Punished by Germany, the France team intends to show a more concentrated face against Chile while Didier Deschamps will be spinning.
It is sometimes good to remember that a football match requires certain fundamentals to hope to win it. The defeat against Germany was a reminder of a France team that had fallen through the cracks. “We have to use it as an example,” Kylian Mbappé understood perfectly. The reception of Chile, welcomed at the beginning of spring near the Vélodrome where the atmosphere will be feverish and passionate as always, provides a perfect opportunity for this, even if it will be with different men.
Do not see any desire to sanction those who have failed against the German neighbor. Beyond the results, Didier Deschamps follows a longer-term logic. The French coach is experienced in managing the calendar and knows that the March window in a year of major competition, in this case the Euro, is conducive to testing. “One of my objectives was to see as many players as possible again in these two matches. It is not because the result was negative that I am going to revise my vision. I think it is the time to do that ” he told journalists. A way of clarifying his vision and justifying his choice to rotate his squad widely for this second meeting.
The first change will take place in the goal where Maignan will find his starting costume. Hit in the knee last week, the AC Milan goalkeeper was spared against Germany in favor of Samba. He will command an experimental defense with this time the probable association of Konaté and Saliba in the axis. A complementary pair that needs to be tested in a competitive context. At home, Clauss will have a new opportunity to show what he can bring in the right lane when Théo Hernandez regains possession of the left flank in support of the unstoppable Mbappé.
Also well established, Tchouaméni should be the other player kept by Deschamps. The Madrid midfielder lacked edge and impact last Saturday and will be keen to show that he is better than that. He should be accompanied by his club teammate Camavinga and Fofana, to form a hardworking and dense trio, with good projection capacity. The latter two must take advantage of the circumstances to instill doubt in the coach’s thinking. In the absence of Griezmann, their ability to bring a link to the game will be scrutinized.
Up front, in addition to the insatiable captain and the steely Giroud, Kolo Muani has a shot to play. Three days ago, Thuram delivered a poor copy and did not close the debate on the identity of the center forward who will lead the Blues to the Euro. Although placed on the right, a position he hardly likes, the Parisian will be able to show himself. In the week preceding the first match, he had received the support of Deschamps who fully believes in his qualities, simply asking him for more realism in the last gesture.
With nine changes, the face of the Tricolores will be radically modified and we should not expect miracles in terms of collective expression. Once again, the essential thing is elsewhere and notably in the state of mind. “They know that they have their own interest in performing well but it is part of a collective spirit. I will need everyone,” recalled Didier Deschamps on the eve of facing Chile. A nation which will offer a completely different opposition than Germany with a livelier game, played by smaller players, like the experienced Alexis Sanchez whose return to Marseille promises to be special.
The friendly match between France and Chile will take place from 9 p.m., at the Orange Vélodrome, in Marseille.
The friendly match between France and Chile will be broadcast live, and exclusively, on TF1.
The meeting between France’s Didier Deschamps and Chile led by Argentinian coach Ricardo Gareca will be available in streaming on the MyTF1 platform.
Betclic: France: 1.26 / Draw: 5.15 / Chile: 8.95
Sports betting: France: 1.26 / Draw: 5.60 / Chile: 9.50
Winamax: France: 1.28 / Draw: 5.40 / Chile: 9.00
France: Maignan – Clauss, Saliba, Conate, T. Hernandez – Fofana, Camavinga, Tchouaméni – Kolo Muani, Giroud, Mbappe.
Chile: Bravo – Suazo, Lichnovsky, Diaz, Isla – Nunez, Echevarria – Davilla, Sanchez, Osorio – Vargas.
