The superb goal of Mbappé, the decisive entry of Benzema, but also the French right side which raises questions: find the Tops and the Flops of this match between Finland and the Blues (0-2).
Tops
Mbappé, still precious
In the wake of his quadruplet against Kazakhstan, Kylian Mbappé was still invaluable in this last meeting of the Blues in 2021. The most active in a dull first act, with an off-target strike in particular, he was the most moving after the break . Author of sharp calls that destabilized the Finnish defense, he served as a relay for Benzema on the first goal and signed the second thanks to an incredible action. After a lightning acceleration on the left side, he kept his lucidity at the end of the race to wind his shot beautifully in the box and deceive Hradecky. Essential.
Read alsoThanks to Benzema and Mbappé, the Blues end 2021 with a smile
Benzema woke up the Blues
He did not start but he seemed to have a fierce desire to help the Blues when he came into play. Preserved at first, the Real striker entered before the hour mark to boost the offensive sector. Active entry, with a shot on target (58e), he especially freed the France team by requesting a relay with Mbappé and concluding with a deflected shot. His presence especially forced the Finns to be more vigilant behind, which also left more space for his friend Mbappé.
SEE ALSO – Benzema’s best goals for Real Madrid in La Liga
Zouma, a rock behind
Holder within a relatively inexperienced central defense (with Upamecano and Koundé), Kurt Zouma acted as a boss. Master in duels, he imposed his physical power on the Finns and hampered the stirring Pukki. His many interceptions helped the Blues a lot in the weak times.
Tchouaméni, still satisfactory
Holder for the 2e only once in Blue, Aurélien Tchouaméni was still performing well in the midfield. Very active, he collected a lot of balls and always had this concern of relaunching cleanly. More present than his friend Rabiot, we saw him bring solutions by slipping into the intervals and bringing the excess.
Flops
Deschamps still groping to the right
For this match, Didier Deschamps had chosen to make a few changes and notably established Léo Dubois on the right flank. But the side of the OL did not bring enough on his wing by content to play back while the game leaned on his side and required more daring against a Finnish defense. Unfortunately, he had to give up his place due to injury and his replacement Benjamin Pavard had trouble finding his place from the start. This even forced Deschamps to move him back to bring Kingsley Coman into this position, like last Saturday. Benefiting from less space than against Kazakhstan, the Bayern winger has logically encountered more difficulties in expressing himself. But it is without a doubt the one who did the best of the three postulants.
Finland too limited
In its system relying on a lot of density in the axis, Finland disappointed. If she woke up at the end of the first period by pressing higher, she appeared very limited with a Pukki too lonely in front. For his 100e selection, the Norwich striker did try a few strikes but was too little accompanied. A Finland that will not even compete in the play-offs since Ukraine won in Bosnia (0-2) and capped on the edge.
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