We are together -

Armando Franca / AP / SIPA

The time for testing is over, the last adjustments before the Euro have been completed.

Didier Deschamps has repeatedly said this fall that he left himself until the end of 2020 to test various tactical and / or individual set-ups, here we are.

At a match of the deadline he set himself before switching to preparation for the Euro, DD seems to have found the right balance.

Not in a 3-5-2 nor in a 4-4-2 diamond, we can also recognize him for having undertaken new things in recent months.

No.

In a good old 4-3-3 (or 4-3-1-2).

It is in this pattern that the Blues have mastered Portugal for a good 70 minutes and dominated the first period.

What to be proud of the coach.

“Faced with such an opponent, it's a great pride for me to see my players like that.

"

It necessarily changes the speech heard after the scandalous defeat against Finland in midweek, described as a “good slap”, or “booster shot” by Deschamps, then anxious to play down.

But to take a closer look at the gulf that separates the two faces displayed by the Blues and when you know a little bit about DD management methods, you can't help but think that many have let their chances slip away against the Finnish.

Conversely, the holders in whom the confidence of the coach has been renewed responded with gratitude by showing themselves to the height.

Let us dare to say it: Saturday, France very probably found an eleven type for the Euro, in which it will obviously be necessary to include Kylian Mbappé.

But that we will come back to later.

Varane, Pogba, Griezmann and the blue refuge

If DD knows how to be ruthless with those who disappoint him, he also shows leniency towards those who helped him to reconquer the world in 2018. It is an understatement to say that Raphaël Varane, Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann are not at best in a club.

The first scores goals against his own side at Real, the second is no longer essential for Manchester United and for the third, you already know the story.

In a purely sporting logic, it would not have been delusional to question their place within the hierarchy.

But Deschamps has again proven that he is right not to do so.

Against the Portuguese, Varane had his best game in a long time, Pogba brilliantly regulated the game in the middle and Griezmann stood out in the last pass.

If the coach believes that Saturday's victory demonstrates "the ability to respond present in major meetings" of the Blues, these three are the perfect incarnation.

And at this level, they have their place in this eleven.

Duke Rabiot walks in the middle

Let's go back line by line.

Behind, around an imperial Varane, not much to complain about apart from a sluggish end of the match that we owe as much to the fatigue as to the offensive quality of the opponent when he is is resolved to play (well).

Lucas Hernandez, for example, almost conceded a naive penalty for a charge on Trincão late in the game but before that, he had reigned in his lane when he was predicted the worst against the very offensive Cancelo.

In the end, we will have seen him more than his Portuguese counterpart.

Lucas Digne can always hope to scrape crumbs, little more.

On the other side, RAS.

Pavard-Dubois will never be a debate.

And next to Varane, Kimpembe does not do a task at all even if some will always criticize him for taking a lot of risks in the recovery.

He gave his body to France to prevent Ronaldo from scoring, isn't that the main thing?

A little higher, the middle three could seem risky against such a dense team in the center, but the trio Kanté, Pogba, Rabiot passed the crash test without batting an eyelid.

Deschamps, in detail:

“It was complete, each in their specific register with great technical mastery of volume.

Kanté is very useful for recovery, as we know, Paul was also very efficient.

Adrien can play in several positions, he has this technical ease and a lot of aggressiveness.

The heart of the team is the environment, it sets the tempo.

"

With a special mention for the superhuman progress of the Juve player, and a touched thought for the kidneys of José Fonte who took ten years on a frank acceleration of the duke in the second half.

“Adrien has no limits, he's a complete player,” continues the coach.

He has such a technical quality, such an ability to project himself forward, such an intelligence of the game. ”And to say that we thought he was lost for the Blues ...

Giroud, a warm place on the bench?

The offensive sector remains the most open.

But not too much either.

Absent from the scoresheet at Luz because of a recalcitrant thigh, Mbappé is the holder morning, noon and evening on the front.

There are therefore two places left, or rather one, because Griezmann is unique in its kind and DD has decided to ignore his Catalan depression.

Everything will be decided a priori between Kingsley Coman, admitting that the injuries one day left him alone, and Anthony Martial, whom Deschamps wanted to defend - and we know what that means - despite his lack of realism in Portugal.

“There is only one for whom I was a little unhappy, it is Anthony Martial, he would have deserved to score.

He made the right moves but the goalkeeper made the difference, ”he said in the post-match conference.

Did Giroud lose very big Saturday with the tenure of Martial?

via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/arMSgu5aXO

- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) November 15, 2020

You will understand, the place of holder of Olivier Giroud, transparent against Finland and entered at the end of the match in Lisbon, hangs by a thread, if it is not already cut.

The precarious situation of the center-forward at Chelsea is a problem for DD, who is hiding it less and less.

“It is in his interest that this situation does not last in a club in order to remain competitive.

If his situation drags on, he knows what I'm thinking.

We are far from wanting to play diviners, but we can easily guess that Giroud will remain in the group in a new role.

Perhaps it is time to make room for youth.

Saturday, she deserved it.

Sport

Portugal-France: "He has no limits" ... Adrien Rabiot, the former exile of the Blues who makes Deschamps crack again

  • Didier Deschamps

  • Olivier Giroud

  • French football team

  • Sport

  • Portugal

  • Adrien rabiot