The meeting against Iceland highlighted the ability of the Blues to manage stretched and chopped matches, despite a compact and aggressive opposing block. From the first minutes, France tried to make the difference, but Elias Rafn Olafsson multiplied the parades to maintain its team in the match. The Nordics surprised everyone by opening the scoring against the course of the game (0-1, 22nd) on an error by Michael Olise, forcing the Habs to react quickly. French domination continued, but the frank opportunities were systematically countered or stopped by the Icelandic goalkeeper, until the penalty transformed by Mbappé just before the break (1-1, 45th), which allowed France to stay in contact despite a delicate scenario: “under side? It's very nice, I don't know what to say, it's very nice. Maybe the fact that I left France very early, I did 6 months in Ligue 1 and 1 year in Ligue 2. What I do in France, I have been doing it for a long time. It's just that I had less consistency. Today, I arrived at a time in my career, arriving at Roma, I had this constancy. This is one of the teams that trusted me in the last transfer window. I try to give myself to the maximum“Said Manu Koné in the mixed zone.
The second period confirmed the combative character of Iceland, which pushed despite the numerical inferiority after the expulsion of Tchouameni (67th). The tension reached its paroxysm when Andri Guðjohnsen seemed to offer the draw to his team, but the goal was canceled by the Var for a fault on Konaté (88th), causing the frustration of the Icelandic players and staff. Despite this constant pressure and moments when the score seemed threatened, the Blues were able to keep their advantage and win 2-1 thanks to the decisive goal of Barcola (62nd). The low block? “”I don't think it is problematic, it's just a little moment of adaptation, it was necessary to create occasionally, no longer go ahead, to go into one against one, to create center situations. I think we took a little time to analyze this. But as soon as he had acted, there is Marcus and Kylian». A victory that highlights the resilience and ability of the French team to win even in high intensity and under tension matches.
Competition is warned
Manu Koné once again confirmed his status as master of the French environment. Facing Iceland, it has been everywhere: recovering an incalculable number of balloons, orienting the game with lucidity and providing precious stability in the midfield. Its presence allowed France to maintain control of the ball despite the constant pressure of the Icelanders and to properly relaunch the attacks, offering solutions to Mbappé and Barcola. Two matches in a row where the midfielder stands out as a key element of the Didier Deschamps system, combining defensive activity and offensive projection with an impressive regularity: “I have been waiting for this for a long time. Today, I'm here. I give myself for the team. The more everyone is strong, the further we go. We all want to go to the World Cup. On a personal level, I feel better. I hope the coach is happy. (On his duet with Aurélien Tchouameni in the midfield) We get along well, on and off the field. We have the same agents, we talk to each other all the time. On the ground, we manage to put this in place. We are compatible “said Koné.
Beyond statistics, it is its influence in the rhythm and balance of the collective that emerges. Koné was able to keep France afloat when Iceland pressed high and caused dangerous ball losses. “”This is the objective, we are competitors that is to say, we always want to finish first. So we have that in mind. We can't already see ourselves there. You think we are already there, but we are very lucid. We know that we first win these matches». Its ability to cover large spaces, combine with its partners and delay the game was essential to secure 2-1 victory. With this performance, Koné confirms that he is more than a simple potential holder: he is now a reliable pillar of the French team, capable of imposing his style and weighing on the result, match after match.
