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The vice-world champions have successfully entered the race for qualification for Euro-2024 by outclassing the Netherlands (4-0) at the Stade de France, in particular thanks to a double from their new captain, Kylian Mbappe.
The era of captain Kylian Mbappé, double scorer, opened with a festival, Friday March 24, against the Netherlands (4-0), a diminished and overwhelmed opponent in qualifying for Euro-2024, an ideal launch for the French vice-world champions.
Against the “Oranje”, the Blues were in a hurry and it was seen on the scoreboard with a 3-0 gala after only 21 minutes, in a full and delighted Stade de France. The party ended with a fourth goal from Mbappé (4-0, 88e) and a penalty saved by Mike Maignan in added time.
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Admittedly, the selection of Ronald Koeman was painful to do with his many injured executives (Frenkie de Jong), sick (Matthijs de Ligt, Cody Gakpo …) or suspended (Denzel Dumfries). But Didier Deschamps and his young troupe did what was necessary with efficiency and talent.
Three months after its final lost in a breath of the World Cup, the French team is launching its year 2023 and the qualifications for the next major tournament, Euro-2024 in Germany (June 14-July 14), from the best of ways: an impermeable defense, four goals scored, three points taken and a first place in group B.
The trip to Dublin to face the Republic of Ireland on Monday is therefore written in a light atmosphere, while the more modest Gibraltar and Greece will present themselves in June on the road to the French.
The good agreement Mbappé-Griezmann
Armband in arm, Mbappé guided his people with his brutal accelerations, his fatal passes, his imperial double and his cordial agreement with Antoine Griezmann, vice-captain fulfilled on the ground, failing to receive the precious piece of fabric this week.
As a symbol, the midfielder of Atlético Madrid relieved his pain on an offering from Mbappé who, on the occasion, pretended to hit to better serve him (1-0, 2e). The two men ostensibly celebrated together the goal of “Grizou”, his first after a long abstinence of sixteen matches.
The pink-haired Madrid native, for his seventy-fifth selection in a row, a national record, then pushed Jasper Cillessen to the fault with a dangerous free kick that the goalkeeper pushed back into the legs of Dayot Upamecano (2-0 , 8e).
The third goal didn’t take long to arrive. And who else than Mbappé to take care of it? Aurélien Tchouaméni offered himself an authoritarian full-axis breakthrough, Randal Kolo Muani let the ball slip away and the Paris SG striker concluded gently (3-0, 21e) to register his 19e goal in his last 17 matches in the blue jersey.
The tricolor trio involved in this new twig symbolizes, with almost 23 years of average age, the new face of the Blues of Didier Deschamps, relifted under the influence of absences (Kanté, Pogba …) and decisions of the coach.
Penalty stopped for Maignan
At kick-off, the boss of the 2022 world vice-champions had for example decided to leave the dean Olivier Giroud, 36, on the bench to launch Kolo Muani, deprived of an offside goal at the end of the game. match.
The rear base had few selections, too, between goalkeeper Mike Maignan and the central hinge formed by Upamecano and Ibrahima Konaté.
Observed by Hugo Lloris, the newly retired to whom the Stade de France paid tribute before the game, Maignan had a fairly quiet first as the new number 1 goalkeeper of the Blues.
The AC Milan player, however, experienced a few rare thrills on a somewhat hazardous outing in front of Memphis Depay (32e) and a dangerous free kick from the Dutch striker (58e).
“Magic Mike”, a specialist in the exercise, even stopped a penalty from the same Depay in added time, punctuating his induction in the best possible way. Enough to fill the Stade de France and its 77,300 spectators.
With AFP