Saint-Denis (AFP)

Established against the European champions, Presnel Kimpembé takes the gallon with the Blues and managed to muzzle the five-time Portuguese Golden Ball Cristiano Ronaldo despite some fears Sunday in Saint-Denis (0-0).

Bodes well for the "Maestro" of PSG before the Euro.

Finding himself facing the top scorer in the history of the Seleçao (101 goals in 166 caps) and the Champions League (131 goals) could have derailed the young central defender, 25 years old and only 11 caps in the France team.

But the Parisian was solid, like his start to the season at PSG, and gave Didier Deschamps the confidence he gave him for this XXL shock, probably the first big test played by the French since their 2018 world title in Russia.

The former OM coach had also aligned nine of the eleven holders of the final won against Croatia in Moscow.

It is in this starry workforce that the "Titi" slipped, like a great.

"He gained in concentration so in mastery, that's what seems to emerge, I confirm what Thomas Tuchel said", the PSG coach, had noted Deschamps on Saturday in front of the press who invited him to comment on the Kimpembé's progression.

Sunday on the lawn of the Stade de France, "Presko" made a rather clean copy, despite some irrelevant erasures.

Precious with the head, he won thanks to her on a counter-attack (15th), on two consecutive crosses (48th) and in front of Ronaldo (61st), his distinguished host.

From the outset, Kimpembé tried to cut the appetite of the Portuguese ogre, with a first intervention while speed (5th) which set the tone: facing "CR7", the Parisian will not lower his head.

He did it again in front of him on a corner shot by Bruno Fernandes (21st) then came to block the Juventus Turin striker in the Portuguese half of the field to annihilate all inclinations of the Lusitanian arrow (30th).

- "Focus on duration" -

For the native of Beaumont-sur-Oise, the tenure against the Seleçao Fernando Santos is in itself recognition of the work accomplished in recent months with Paris SG, of which he is vice-captain at 25.

He is the only player to have played all 11 PSG matches in the Champions League last season, with performances strong enough to allow him to appear in the typical C1 team established by UEFA.

The day after the defeat in the final against Bayern Munich (1-0), the competitor confided his "rage to have finally been so close" and his desire to "go back to battle and win".

He may have the opportunity this year with his training club, or with the Blues in eight months at the Euro.

Its recent trajectory makes it in any case a potential holder against Germany and Portugal, which the world champions will meet in the first round.

Kimpembé starts more and more often as holder and "so much the better, it's part of the evolution, with the qualities which are his, in his register, to have this application, this concentration more on the duration", commented Saturday Deschamps, specifying: "This is where he certainly had a good margin of progress too".

Two years ago, the coach had criticized him for a lack of concentration at the end of a friendly match against Iceland (2-2) at Guingamp where he had not been faultless in this regard.

In sequence, the Parisian has again shown that he could improve on Sunday.

Badly placed, he left too much space for Ronaldo, whose strike was countered by a heroic spurt from Lucas Hernandez (24th).

He was also caught in the back on an in-depth service from Raphaël Guerreiro, but CR7 spoiled the offering (50th).

Twenty minutes from time, he also had a cold sweat but Pepe, who started behind him, was in an offside position when scoring (73rd).

Offensively, the N.3 did not hesitate to leave his comfort zone to bring the excess, as when he served Antoine Griezmann (56th).

A good point, among others.

© 2020 AFP