Tirana (AFP)
Three-way defense, Mbappé ill and substitute, trio Ben Yedder-Giroud-Griezmann attack: for his 100th match in this position, the coach of the Blues Didier Deschamps upset his usual pattern in Albania Sunday (20:45), for the last qualifying day at Euro-2020.
Already qualified for the Euro-2020 but with the goal of maintaining the first place in the group H, the team of France presents itself completely turned upside down in the stadium Kombëtare of Tirana, barely finished building and inaugurated on this occasion.
Thus, for his 100th as a coach of the Blues, Deschamps aligns a defense with three Raphaël Varane, Clément Lenglet and Presnel Kimpembe, unpublished for this regular defense four reputed not very prone to the change of system and poker shots .
In attack, in the absence of Kingsley Coman, package, he also had to leave Kylian Mbappé, feverish, on the bench: it is thus a trio composed by Antoine Griezmann, Wissam Ben Yedder and Olivier Giroud who is titular.
In the middle, Corentin Tolisso is associated with Moussa Sissoko, at the expense of N'Golo Kanté, recently recovered from injury, while on the sides, Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Digne are left on the bench in favor of Leo Dubois and Benjamin Mendy.
In total, this represents five changes from the match against Moldova on Thursday (2-1 win). Deschamps did not hide his anger after the match, saying he was "tough" with some players, including targeting his offensive quartet.
The teams
Albania: Berisha - Hysaj (cap.), Djimsiti, Dermaku, Veseli - Bare, Gjasula, Lenjani - Qose - Manaj, Balaj
Coach: Edoardo Reja (ITA)
France: Mandanda - Varane (cap.), Lenglet, Kimpembe - Dubois, Sissoko, Tolisso, B. Mendy - Griezmann - Ben Yedder, Giroud
Coach: Didier Deschamps
Referee: Slavko Vincic (SLO)
© 2019 AFP