France-Chile (3-2): the Blues do not erase doubts

The victory is there but the Blues will not have mastered much during this international sequence in March. We will have to keep it warm, in the back of our minds when the Euro comes because it casts a veil over the status of favorite of the French team, author of two rather sluggish, incomplete, sometimes worrying, rarely matches. exciting. Against Germany, it was weak and against Chile, it was not that strong.

As if the French team from Lyon had contaminated that from Marseille. Three days after the non-match against Germany, the Blues with nine changes made the same unworthy start and if the affair did not take seven seconds, six totally useless minutes were enough to put them upside down. With the same problems: passivity, a lack of impact and desire, a calm Chilean circulation of the ball until the goal of Marcelo Nunez, who before hitting would have had time to send two SMS (0-1, 6th).

Scorer and passer, Kolo Muani found

The tricolor mediocrity lasted a good quarter of an hour before Youssouf Fofana sounded the revolt, by scoring then shifting Théo Hernandez, better at attacking than defending, which did not change (2-1, in seven minutes ). The midfielder projected himself and did more in a few minutes than the three in this sector against Germany.

By getting back in front, the Blues regained their bearings but lost two players, Jonathan Clauss (torn left thigh hamstring), already out of the clasico on Sunday, and Eduardo Camavinga, victim of a sprained left foot. With six or seven potential Euro starters at kick-off depending on the status of Clauss (Maignan, Konaté, T. Hernandez, Tchouaméni, Mbappé, Giroud), they have never completely reassured collectively, struggling with placed attacks and in the overall use of the ball, even seeing themselves saved by the post in the second half (Eduardo Vargas, 50th).

On the other hand, they distilled some satisfaction here and there, with a number 9 who weighs and scores (3-1, 73rd), a left side who splits and offers offensive solutions, a Fofana who is never disappointing when he has his chance and a Randal Kolo Muani found. Scorer, passer and offensive troublemaker, the Parisian, little whistled by the Marseillais as if he did not really belong to PSG, justified the unwavering confidence of the coach and showed that he remained a powerful and combative attacker. With mentality, given the period he is going through at the club.

In transitions, Didier Deschamps’ men, on the other hand, once again wreaked havoc on the opponent, reminding us that speed and counterattack remain two separate offensive weapons in the blue kit. They did not allow Kylian Mbappé to shine, author of a fairly ordinary international sequence, between bad and neutral. The captain of the A, booed as he expected, returns here on Sunday and it is OM who could pay for everyone after two outings without goal or brilliance. There is little doubt that he will be ready for the Euros. There is more on the tricolor solidity, with four goals conceded in two matches, a real concern with a view to an international competition. Almost prohibitive even for aiming high and far.