Les Bleus easily managed their first preparation game for World Cup 2018, beating Ireland on Monday night, 2-0 at the Stade de France.
It was to win to put the preparations for the World Cup 2018 on track. And that’s what the team of France did quietly on Monday against the Irish (2-0) for his first game of preparation, with goals from Giroud and Fekir.
For the last at the Stade de France before the start of the World Cup 2018 taking place in Russia, it was also a question of breaking a bad defensive habit (six goals conceded over the previous three games), and not having any injuries. Green light all the way.
#FRAIRL 40è 1-0
OLIVIER GIROUD !! Sur corner, l’attaquant des Bleus s’élève plus haut que son défenseur. Le gardien irlandais sort un arrêt-rêfexe mais Giroud suit bien et la met finalement dedans, 1-0 pour les Bleus !
Regardez ▼▼ https://t.co/V0qOUi9lDL— Téléfoot (@telefoot_TF1) May 28, 2018
#FRAIRL 44è 2-0
FEKIR !! Et quelle bourde du gardien irlandais !!!! Dans la surface côté gauche, le Lyonnais se décale bien et frappe : le dernier rempart adverse boxe la balle… dans son propre but !
Regardez ▼▼ https://t.co/6OCuhJeNf5— Téléfoot (@telefoot_TF1) May 28, 2018
One way
But it was a one-sided match, and in the uninterrupted rain, Mandanda risked the cold from not being solicited. And if the Blues have not experienced the power failure suffered against Colombia during their previous appearance in Saint-Denis in March (2-3), their second half, once again remained sterile.
With a mitigating circumstance: the pouring rain made things more and more difficult, as on the last balloon wound up by Dembélé, whose pass for Griezmann stopped dead in the waterlogged lawn.
“It’s true that the second half, the last quarter of an hour in these conditions (driving rain), is no longer football, but it is a good match of preparation compared to the big work that we have made. There was juice, the “pep” is good, “said Didier Deschamps on TF1.
Découvrez les premiers mots du sélectionneur des Bleus Didier Deschamps après #FRAIRL : “Beaucoup de bonnes choses dans l’état d’esprit”
Regardez ▼▼ https://t.co/a6Kj1ohMrE— Téléfoot (@telefoot_TF1) May 28, 2018
The coach defended himself the day before to have chosen a modest opponent to start the preparation. “I do not take an opponent to say,” Come on, let’s have fun with you, “it will not! Well, yes.
In any case, make sure the control of the game, facing certainly rejuvenated Irish compared to the confrontation in the last quarter finals of Euro 2016 (2-1 for France), and no real weapon other than to resist the best.
Giroud and Fekir respond
They were therefore most often gathered in their surface, and it was complicated for the Blues to pierce the green mass. There remained the airway.
And so on a corner of Fekir, Giroud took the lead, then the foot to open the score (40), before the same Fekir rolls a shot still deceiving the goalkeeper (43), not really to his advantage on those two shots.
Both players brought a beautiful personal response. Giroud joined nothing less than Zidane in 4th place in the history of scorers in Blue (31 goals), and dissipated a little more spectrum of Saturday’s Benzema show in the final of the Champions League.
Fekir was rewarded for his activity as an axial leader, at the forefront of a diamond medal behind the Giroud-Mbappé pair. And was recovering especially in the right direction after several appearances in halftone selection which had made its place in the 23 hypothetical.
The Lyonnais has combined well with Mbappé, but the two young players have sometimes displayed a certain gluttony, they probably will not be able to afford in the World Cup – such a technical gesture sought instead of ensuring a simple pass.
Mendy ensures
Mbappé, he has created a lot and tried, as this vicious shot hijacked by goalkeeper in corner (31), and also pestered when his call was not served. But it will be difficult anyway to limit it to one side as before …
There were indeed quite a few individual issues behind the collective sacrosanct. At this yardstick, Deschamps had warned that he intended “to involve a maximum of players” on the first two friendly, this Monday and Friday against Italy in Nice.
The third, against the United States on the 9th June in Lyon, will be expected to serve more of a dress rehearsal for the start of the campaign for World Cup 2018 on the 16th June against Australia.
He also wanted to put his side, which was wound, on the grill. Especially Mendy. And the left-back was solid, with a big offensive activity and a good defensive tightness, during a big hour of play, before giving way to Hernandez, who set the tone.
Sidibé also played his score; it is besides him, after a small personal exploit, which transmitted the ball to Tolisso, who sent it on the post (37th).
