Correspondent

FAVORITES

“He wasn’t in good shape.” Barely asked about Kylian Mbappé on Friday evening in the press room of the Johan Cruyff Arena when Didier Deschamps gently upset his audience. A small, barely veiled tackle after the criticism of his captain in recent days, silent for four meetings with PSG. It must be said that his jewel responded in the best way by scoring a double, which in turn allowed him to overtake Michel Platini in the ranking of the top scorers in the history of the selection. At only 24 years old… Prodigious, colossal and gargantuan. He could even have scored a hat-trick but his shot at the end of the match ended up on the crossbar. At a press conference, whether Koeman, van Dijk or Aké, they all pouted when asked a question about Mbappé’s talent. The kid from Bondy scares the whole world. It’s not new, but booster shots always do good.

SEE ALSO – “We did the job,” assures Jonathan Clauss after the victory of the Blues against the Netherlands (1-2)

Lost from the French team for a year and skipped for the World Cup in Qatar, OM’s best player since the start of the season, responded in the best possible way on Friday evening. On his right side, he delivered a pancake to Mbappé for the opener, before multiplying the incursions to try to create danger. Defensively, he was very rarely put in difficulty, while Simons, Oranje’s biggest threat, hung around in his sector. Deschamps appreciated it. Determined and disciplined, Clauss scored points in Amsterdam. And set the date for the Euro, a goal well within his reach for someone who missed the last World Cup.

The Johan Cruyff Arena may have been built in 1996, but it hasn’t aged a bit. The weight of history is felt on each floor with photos of the Dutch legend but also of other stars who shone at Ajax or for the national team such as Seedorf, Kluivert and Bergkamp. So many memories that give you chills and take you back to your childhood. But beyond the moment of nostalgia, the enclosure which houses Ajax Amsterdam also has a roof which allows you to spend a very peaceful evening when downpours of water fall continuously. The 55,000 spectators appreciated it at its true value. And U.S. too.

Also read: Didier Deschamps after Netherlands-France: “Mbappé responded with his feet”

CLAW STRIKES

Preferred over Giroud on Friday evening, the Parisian missed the opportunity to show himself and score points in the competition he is giving to the Milanese for the position of number 9. In attitude, there is nothing to him reproach, he fights, goes to a duel, tries to propose solutions… But the trigger has not yet arrived. The fault of a heavy offseason to digest with his transfer to PSG? Any adjustments to be made in selection when we know how heavy the blue jersey can sometimes be? Still, with only one goal in 11 selections, the performance is not sufficient when we claim to take Giroud’s place and repel Thuram’s attacks.

Objective missed. Like his entire defense and even the Blues, Mike Maignan wanted to finish qualifying without conceding a goal. Missed. In the 83rd minute, he was even at fault in reducing Hartman’s score (1-2) by opening his angle too much. Just before, he had shown some unusual signs of feverishness for him when catching the ball. Nothing too bad but enough for the AC Milan goalkeeper to see areas for progress, he whose quest for perfection drives him on a daily basis. It’s a shame because before these inaccuracies, he had spoken out, led his troops and guided his people with tact.