Can’t wait for Friday! Inducted as coach of the France team last July, Zinedine Zidane arouses a lot of impatience. After 14 years of reign of Didier Deschamps (a Euro final, two World Cup finals, a Nations League final), lovers of the Blues and the new are excited at the idea of seeing the former Real Madrid coach return to service on the sidelines after five years of inactivity. For its premiere, ZZ will be entitled to a nice trip to the warm Turkish atmosphere. A match in a hostile environment which is already causing a lot of talk, even if it is not really the atmosphere at the Kocaeli stadium which interests the French press.
Mbappé has not played on the left for more than two years
Since yesterday and Zidane’s first collective training at Clairefontaine, the followers of the Blues have all made a first observation: Zidane wants to install a 4-3-3. No one yet knows if the 1998 world champion will maintain this system over time, but the double ZZ has very specific ideas. Against Turkey, it will probably be a 4-3-3… and with Kylian Mbappé installed in the left lane! Asked about his first collaboration with the legend of the Blues, the Bondynois did not hide his joy. “It’s really great!” Another legend arrives in the French team. We are very happy to have him with us. Everyone expects a lot from us, and from him too, given what he represents for us, French people”recently confided the captain of the Blues to the microphone of CNN.
But (re)installing Mbappé on the left obviously raises big doubts. Not in terms of efficiency (66 goals scored in 106 selections), but in terms of defensive withdrawal. In the selection, Mbappé has not played on his favorite left side since the semi-final of Euro 2024 lost to Spain (1-2). A roughly equivalent observation in the club. At Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Enrique repositioned him as number 9 during the 2023/2024 season. In Madrid, Mbappé evolved into this center-forward position upon his arrival in 2024, even if he often stepped on Vinicius Jr’s toes on the left. And if Didier Deschamps, Luis Enrique, Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa and José Mourinho left him up front, it was to compensate for the Frenchman’s lack of defensive effort. By choosing to bring Mbappé back to his youthful loves, has Zinedine Zidane found the miracle solution?
A plan that already has flaws?
This evening, The Team reveals to us the first French names who have a very good chance of being starters on Friday evening. Andy Diouf would be repositioned as left side, while Adrien Rabiot, Manu Koné and Rayan Cherki should make up the midfield. Up front, Kylian Mbappé will occupy the left flank, Michael Olise would be his right counterpart and Ousmane Dembélé would occupy the axis. A piece of composition which corresponds to the plan of “Zizou” with Mbappé. According to the sports daily, the French staff believes that putting Rabiot’s profile on the same side as Mbappé would be enough to guarantee balance. Finally, to further lock things in, Zidane chose to call on full-backs like Diouf and Adrien Truffert. Better profiles in defense than in attack. But this plan appears to have some flaws.
The first is that Rabiot has already teamed up with Mbappé on the left flank. It was precisely the day when the Bondynois played for the last time in this position in the selection, during the semi-final of Euro 2024 lost against La Roja. And we all remember when Rabiot was left to his own devices during Lamine Yamal’s rush to score the equalizing goal, while Mbappé remained higher up the pitch without intervening. Finally, if Diouf has a more defensive than offensive profile, the young Inter player has no experience in the French team (same for the former Rennais Truffert) and he is mainly used to playing on the right of the defense, not on the left. A hell of a challenge to take on for a first tenure. Unlike Didier Deschamps, Luis Enrique, Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa and José Mourinho, will Zinedine Zidane be able to find the words to convince his captain to make defensive efforts so as not to unbalance his team? Response in two days.
