Saint-Denis (AFP)

The French world champions stumbled against Ukraine (1-1) in the inaugural summit of their qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Wednesday in Saint-Denis, a hitch that will have to be erased from Sunday in Kazakhstan.

Antoine Griezmann may well have put the Blues in orbit early with a sublime wound shot (19th), the "Zbirna" did not let go and equalized on a "csc" from the unfortunate Presnel Kimpembe (57th).

By letting the victory slip away against Ukraine, a priori the toughest rival in qualifying group D, the French failed to take the lead, while Finland and Bosnia-Herzegovina also shared the points (2-2).

Didier Deschamps' men will therefore have to fill up on points and confidence during the double trip that awaits them with the modest team of Kazakhstan, Sunday in Nur-Sultan (ex-Astana), then in Sarajevo next Wednesday to challenge Bosnia of Miralem Pjanic.

In the meantime, they were faithful Wednesday to the history of the France team, marked out by qualifying phases which are often difficult, sometimes laborious and which are in any case "always trials", to use the expression used Tuesday by the captain Hugo Lloris.

The warning from the Tottenham goalkeeper was not enough and his teammates broke their teeth in front of the selection led by ex-Ballon d'Or Andrei Shevchenko, rolled 7-1 in October during a friendly match where she was deprived of many executives contaminated by Covid-19.

Proof that his "friend" Deschamps expected a different kettle of fish, this time the Blues had donned their clothes of world champions, with eight holders of the 2018 final renewed Wednesday at kick-off.

Also sacred in Moscow, Kimpembe completed this cast of globalists, with the reinforcement Kingsley Coman and Adrien Rabiot.

- Dembélé returns -

In the Dionysian closed door, the French started the game seriously, failing to be hard-hitting, first applying themselves to conscientiously bypassing the yellow wall of five defenders erected by the visitors.

The release came from an action tinged with luck and talent concluded by Griezmann, centerpiece of the Deschamps system who played his 44th consecutive game on Wednesday in the blue tunic, tying the record series held so far by Patrick Vieira .

Luck?

An offside by Benjamin Pavard not whistled, a hand from Griezmann also went unnoticed during the duel won in front of the Ukrainian captain Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The talent?

A superb strike from the left, wound from outside the area by the N.7 des Bleus (19th).

Three days after his 30th birthday, the Mâconnais joined David Trezeguet fourth among the top scorers in French history, swelling his total to 34 goals on the evening of his 87th selection.

The Ukrainians, however, managed to play spoilers in the second half, punishing the Blues unable to take cover despite Coman's incursions, in particular in the opposing defense.

Lloris, so far quite quiet, was surprised by a deflected shot by Kimpembe, credited with a goal against his camp.

To revive the machine, Deschamps injected fresh blood at the hour mark with the entry of Paul Pogba and Ousmane Dembélé.

But neither the Manchester United midfielder, freshly returned from injury, nor the Barça winger, for his first selection since November 2018, have found the solution.

© 2021 AFP