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It’s always difficult when there are so many changes (8 between Saturday and Tuesday), but the French team was able to stay within its standards to beat back the defeat (2-2). Without doubt the trademark of this group, which uses any lever to try to move forward. After the slump in the second half and the two goals conceded, more than one nation would have thrown the match away, in the face of local pressure. Not the Blues. On the contrary, like Fofana’s goal or Coman’s controversial action, the vice-world champions did everything to win even though they had nothing left to play for. This may be a detail for you, but it also says a lot about the competitive mindset that prevails in this selection…

Deschamps repeats it all the time. When the opportunity presents itself at this level, it is better to seize it. Youssouf Fofana understood this during this gathering. Already against Gibraltar on Saturday (14-0), with his goal and his entry into play, he responded. But his successful game against Greece on Tuesday is of a completely different ilk. He scores again, with a sumptuous strike, and above all delivers a consistent copy. In the competition he faces with Kamara, Thuram, Veretout and Guendouzi (Zaire-Emery already seems to have passed him in front), he did much more than the job in Greece.

ALSO SEE – Youssouf Fofana after Greece-France (2-2): “We were surprised when we returned from the break”

Claws

We expected a warm atmosphere in this beautiful enclosure of the Opap Arena. The area behind one of the goals, usually reserved for AEK Athens supporters, had even been closed to avoid possible bad behavior… Needless to say, we were disappointed by the atmosphere on Tuesday evening in Athens . Is this due to selection football? In the absence of major issues? As in Nice on Saturday against Gibraltar, the crowd was more family-friendly and the atmosphere really wasn’t crazy for a match against the vice-world champions. So yes, the 26,000 spectators (including 500 French) woke up and got excited after their nation’s two goals, but overall, it was a flop.

It’s all well and good to demand quality matches, high-level qualifiers and an almost permanent spectacle, but we also have to get up to speed. Without really knowing why, the European body had not implemented goal-line technology on Tuesday evening during Greece-France. Bad luck, Coman’s deflected shot at the end of the game (89th) created controversy and, with a goal accepted, the France team would have left Athens with victory. Anecdotal no doubt, this sequence nevertheless demonstrates UEFA’s lack of respect for this match. Which quite annoyed the French players, and also their coach. Normal.