Euro 2024 qualifiers: France continues its clear round against Ireland and consolidates its leadership throne

Before the shock against Germany next Tuesday in a friendly match on the lawn of Signal Iduna Park, the French team continued its campaign in qualifying for Euro 2024, scheduled for next summer, precisely on the other side of the Rhine. And for the fifth day of these qualifiers, the Blues received Ireland at the Parc des Princes, home of Paris Saint-Germain. To hope to continue his faultless after four victories in as many games, Didier Deschamps decided to trust his typical attacking quartet, with Olivier Giroud in the axis accompanied by Antoine Griezmann while Ousmane Dembélé and the captain, Kylian Mbappé , occupied the corridors. The Hernandez brothers, Lucas and Theo, were associated, meanwhile, on the left of the defense. Very quickly in this meeting, the Blues put their foot on the ball against the disorganized Irish defensively, repeating the efforts but little coordinated to undermine the possession of the locals. Nevertheless, the visitors seemed to want to worry the French team in transition or on set pieces, but it was without counting on the vigilance of Mike Maignan to protect his goals. On a free kick 30 meters on the left, Antoine Griezmann shook the opposing defense before stopping the chest of Gavin Bazunu (15th). But a few minutes later, the latter was deceived by the superb distant and powerful shot of Aurélien Tchouameni, on a shift from Mbappé (1-0, 10th). What confirm the ascendancy tricolor in the lair of Ile-de-France. DD’s foals continued to project themselves forward to make the break, in particular thanks to a Dembélé twirling on his right flank but sometimes clumsy in his decision-making.

Small black spot for the Blues: the exit of the Milanese Olivier Giroud, who fell badly following a cross from Théo Hernandez on his left ankle, replaced on the green rectangle by his rival in Milan, the Interist Marcus Thuram. The exit of the 2018 world champion brought down the offensive rhythm of his team, who obtained a few opportunities, without success for Mbappé (36th, 38th) and Thuram (42nd, 45 + 2nd). And when he returned from the locker room, the former Borussia Mönchenglabach striker finally found the net, pivoting before beating Bazunu with a shot from close range (2-0, 48th). The perfect timing to double the bet and ensure a little more of the three points of victory, despite a semblance of awakening from the Boys in Green, who were not playing the shots against in the best way, if not is a beautiful header from Chiedozie Ogbene, well slammed by Maignan in front of his line (51st). The Luton Town striker tried his luck a second time with a shot from the left, above the tricolor woods (52nd). In the other area, Bazunu had a lot to do, happy to see Mbappé miss him (55th) before deploying on Tchouameni’s shot (67th) and seeing his left post save him against Dembélé (72nd) . Deschamps took advantage of the score advantage to rotate his workforce with many changes, and in particular the entry of Kingsley Coman who honored his 50th selection in Blue. More relaxed at the end of the match, Mbappé managed a nice little bridge but missed his distant attempt from the left (89th). Thuram was not far from the double if his pricked header did not escape the opposing frame (90 + 4th). With this controlled victory (2-0), France has a fifth success in 5 matches and is getting closer to the German Euro, without conceding a single goal to become the best defense of these qualifications tied with Portugal.