Adrien Rabiot and Corentin Tolisso were associated in a diamond midfield against Wales on June 2, during the first preparatory match for the Blues (3-0). The absence of N’Golo Kanté then made possible the constitution of this pair. The return of the tireless little midfielder, a recent European champion with Chelsea, has necessarily reshuffled the cards since.
Alongside Kanté therefore and Paul Pogba, there is still a place to be taken. The Munich player started against Bulgaria. Rather, he showed himself to his advantage thanks to his constant pressing and many scratched balls. But his presence among the holders resulted from the defection of the Turinese victim of a contusion to an ankle. Now restored, the latter will therefore, except for new physical concern, holder against Germany, on June 15.
In reality, Rabiot (15 selections) keeps a good head start on his competitor. Recalled in selection in the summer of 2020 after an absence of more than two years linked to his refusal to be a substitute for the 2018 World Cup, he then asserted himself as an important pawn of the French system. Along with a full season with Juventus Turin, he played nine out of thirteen games with the Blues.
In Lisbon, in November, in the League of Nations (1-0), he even splashed the meeting with his talent in a higher position, on the left. Its versatility also pleads in its favor. “He has real self-confidence, he has the technical capacity, the volume and, in addition, he has a physical impact that he did not have before, said Didier Deschamps this fall. He’s still a young player, but he’s matured. The big difference is that he does everything with more determination. » Rabiot also has the advantage of being a pure left-hander in an midfield where right-handed people abound (Tolisso, Sissoko, Kanté and the ambidextrous Pogba).
The physical unknown for Tolisso
In his state of mind, Rabiot has also transformed to the point where he now puts his individual interest behind the collective good. “I have already told the coach that now I could play anywhere for the good of the France team, he recalled on June 5 during a press briefing. As long as I can bring something to this team, my positioning is not a subject. Playing sentry is also an option, of course. You have to be ready for anything, and in this environment we have to move a lot, to reverse our positions ”.
However, Tolisso embodies, during the tournament, a credible alternative. His mere presence at the Euro is already a real victory for him. Returned in time from his rupture of a muscle tendon in the thigh contracted in February, he offers an interesting register. The main question about him relates, after an absence of three months, to his ability to chain games without showing a logical physical backlash.
In 2018, he had to make himself available to replace Blaise Matuidi, suspended, against Uruguay in the quarter-finals. Didier Deschamps in particular appreciates his impact and his sense of combat. He is also able to project himself, has a good ball strike, and a useful passing quality in a team that also needs technical accuracy to move the opposing block. Clearly in this sector of play as in all the others, Didier Deschamps has a very rich range of solutions.
