Didier Deschamps’ men have so far managed to get through thanks to their iron defense, which has only conceded one goal from a penalty, but tonight, Les Bleus will have to play more offensively if they hope to beat the Portuguese Seleçao in Hamburg in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
Published on: 05/07/2024 – 08:15
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A taste of revenge. Eight years after the final lost at home, the French team will meet Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Hamburg on Friday (9:00 p.m.) in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. The opportunity to finally strike a major blow after a particularly disappointing start to the tournament.
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A first round dispatched without glory (1 victory, 2 draws), a dull round of 16 against Belgium (1-0): the start of the Blues is far from corresponding to that of a title contender.
His four outings have made it easy to identify the flaws in the French selection: a failing offensive sector linked to the poor form of the two technical leaders Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, a general athletic deficit and a coach who is fumbling tactically.
Refusal to do
Didier Deschamps’ men have managed to get through this so far thanks to their iron defense, which has only conceded one goal from a penalty, but with the Portuguese Seleçao, the level of adversity will suddenly rise several notches and they will have to find other arguments to get through it.
The French world vice-champions have displayed glaring deficiencies in creation and therefore have an interest in moving up a gear to neutralize a team that is not lacking in assets in this area, with players of the calibre of Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes and very high-level full-backs like Cancelo and Nuno Mendes.
Ruben Neves and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal applaud fans after the Portugal-Turkey Euro 2024 match, Saturday, June 22, in Dortmund, Germany. © Bernadett Szabo, Reuters
All these talents are led by veteran defender Pepe (41 years old) and especially the aging Ronaldo, still there at 39 years old. For what will undoubtedly be his last Euro, the superstar with 5 Ballons d’Or hopes to leave with a 2nd continental title after that of 2016 against the Blues at the Stade de France (1-0 aet).
Mbappé-Ronaldo long-distance duel
Without his old legs, CR7 has not found the back of the net in four matches and no longer poses the same danger as in his heyday. But his tears after his missed penalty in the round of 16 against Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak speak volumes about his deep attachment to his national team.
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They also reflect the difficulties of Portugal, who beat Slovenia in pain (0-0 ap, 3 tab to 0), and have something to reassure the French. Provided that Mbappé, author of a single goal on penalty, wakes up and rekindles the offensive flame of the Blues, who have not yet scored in the game.
The presence in the opposing camp of Ronaldo, his childhood idol, will perhaps sublimate the former Parisian. Before following in the footsteps of the legendary Portuguese at Real Madrid, Mbappé knows he is highly anticipated to avoid an exit through the back door of the Euro. It is still necessary for his physique to follow and for him to be 100% comfortable with the mask protecting his broken nose.
“I don’t think I’ve got all my legs back. To be really explosive, really fast, I need good physical preparation,” said the captain on Thursday, not hesitating to tackle his teammates afterwards.
“When I arrived in the national team (in 2017, editor’s note), we had players like Paul Pogba that we no longer have. With him you just had to lower your head and run and you had the ball at your feet. With the players I have, we can perhaps play less in depth because it is less their characteristic,” he explained.
A surge from No. 10 would be welcome for the Blues and Didier Deschamps. The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, has set the semi-finals as a minimum objective and the coach, under contract until 2026, would like not to have to answer awkward questions on his return in the event of a failure against Portugal.
With AFP
