The Blues of Didier Deschamps made short work of the weak selection of Gibraltar, this Saturday, in Nice, in qualifying for Euro 2024.
France-Gibraltar 14-0
France : Santos (3e, CSC), Thuram (4e), Zaïre-Emery (16e), Mbappé (30e sp, 74e, 82e,), Clauss (34e), Coman (36e, 65e), Fofana (37e), Rabiot ( 63e), Dembélé (73e), Giroud (89e, 90e+1).
Historic evening for the French team! The Blues obtained the largest victory in their history this Saturday, by inflicting a huge correction on Gibraltar (14-0). Didier Deschamps’ men shattered the record previously established by their predecessors in 1995 (10-0 against Azerbaijan). On an accounting level, this clear success allows the world vice-champions, already qualified for Euro 2024 before the meeting, to secure top seed status during the draw for the final phase.
Zaire-Emery scorer but out due to injury
In front of a celebrating Allianz Riviera, the CSC of Santos (1-0, 3rd) and the opportunistic goal of Thuram (2-0, 4th) from the start launched the Blues perfectly in this very unbalanced match. Zaire-Emery did not fail to participate in the party. Just called up to the A’s and already starting in midfield, the PSG prodigy quickly got comfortable and took charge of scoring the third goal himself, after a nice combination with Coman (3-0, 16th ). An action however fatal to the 17-year-old player, now the youngest scorer in the history of the Blues but left with an injury in the process. The right ankle of the new international was hit by Santos’ uncontrolled tackle, expelled for this gesture (19th).
Already suffering, the 198th nation in the FIFA rankings experienced a real ordeal in numerical inferiority. The last quarter of an hour of the first act turned into a demonstration for the merciless Blues. Mbappé, discreet until then, increased the score from the penalty spot (4-0, 30th). More prominent on the right, Clauss and Coman often combined to good effect, their numerous crosses pounded a very permeable Gibraltarian defense. The two friends were able to make their great performance come true by scoring two minutes apart (5-0, 34th / 6-0, 36th). Fofana, substitute for Zaire-Emery in midfield, took advantage of a hand fault from the unfortunate Coleing to bring the score to 7-0 at the break (37th).
Hat-trick for Mbappé, Giroud sees double
At the end of an already historic first period, the Blues could have been content to manage the debates after returning from the locker room. But after a quiet start, the French team resumed its royal march to obtain a record victory. Rabiot from a corner (8-0, 63rd) and Coman (9-0, 65th) scored at the heart of an absent defense, while Dembélé scored the tenth French goal with a beautiful low strike (10-0, 73rd ). To all credit, Mbappé allowed the Blues to overtake the Blues of 1995. The Parisian star first victoriously took a cross from Hernandez (11-0, 74th), before treating Allianz Rivera with a magic lob from (very) far away (12-0, 82nd). A masterpiece synonymous with the 300th career goal scored by the former Monegasque. In the wake of his captain, Giroud signed his entry by scoring a double at the very end of the match (13-0, 89th / 14-0, 90th+1).
After this historic evening, which saw the French team score one more goal than the leader of Ligue 1 (Nice) in twelve days, the Blues will be on deck from Tuesday. With a trip to Greece on the program, to conclude with a perfect elimination phase (eight victories in eight matches, twenty-seven goals scored, only one conceded). Didier Deschamps should carry out a large squad review for this match without stakes, the last of a year 2023 full of promise.
