Saint-Denis (AFP)

Sadness, then youth!

The Blues, worrying defensively for a half, finally dominated Croatia (4-2) by the same score as at the World Cup, Tuesday in Saint-Denis in the League of Nations, reinvigorated by the record precocity of Eduardo Camavinga and the resilience of Dayot Upamecano.

Eyebrows furrowed for Hugo Lloris, Olivier Giroud taking his head in his hands from the bench ... Here are two images that have long summed up the evening experienced by the few dozen people authorized to enter the Stade de France - pandemic obliges -, and the few million others in front of their television sets.

Instead of the spectacle hoped for for this "remake" of the World Cup final, which also ended up giving birth to the same final score, they were first entitled to the defensive wreck of the world champions.

But they were then touched by a tasty wind of enthusiasm, symbolized by Camavinga, who became the first minor player to obtain a selection in Blue for more than 100 years when he entered the game (63rd), and Upamecano, scorer full of rage for his second selection, after a long alarming performance in defense (65th).

A similar scenario is undoubtedly explained somewhat by the Covid-19 pandemic, responsible both for a rather glaring lack of physical preparation, behind closed doors, and the absence of Kylian Mbappé, tested positive on Monday and returned. at home in the wake, not without having hugged some partners during the match day training.

- The defense sank -

During the first half hour, it is as if the Blues had seemed inhibited by this sad news: the intensity was not enough to compete with the Croats, struck three days earlier in Portugal (4-1) and absolutely not come to France to joke.

Upamecano started in Sweden on Saturday (1-0 victory) with a killer tackle and a yellow card in two minutes, this time he started his match with three head-to-head duels and a very dangerous loss of ball (14th).

As for Lucas Hernandez, lacking playing time at Bayern and starting in the left axis on Tuesday, he was reminded of the rules of physical distancing by a superb hook from ... defender Dejan Lovren, scorer of a goal logical from the 16th minute of a dry strike of the left foot.

This France-Croatia had something else in common with that of the second star on the jersey: the Blues joined the locker room by leading 2-1, while being very far from the score.

Two goals in one shot on target in 45 minutes in Moscow, two goals in two shots on target in 45 minutes in Saint-Denis, the parallel is stunning and the Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic must really ask himself where this bad fate comes from. relentlessly on his selection against the Blues.

- Griezmann woke up -

Deschamps will surely answer that it is more about talent and pride.

The talent, first, on this magnificent four-way combination bringing the first goal of the Blues, concluded by Antoine Griezmann after a superb movement from Wissam Ben Yedder and Anthony Martial (43rd).

The pride, then, of this same Martial, to go and tear off a cross from Ben Yedder and force goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic to score against his camp (45th + 1).

These three minutes will have restored confidence to Griezmann, in doubt at the club and who remained on a missed penalty in Sweden, the third in a row with the Blues.

And they will have relaunched Martial, him the disappointed of the World Cup-2018, more appeared in selection since the spring preceding the epic in Russia.

Another positive point, Olivier Giroud scored again, from the penalty spot (77th), his 40th goal in Blue for his 99th selection, which places him one unit from Michel Platini ...

These two victories after almost ten months without a match will offer the Blues a top duel on October 11 against Portugal, the scarecrow of the League of Nations group also twice winner in September, including Tuesday in Sweden (2-0 ).

With Camavinga?

© 2020 AFP