After having locked its qualifying ticket for Euro 2024, which will take place in Germany from June 14 to July 14, 2024, thanks to its victory against the Netherlands (1-2) on Friday, the French team did not just a mouthful of Scotland (4-1) on the lawn of the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Lille. For this friendly meeting, coach Didier Deschamps made small maneuvers in his 4-3-3 system. If Benjamin Pavard, placed back in the center, monopolized the spotlight, eyes were also drawn to the offensive changes since unlike the match against the Oranjes, captain Kylian Mbappé was not aligned with Randal Kolo Muani and Kingsley Coman, but rather alongside Ousmane Dembélé and Olivier Giroud in attack. If the AC Milan striker fulfilled his role as number 9 by notably causing a penalty, the former FC Barcelona player had more difficulty. Worse still, Kingsley Coman made a thunderous entrance in his place. How to draw down the cards for the next truces?
“The match gave us convictions. Apart from this first quarter of an hour where we were apathetic with a mistake which led to the goal, their only opportunity that they had in the first half, thereafter, we did good things by putting the ingredients in with the offensive quality too, not necessarily with the same team but it’s good for the group that was there by distributing the playing time. The ability to score goals, we often score, here we scored four so it ‘is very good”then declared the French coach, Didier Deschamps at the microphone of TF1, after the great victory of his team (4-1). Because winning is good, but winning by opening your bench is even better.
Coman’s entry in the face of Dembélé’s disappointment
Coming into play in the 64th minute, Kingsley Coman knew full well that this half hour was going to be important. Even if the score was already good and the match was only a friendly at the end of the international break, all opportunities are good to seize in a big team like that of the French team where the competition is fierce. The former Parisian only needed six minutes to score a goal (70th) when he received a shot from Antoine Griezmann that was pushed back by the crossbar. He placed a superb half-volley on the right side of the Scottish box, which hit the bar before rattling the Tartan Army goalkeeper’s net for the fourth time of the evening. With this achievement, his sixth with the Blues, Coman thus offered himself his first goal with France since 2020.
A little later, the Bayern Munich striker perfectly launched Marcus Thuram (81st) in depth, who unfortunately found Liam Kelly’s crossbar. This is what we call a productive entry: efficiency, versatility, liveliness, rhythm… The Paris native produced a very clean copy, a few days after having entrusted our colleagues with Figaro : “It’s beyond me. I know that my game is not focused on statistics and if everyone only thinks about that, you don’t win. There needs to be a mix between the decisive players and those who do the shopping for the others. Football is not just about statistics. Of course, as an offensive player, we are also judged on this point, but it is not inevitable.he then declared at length in this major interview, during which he spoke of all his determination to establish himself among the Blues despite a still virgin record with the selection.
While one player is singing, another can sound out of tune. Since the holder in the right winger position in the evening, which Kingsley Coman has also replaced perfectly, is called Ousmane Dembélé. The twirling Parisian tried a lot as usual, but very often his attempts proved unsuccessful. The right side of the Blues, lacking automatisms, suffered from the comparison with the left wing, much more offensively inspired. At the start of the second period, Dembélé nevertheless served on a board Kylian Mbappé who lacked spontaneity to convert the offering. So most certainly that the former FC Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund player did not lose his status with the Blues over a simple friendly meeting, largely won by his team moreover, but it is important to remember that with all the offensive elements present in the ranks of Didier Deschamps, the hierarchy can very quickly be re-discussed, especially if direct competitors like Coman take advantage of the minutes offered to them to perform in this way. Already under the spotlight with PSG, Ousmane Dembélé must react to bounce back better.
