The Blues present at the kick-off in Baku to face Azerbaijan had a lot to lose. Given the opponent’s pedigree, any result other than a large victory would have been considered a poor performance.
By winning 3-1, Didier Deschamps’ troops therefore provided minimum service. Some also lost points on Sunday, particularly in defense. Captain for one evening, Ibrahima Konaté was not the expected leader and the Hernandez brothers confirmed their current limitations.
In attack, some Blues, on the other hand, came away with honors. This particularly applies to Jean-Philippe Mateta. Scorer against Iceland last month for his first start in the French team, the Crystal Palace player did it again against Azerbaijan on Sunday, allowing the vice-champions to equalize.
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored points
The former Castelroussin also enters the annals of the French team. He is in fact the first player since 2004 and Louis Saha to score in his first two starts with the Blues.
Jean-Philippe Mateta did not shy away from his pleasure at the end of the meeting and clearly showed his ambitions for this summer. “I’m not making the team, but I hope I scored points, yes, he said after the match. It was a difficult match today, against a very determined team. At the break, we said to ourselves that we had to win more duels, stay focused, despite the terrain. I feel good in this France team. It’s a dream for me to be here. I hope to continue the adventure and I will do everything to do so. »
