Six days after his coronation in the Champions League, in the same place, Karim Benzema had however capsized the some 75,800 spectators identified at the Stade de France, an influx more seen for two and a half years according to health restrictions and travel through the 'Hexagon.

But the advantage offered by the center forward of Real Madrid (51st) melted on an opportunistic double from Andreas Cornelius (68th, 88th), who came out of the substitutes' bench to save the Red and Whites.

The Blues record their first defeat of the season, the first failure since the Euro last summer.

They are now third in the group two lengths behind Denmark and Austria, victorious in Croatia (3-0), where the Blues are making their next trip next Monday.

4th loss since 2018

Since the coronation at the 2018 World Cup, and if we exclude the elimination in the round of 16 against Switzerland last summer on penalties, this is the fourth defeat after the setbacks against the Netherlands ( 2-1 in November 2018), to Turkey (2-0 in June 2019) and against Finland in a friendly (2-0 November 2020).

The defense of the Blues concedes a goal against Denmark, the work of Andreas Cornelius at the Stade de France, June 3, 2022 Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT AFP

The tricolors had however arrived at the Stade de France with the momentum of seven successes in a row, carried by a sold-out stadium ready to ignite for its world champions.

But Denmark spoiled the party by catching up with their energetic and daring hosts.

Without Didier Deschamps, who left with his grieving family, but with his deputy Guy Stéphan at the helm, the French team showed up at kick-off with a typical team to try to win against the 11th nation. in the FIFA rankings.

She first stammered her football in the first ten minutes, being technically clumsy like Kingsley Coman, sometimes messy, not very worrying and even in danger when Joakim Maehle shook the outside net of Hugo Lloris.

Without the Tottenham goalkeeper, impeccable in front of Christian Eriksen (86th), the disillusion would have arrived even faster …

Mbappé hit in the knee

The blue house was still most often solid, with the precious help in the middle of Aurélien Tchouaméni and N'Golo Kanté, author of a strike on the post (80th).

And Benzema's ball-to-foot zigzags were a delight, as in this action where he eliminated four players before seeing his shot blocked by a defender (13th).

Kylian Mbappé injured against Denmark in a match counting for the League of Nations, June 3, 2022 at the Stade de France Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT AFP

The Madrid native managed to deceive Kasper Schmeichel for the first time, but he was in an offside position (15th).

He did it again, successfully, after a swaying dribble in the Scandinavian area on a heeling service from Christopher Nkunku, who came into play at the break to replace the injured Kylian Mbappé.

The exit of the Parisian, like that of Raphaël Varane at the hour mark, is the big black spot of the evening in Saint-Denis where, a week after the malfunctions and incidents surrounding the C1 final, the party was total in the stadium and outside.

The 23-year-old striker, grimacing, sat down on the lawn and requested the intervention of the medical staff just before half-time.

Suffering from the left knee, he was replaced by Nkunku "as a precaution", according to Guy Stéphan.

© 2022 AFP