For the second time in Euro-2021, the Blues have an appointment on hostile ground, Saturday, June 19.
The France team travels to the Puskas Arena in Budapest to challenge Hungary, with the possibility in case of victory to validate its qualification for the knockout stages.
New format of the Euro requires, several nations play with the advantage of being at home.
Among them Germany, which France defeated after a long fight in its first match (1-0), as well as Hungary, the second opponent of the Blues.
A format which “created some injustices”, for Noël Le Graët, president of the French Football Federation (FFF).
“The number of matches in each host country is a bit to the advantage of those who host,” he denounced before the tournament.
A red and white heated Puskas Arena
If at the Alianz Arena in Munich, the Blues had played in front of a stadium filled only to 20% of its capacity - or 14,000 spectators - the extent of the clamor will be quite different for the match in Budapest.
More than 60,000 spectators are expected to attend this meeting of the second day of group F. The Hungarian capital is the only one of the eleven host cities of the Euro not to have retained a gauge limiting the reception of the public, despite the persistence of the health crisis.
Match training at the Puskás Arena 👊 #HONFRA #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/lkMWowQT8j
- French team ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 18, 2021
A context that does not worry the Blues, according to Lucas Hernandez: "The stadium will be full, it's been a long time. It will be up to us to adapt and stay focused from the first minute. It will be another battle, another war and it will be up to us to respond, "noted the French side.
Playing in front of a hostile crowd, "I love it, I play football for that," said the Bayern Munich defender.
"It will be a great game with an incredible atmosphere. I think we will have to give everything on the pitch and go for the victory from the start."
In the first match against Portugal, the Hungarian side had the support of the vast majority of the 68,000 spectators present at the stadium, achieving what is considered to be the biggest crowd in a Hungarian stadium, according to the daily Nemzeti Sport. , for 35 years and a match against Brazil before the World Cup-1986. A twelfth man who has also played his role to the full by pushing his Magyars against the reigning European champion. To the point of believing a time to the feat ... Then Guerrero struck in the last minutes, just like Cristiano Ronaldo (3-0).
"The support from the full stadium is an advantage for the Hungarians. It helped them a lot in the first match. It's a very combative, generous, very well organized team, the presence of an Italian coach is there. for many. She is at home, I expect the same respondent she had against the Portuguese ”, notes Didier Deschamps, the coach of the Blues
The puskas Arena, where the Blues are preparing to train under the dodger, is a superb brand new setting.
More than 60,000 supporters, including 5,000 French, will come to fill it tomorrow.
You will have to get your neck wet, especially under 34 degrees #FRA #FRAHON # EURO2020 @sports_ouest pic.twitter.com/kxt0McES26
- Guillaume Lainé (@gui_tog) June 18, 2021
Another obstacle: the heat.
It promises to be stifling with more than 30 ° C for a match scheduled for 3 p.m.
“The heat is also a factor in the preparation of the match in terms of sleep, nutrition, especially hydration.
We hope that there will be a 'water break' during the match for the two teams ”, analyzes Hugo Lloris, captain of the France team.
“Playing at 3 pm is not a problem, we are all used to doing it in our championships but playing above 30 degrees is an important element, even if when we enter the field it is is by being focused on our performance and with the desire to win, so we ignore the context. "
A team renewed identically to the Blues?
The successful entry into the running has, however, something to reassure Paul Pogba's partners.
They found the intensity of the 2018 World Cup quite naturally and seemed little disturbed by one of their first away matches with the public, after a long year of almost systematic closed doors.
A reassuring first in the competition which could push Didier Deschamps to renew his team identically between the first and the second match, an unprecedented fact in a final phase of competition for the French coach.
France could then count on its intractable defense: Pavard, Hernandez, Varane and Kimpembe - as well as Hugo Lloris in the cages - and on an ultra-efficient midfielder with the Pogba-Kanté-Rabiot triangle, and on a promising offensive animation .
On this last aspect, the Habs have yet to show the extent of their talent against the most affordable opponent in Group F. The attacking trio made up of Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema and Antoine Griezmann - the most impressive of the competition on paper - did not have the opportunity to dazzle the continent, contrary to expectations.
After the one refused by the VAR in the first match of the Euro, Benzema is still hoping for a first goal since his surprise return to the Blues, Griezmann wants to regain his somewhat extinct influence in Munich and Mbappé finally concretize his incessant assaults by registering his name in the list of scorers in the European Championship.
A victory against Petit Poucet in Pool F, and Didier Deschamps' team will have easily survived the so-called "group of death" and this even before challenging Cristiano Ronaldo and the defending champion Portugal.
What to approach this revenge at the top calmly, with the ticket for the round of 16 in your pocket.
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