opener (4 wins, 5 draws) and have won the most recent 3 (against Belgium, Spain and Côte d’Ivoire). Stunning. #FRACIV pic.twitter.com/3l28nyTP7g
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) March 25, 2022
A draw, for the return of the Blues to the Vélodrome six years after the semi-final of Euro 2016 against Germany, would have been a task for this first meeting of the year. But the score will not hide the evening wanderings of this France team. Didier Deschamps should be the first to point this out: after an interesting first period from an offensive point of view, much less defensively, his players offered almost nothing in the second act, apart from a big chance for Antoine Griezmann (61st) , a header for Giroud (87th). And this goal from a corner, therefore, from Tchouaméni.
Les Bleus fell to a good side from the Ivory Coast, determined to show their best side. In reality, this match was only friendly in name. It is enough to see the intensity put by the 22 players on the lawn, especially on the Ivorian side, to realize that the stakes were high. “It’s our own World Cup“, assured Serge Aurier, the captain of the Elephants, on Thursday, while Côte d’Ivoire is already excluded from the race to qualify for the next World Cup.
It was also necessary to see the Ivorian supporters, overjoyed on the goal of Nicolas Pépé (19th), to understand that the match was important. Didier Deschamps and his staff knew this and the coach had chosen to maintain his 3-4-1-2 system to work on it after installing it over time from September. With what he saw tonight, Deschamps still has enough to work on his players. Especially defensively.
Like the goal scored by Pépé, on which the two Hernandez brothers missed – Théo on the interception, Lucas by not managing to stop the Ivorian – the three-man defense of the Blues is still wavering. When the opposing wingers press in the axis and play one-on-one and the eccentric tricolor centrals – Lucas Hernandez and Jules Koundé – are not having a great day, the opportunities can quickly multiply. Before his goal, Pépé had given a first scare to the defense of the Blues (11th), before the warning from Wilfried Zaha (18th). In the second period, the French defense was able to rectify the situation.
To react, the Blues relied on a man, who should not be there at the start of the rally: Olivier Giroud. Coming to replace Karim Benzema at short notice after the injury of the latter, his goal scored this evening will inevitably revive the debate: should Giroud be called to each rally? While the France team was trailing, his headed goal to revive his team (21st) partly answers this question. Yes, Giroud is still as valuable as ever. Especially when Deschamps decides to start him instead of a Wissam Ben Yedder who is still waiting for his chance in Blue, and the crosses arrive.
Present on the lawn for the entire match, Giroud nevertheless saw them become scarce, these centers, during a second period which was therefore disappointing. The absence of Kylian Mbappé, who remained on the bench due to an ENT infection, was felt more than ever. Didier Deschamps wanted to see his system in action, and he saw it. And learned.
. @TheoHernandez always decisive #FRACIV pic.twitter.com/fsbK9X5rU8
— Late Football Club (@LateFootClub) March 25, 2022
The coach will also have seen that Théo Hernandez is still as valuable offensively, he who has obtained the most chances on the French side and who is a decisive passer on Giroud’s goal, and that Christopher Nkunku had a very complicated first selection, very far from the level of his club performances. There are only seven months of “preparatory” matches left to play before the start of the World Cup in Qatar and the first of them will be against South Africa next Tuesday, at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium. And Deschamps will certainly expect more from his proteges in content.