The question goes beyond this French team, that of young Moussa Diaby and Christopher Nkunku, performing well against Luka Modric’s Croatia before sharing the draw at the end, cracking through naivety, the other word for the lack of experience and marrow at this level. Yes, this point in Split testifies to a permanent state of mind among the Blues, the desire to redeem themselves after a false step, a desire never to sink twice in a row, even if it is not only one point.
Like a hyphen with the “real” French team, which is betting on all these qualities to win a third star for the Tricolores in a few months. This is thus the greatest merit of this team B, that of having looked like plan A when we are at best only a second choice. They have often lived up to the event, which lays a foundation, a base. For them, not all of them, it’s about getting on the right wagon, Deschamps’ list of 23 or 26 before the World Cup and some have certainly won loyalty points in the process.
At first, we were therefore disappointed for the better, after 45 minutes when these new Blues resisted the local fury quite a bit, fed by a Split in fusion transforming the Poljud stadium into a dancing and whistling Bombonera. They didn’t do everything well but they sometimes and even in sequences were in the standards of an international match, mastering and dominating their host.
An eleven that will have no tomorrow
In the fight and the idea of being patient to find the flaw ahead, too, as if they already had great maturity. In a mixed team of doubles who will never go further (Guendouzi, Ben Yedder), Hopes of tomorrow (Nkunku, Saliba) and confirmed players but fallen in their status (Pavard, Rabiot), this coherence seemed to hold of the miracle even if they ended up breaking up at the end of the night. But what counts here is not so much the result but the way to achieve it and this cohesion tells that they understand where they are, in this selection which wants to succeed itself in Qatar.
As if they had promised themselves to behave well and that they succeeded, from time to time, in the context of a reorganized selection and an eleven which will have no tomorrow. We will see them all again but separately or in clusters, incorporated into a formation closer to the original idea of Didier Deschamps, with Benzema, Mbappé, Varane, Lloris and others.
There is also little chance of seeing this 4-4-2 again with the three usual attackers who “forced” the coach to adopt his 3-4-1-2 post-Euro 2021. It is a one-time story, a revival of circumstances when ten holders of the defeat against Denmark were able to breathe, only Aurélien Tchouaméni chaining. Opposite, Zlatko Dalic had rested six beats against Austria last Friday, the two favorites of the group missing their debut in this new League of Nations. After this draw, they stay on the ground floor but with the conviction that the accident seems behind them.
MATCH SHEET
- Half time: 0-0.
- Spectators: 33,869.
- Referees: M. Guida (ITA).
- Buts. Croatie : Kramaric (83e s.p.). France : Rabiot (52e).
- Warnings. Croatia: Vida (21st). France: Kimpembe (85th).
- Croatie : Livakovic – Juranovic, Erlic, Vida, Barisic – Modric (cap.) (Vlasic, 79e), Brozovic, Kovacic (Sucic, 79e) – Majer (Pasalic, 63e), Budimir (Kramaric, 69e), Brekalo (Orsic, 63e). Entr. : Dalic.
- France: Maignan – Pavard, Saliba, Kimpembe (cap), Digne – Diaby (Clauss, 79th), Guendouzi, Tchouaméni (Kamara, 62nd), Rabiot – Nkunku, Ben Yedder (62nd). Entr. : Deschamps.