If the case stopped now, the confusion of feelings would prevail. There would be a part of unfinished, two points out of nine possible, an Antoine Griezmann in the cellar, not many people in the attic, even if the entry of Kylian Mbappé in Austria has grown the blue house. There would be satisfactions – the performance of Mike Maignan, new holder, the successful captaincy of Presnel Kimpembe who obtains this Monday a suite in the form of a reward in this role, the interesting adaptation of Christopher Nkunku – and debates for five months – the right piston, the role of Jonathan Clauss, the defense with three or four, the international level of some members of the troop.
There is a way to erase the scratches, to lighten the holiday atmosphere for the Blues finally on break from June 12 to July 4 for the most part. France-Croatia, fourth and last stage of the infernal marathon imposed by the authorities in defiance of health and of the time after a pandemic which cut, not so long ago, the momentum of footballers, is used for this . It’s always the last impression that counts, and a victory for the French team illuminated with a gift ribbon would rekindle the flame. It’s always a pleasure to give. After, it will be September, with two meetings in four days (Austria, Denmark) and the elections for the list of Didier Deschamps whose strongest coalition is known.
Mbappé, engine and unifier of the Blues
To win, you will have to score, which will not have been exactly the theme of this month of June with three goals in three outings, by Karim Benzema, Adrien Rabiot and Kylian Mbappé, the only player from the bench to have changed the course of ‘an encounter. But these are circumstances since the Parisian has become one of the executives, even a driving force and a unifier of the Blues, a year after a Euro where we had found him very alone at the time of his missed shot on goal against to Switzerland. “We have to combine all our forces to win this last match with Kylian and the others,” advises Deschamps.
This rally, which will have recorded the withdrawal, we hope for him, of Griezmann, will not have advanced anything in attack where the corridors provoke but do not end anything (Moussa Diaby, Kingsley Coman), where Ben Yedder remains isolated, where the Mbappé-Benzema duo remains a plan A with no alternative while the Madrid player will remain on the bench in Saint-Denis. The Habs can’t get by without them, unless Nkunku scores his first goal for his sixth cap against Croatia. There would be the hope of an alternative, a nice impression before leaving the scene for more than three months.