At the Stade de France

In the end, the public was right to sulk this France-Israel. Above all, he missed nothing, apart from a pathetic performance from a bored, clueless Bleus side unable to beat the 81st world team (0-0). While the main thing – fortunately – was to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Nations League, the meagre crowd at the Stade de France (just over 15,000 spectators) had virtually nothing to cheer about. With ultra-reinforced security surrounding the match, a low-quality game and few incidents other than the start of a scuffle that quickly died down in the first half, the evening will soon be forgotten. On Sunday, France take on Italy with the aim of showing a different face.

Let’s be honest straight away: the first half was unworthy of the French team. A sclerotic selection, an over-schooled game and elements not up to the task of exciting and awakening a morose Stade de France. For forty-five minutes, Les Bleus were sluggish and disappointing, unable to rouse the meagre crowd from their torpor in a context that urged them to stay at home. Faced with a weak opponent eager to avoid a repeat of last month’s 1-4 defeat in Budapest, Deschamps’ charges did nothing to stir the first half.

A lethargic France team, an uninspired coach

The coach was also to blame, with a team composition that wasn’t offensive enough, and in particular the question surrounding the positioning of Warren Zaïre Emery, positioned as a number 10… which he is not. Struggling with his back to the game, almost never found in the launch zones, the PSG star was a real ordeal on the Dionysian pitch. To his credit, no-one helped him, like Olise, Barcola, Kanté-Camavinga and the amorphous full-backs. Faced with such a formidable opponent, the (meagre) crowd could have been rewarded for their presence with a little more madness. Nothing came of it.

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Three chances to sink their teeth into… Far too few for Les Bleus

The rest of the match was scarcely more cheerful in a Stade de France that resembled a municipal stadium on Thursday evening. The only moment when the crowd could warm up a little, on two long-range shots from Camavinga, a late chance missed by Zaïre Emery (76th) and a header from Thuram (90+2nd), as well as a shot from Nkunku (90+6th). That’s far too little when you’re the French national team and you’re the runners-up to the world champions. Faced with this collective lethargy, the coach, who had been more voluble on the sidelines, tried to wake everyone up with some coaching after the hour mark (Rabiot, Nkunku, Coman, Thuram, etc.). Nothing came of it. It wasn’t the evening.

A final to be played against Italy despite everything

In the end, Les Bleus were in tune with the context of the match. Morose and tasteless. Their qualification for the quarter-finals of the Nations League is validated with this 0-0 draw. In terms of content and emotion, we’ll have to take a rain check. With no creativity, no risk-taking and an overly academic style of play, the partners of N’Golo Kanté, captain for a night, were a sight to behold. With the absence of Mbappé and the retirement of Griezmann, the reconstruction operation looks set to be the biggest task of the coming weeks and months. And just as well, when Les Bleus take on Italy in Milan on Sunday, having beaten Belgium 1-0 on Thursday evening, they have the chance to claim top spot in their group. They will need to offer a lot more to close out 2024.