Aurélien Tchouaméni facing Jamal Musiala during the friendly match between France and Germany at Groupama Stadium, in Décines (Rhône), March 23, 2024. FRANCK FIFE / AFP
The match therefore ended as it began, after the first of the two goals in the German victory against France (2-0), Saturday March 23: with loud whistles coming down from the stands of the Groupama Stadium in Décines-Charpieu ( Rhône). Adrien Rabiot said it this week: “A match against Germany is never friendly. » Bowing to your German neighbor, at home no less – a first since 2013 – is never pleasant. Even more so when the latter is described as ill, in distress just three months removed from his Euro.
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On Saturday, however, it was the French team which appeared in very bad shape, amputated of one of its vital organs in the absence of Antoine Griezmann, facing a German team more dashing than ever. “It’s a good reminder, fortunately it was only a friendly one. We had a non-match”reacted Benjamin Pavard after the meeting. “An evening to forget”according to Brice Samba, helpless on the fastest goal conceded by the France team in its history.
Forgetting this evening would, however, mean ignoring certain lessons that should not be overlooked in anticipation of the Euro, such as this French inability to respond to Germany in midfield. The latter has built its success in Lyon thanks to its technical mastery in this sector, with a constant surplus in the axis. This is where the Blues suffered the most, powerless against the science of placement of Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, 20 and 21 years old respectively.
On Friday, Ilkay Gündogan announced that he expected from his young teammates “moments of magic”. The German captain was served – Wirtz was the scorer, Musiala the decisive passer – and the debates across the Rhine on the possibility of seeing the two players play together on the pitch should lose intensity. In the end, only a sparkling Toni Kroos was missing for his return to the selection, three years after his last cap, in order to complete the picture of a dominant German midfielder. “The team succeeded in implementing the game plan that I had prepared”welcomed Julian Nagelsmann, the German coach.
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A disharmonious environment
Opposite, the French midfield performed poorly. Let’s get straight to the point: the Griezmann compass, which had guided the France team during its previous 84 matches, was considerably lacking in the French midfielder. His pressing, his ball lifts and his creativity were lacking and are obviously not so easy to replace. “Antoine is the creator, the playing master of our team. This evening, he could have brought it but the guys who were present were able to do it too so we must not make excuses”nuanced Olivier Giroud after the meeting.
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