World Qualifiers 2022: back to school thwarted for the Blues, hooked by Bosnia

Antoine Griezmann, Hugo Lloris, Moussa Diaby, Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni, after the draw (1-1) of France against Bosnia-Herzegovina, during the qualifying match for the World Cup-2022 in Qatar, September 1, 2021 in Strasbourg FRANCK FIFE AFP

Text by: AFP

6 mins

The Blues missed their comeback on Wednesday in Strasbourg against Bosnia-Herzegovina (1-1), a hitch on the road to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup with admittedly limited consequences in terms of accounting, but which revives the painful memory of the Euro lack.

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Strasbourg (AFP)

Uninspired in attack, sometimes worrying in defense, unruly like Jules Koundé quickly excluded in the second half, the Blues are far from having found the "new positive momentum" that captain Hugo Lloris had come to seek in Alsace two months after the continental failure.

Before going to Kiev on Saturday, the France team however retains the lead of Group D with eight points in four matches, ahead of Ukraine (4 pts in 4 matches) which only obtained a draw this Wednesday in Kazakhstan (2-2).

Finland, his opponent Tuesday in Lyon, has two points after two games played.

In a sold-out Meinau stadium, with 21,750 spectators, the world champions struggled to be dangerous against the block of five defenders of Bosnia, already difficult to maneuver at the end of March in Sarajevo (1-0).

Without much offensive idea, they relied on the long balls of Paul Pogba (4th, 8th, 14th, 20th, 68th), mainly for Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé, author also of a post coming out in a very closed angle (27th) and two actions where he unsuccessfully claimed a penalty (21st, 59th).

Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Branimir Cipetic wrestles with French striker Kylian Mbappé during the qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on September 1, 2021 in Strasbourg FRANCK FIFE AFP

Above all, they again displayed a worrying feverishness in defense, their weak point at the Euro with six goals conceded in four matches, half of which during the round of 16 lost on penalties against Switzerland (3-3, 4 -5 tab).

Still led

This resulted in too many conceded free kicks against an exercise specialist: Miralem Pjanic.

The midfielder of FC Barcelona, ​​used very little in Catalonia, warmed the gloves of Lloris (35th), a first alert which sounded like a premonition.

Because a minute later, the Tottenham goalkeeper went to get the ball in his net, conceding the opener as in the three previous matches ...

At the origin of the action, the Blues found themselves in great difficulty on another bad pass from Thomas Lemar, replaced at the break by the neo-Blue Aurélien Tchouaméni after a completely failed first period.

Edin Dzeko did not need more to convert one of his rare occasions, left foot from outside the area (36 ').

Bosnia-Herzegovina striker Edin Dzeko opens the scoring against France in the qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on September 1, 2021 in Strasbourg FRANCK FIFE AFP

Didier Deschamps' men, however, benefited from a stroke of luck to quickly equalize by Antoine Griezmann (40th), already a scorer in Sarajevo on the first leg.

On a corner obtained and shot by Mbappé, Dzeko's defensive header bounced off the Frenchman's back.

The goal was validated after using the video to find out if the ball had crossed the line.

French striker Antoine Griezmann equalizes (1-1) against Bosnia-Herzegovina, during the qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, September 1, 2021 in Strasbourg FRANCK FIFE AFP

The VAR made a comeback in the second half, to the misfortune of the Blues this time.

Jules Koundé, aligned as a right side in the absence of Benjamin Pavard, injured, was excluded on an ugly tackle inflicted on Sead Kolašinac, initially sanctioned with a yellow card.

This did not help the affairs of Deschamps, forced to sacrifice midfielder Jordan Veretout to bring in Léo Dubois in defense.

The AS Roma player had yet shown good activity in the midfield for his first selection, at 28, in place of N'Golo Kanté finally forfeit this rally.

The former Nantes player, warned in the first period, offered solutions, showed envy and filled some defensive wanderings, in particular by catching up with Ermedin Demirovic who left behind Presnel Kimpembe and Raphaël Varane (19th).

At the end of the game, the Blues pushed despite their numerical inferiority, to no avail.

To regain the taste for victory, it will be necessary to do more and better from Saturday in Kiev, then next Tuesday in Lyon against Finland.

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