Kiev (AFP)

Always feverish and uninspired, the Blues signed a new draw in their qualifications for the World-2022, Saturday in Ukraine (1-1), struggling to evacuate the doubts that accompany them since the Euro.

Even reduced by injuries, including that of Kylian Mbappé, and deprived of half of its usual holders, the France team had to react in the Olympic stadium in Kiev, after four games without a win.

But the world champions, little flamboyant in attack and fragile in defense, stretched their bad streak to five games, conceding the opener for the fifth time in a row before reacting painfully, thanks to Anthony Martial (50th), author of his second goal in selection.

If Didier Deschamps and his players tirelessly repeat that the early elimination in the eighth in the Euro is digested, the performance of the evening, without idea or collective revolt, thickens the concerns, three days after the sluggish return against Bosnia-Herzegovina (1 -1).

It also plunges the Blues into a rather precarious accounting situation.

With two wins and three draws, the Blues certainly retain their first place in Group D and their lead of four points over the Ukrainians.

But a new opponent is threatening: Finland.

Victorious in the afternoon of Kazakhstan (1-0), the Finns have two matches less than the Blues and are only four points behind, before going to Lyon on Tuesday (8:45 p.m.) to challenge the champions of the world.

On the land of Karim Benzema, the Blues will not have the right to make mistakes, otherwise the final sprint of the qualifiers, in November, will be very tense.

Anthony Martial (ball) has just offered the equalizer to the French team against Ukraine in Kiev, September 4, 2021 FRANCK FIFE AFP

It will also be necessary to be more effective to clinch a first victory since the opening of the Euro in Germany (1-0).

- Diaby stirring -

Because Saturday night, despite the equalizer of Anthony Martial after a mess on a cross from Kingsley Coman, the two attackers, rarely tenured in Blue, did not score many points.

The opportunity was nevertheless beautiful, with the package of Kylian Mbappé, affected in the calf and the putting to rest of Karim Benzema during the first 63 minutes.

For the first time in eight matches, the "golden triangle" of the Blues, composed of Benzema, Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, did not start the meeting.

But that did not offer much more certainty to Didier Deschamps, forced by injuries to line up a team emptied for half of its usual holders, with Raphaël Varane and Benzema on the bench.

The coach had "very bad memories" in this Olympic stadium in Kiev, the site of the catastrophic 2-0 defeat of November 2013 in the first leg of the 2014 World Cup, before the 3-0 victory a few days later at the Stade de France.

Eight years and a world coronation later, the Basque technician will not have lived a memorable moment either, unlike the 45,000 spectators, in fusion during the opening of the score of their young hope Mykola Shaparenko, 22 years old (44th) .

On a backlash very poorly managed by the French experimental defensive hinge (Kurt Zouma - Presnel Kimpembe), the Dinamo Kiev player sent a monumental strike into the top corner of Hugo Lloris before bursting into tears.

A few seconds earlier, Martial had missed a decisive face-to-face, the only clear opportunity on the French side in the first period, after a superb save by Lloris in front of Andriy Yarmolenko (38th).

The second period will not have many more chances, except for this strike over Griezmann (63rd), not very influential on the game on Saturday night, that of Adrien Rabiot well pushed back (86th) and this post found by the stirring Moussa Diaby in the 77th minute, which could have saved the evening ... at least countably.

© 2021 AFP