The penalty of the proud France was the penalty of
Kylian Mbappé
.
Football tends to show the worst grimace in the most unexpected moments.
Reigning world champions Deschamps' team was eliminated after their great star missed the fifth penalty of the shootout against
Sommer
.
March of the European Championship without having scored a single goal.
Exciting Switzerland will be Spain's rival in the quarterfinals.
[Narration and statistics]
The game was tremendous. France had been an hour behind on the scoreboard.
Lloris
saved the penalty from 0-2. Between
Benzema
and
Pogba
, in a formidable offensive outburst, they lifted the
bleus
for a while to the sky of Bucharest. But Switzerland, who went to the end with their rebellion, did not give in until they took the game into extra time thanks to
Gavranovic
. Until finding his prize in a maximum penalty that was not his. It was a monument to football. To effort and resistance. And to misunderstanding. The one suffered by Mbappé, blocked before the goal. The Deschamps men were left with their muscles as exposed as their heads.
Mbappé well knew that fame has to be fed, at the risk of it devouring you.
So he started the night catching the ball, drawing two bicycles with his ankles, and seeing how simple baroque magic would not be enough.
France, who had started the duel with her chin up, sensing the need for an exercise in self-assertion, discovered with regret that Switzerland did not care about Stendhal syndrome.
Football is always close to the constant praise that the great stars awaken, it is this type of tournaments to the limit that allow everyone to be put in their place.
Petkovic's Yesta Switzerland, so often despised by the absence of stars despite its remarkable collective development, is ranked number 13 in the FIFA rankings.
What happened in Bucharest could have been surprising. But also consistent. Because Switzerland not only has a very solid defensive structure, with its three centers well covered by Freuler and the eternal Xhaka. Rather, it digs into the opponent's weaknesses. France had two clear sinkholes this time. The first, caused by the change of Deschamps' system, which started with a 3-4-3 after having injured his two wingers on the left: Digne and Lucas. Pavard was unable to interpret his new role as a long winger, so Petrovic sent Zuber to make life miserable for him. The Swiss winger provided an assist and took a penalty, although it was useless.
The second hole was in the very center of the defense.
The one who took care of the heart of the defense was Lenglet, who continues to drag that emotional weakness that has already made him an eternal suspect at the Camp Nou.
Seferovic disintegrated him with the jump, and the head to the striker was nothing more than the logical consequence of Lenglet's spectral opposition.
France could not find answers.
Deschamps corrected himself on the board, sent Lenglet to galleys and sent another attacker (Coman) running.
But it took a stop smelling of a miracle from Lloris to believe.
The VAR had warned of a possible penalty from Pavard to Zuber, although it was too borderline.
The referee considered that the foul was inside the area, so Ricardo Rodríguez prepared to execute the launch.
He threw it down his left, Lloris reaching for the ball.
France's response was furious. Switzerland was devastated for five minutes. The 1-1 came thanks to a combination between Griezmann and Mbappé and, above all, to a supernatural control of Benzema. The ball had been left behind, but it ended up in place and ready for the goal. In no time, the Real Madrid striker finished his task. Again Griezmann, happy as a loose and undetectable verse on the balcony, found support in Mbappé before looking for the goal. Sommer did what he could, but the ball remained tame for Benzema to finally put his team ahead. Pogba then unleashed a whip from 25 meters that allowed him a surreal dance. A dubious preamble to what happened next.
Because Seferovic never says enough.
The ram cut distances.
And Gavranovic, suddenly a torment, linked a goal disallowed for offside with 3-3 in the 90th minute. Pogba was no longer dancing.
He did lose a decisive ball that rewarded the Swiss spirit of survival.
The anticipation of an extension in which the fear of nowhere already sent was a shot to the crossbar by Coman.
The final shootout seemed already written, with Mbappé taking the last shot.
And also with the pain.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
sports
France National Soccer Team
Switzerland National Soccer Team
Euro 2020
Karim Benzema
Antoine Griezmann
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EurocopaCristiano vs Benzema: The Eurocopa faces the de facto couple from paradise lost
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