After their victory against Moldova, the France team meets the Iceland on Monday at 8.45pm and hopes to take the lead group H, in qualifying for Euro 2020.
After the quiet victory in Moldova, the Blues are expecting a more contested match against Iceland on Monday, March 25, 2019 at 20:45 at the Stade de France , and hope to take the lead in their group H, in qualifying. Euro 2020.
“It’s a team that does not give up, gives nothing, it’s a bit in their DNA”: Didier Deschamps knows that the opposition of the islanders will be of a different level than that of the Moldavians (4-1) Friday .
In an affordable group, with the likes of Andorra , Moldova and, to a lesser extent , Albania , Iceland (38th in the FIFA rankings) and Turkey are the main threats in the race for the two countries. first qualifying places.
And for the moment, the three “big guys” of group H have all started their European campaign with a victory.
Read also: Euro-2020: the Blues offer themselves the modest Moldova
“They hurt us”
Iceland, with his star midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, is “a dangerous team on set pieces, a very athletic team, we know we do not have the right to relax at the top level,” insisted French captain Hugo Lloris .
Admittedly, the Icelandic selection is no longer the surprising team that had caused a sensation at Euro 2016, taking on Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (1-1) then eliminating England (2-1) before giving in. quarter against the Blues (5-2). But it is still able to hinder the cadors, as France was able to see last October.
In a friendly at Guingamp, Erik Hamren’s men had severely jostled the world champions, scoring two goals before being joined at the very end of the match (2-2) thanks to the introduction of Kylian Mbappé .
“It’s a team that played hard, we were not there. They hurt us, “recalls Deschamps.
Nevertheless, “the context is completely different” and several habitual replacements (Florian Thauvin, Ousmane Dembele, Presnel Kimpembe …) were on the lawn, recalls Lloris.
Umtiti on the ground?
“On a friendly match, we had perhaps shown a little sufficiency,” confesses the goalkeeper Tottenham. This time, “we really want to do things right, (…) to win these three points to finish this international week”.
The Icelandic coach does not say anything else: “against a team of this caliber, it’s always different to play a friendly match or a competitive match. A tough game is expected, “even if it is” something very stimulating “.
For this duel at the Stade de France, where the Blues have not lost for a year, the Icelanders will be deprived of one of their executives, the winger Burnley, Johann Gudmundsson, calf injured.
On the side of the French team, winger Kingsley Coman (back) threw in the towel, as Lucas Digne (thigh) earlier.
Among the remaining 21 players, the case of Samuel Umtiti question the coach: should he offer a second tenure in a row to the central defender of Barça, very little used this season due to a knee injury?
“If he puts me on the field, I will try to give the best of myself, to perform well (…) I need to play, but the coach has his choices to make,” said the ex-Lyonnais Sunday on Telefoot.
Centenary of the FFF
In attack, the trio Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud is about to be reappointed. The last named will try to enter a little more history: a goal would be enough to the center-forward of Chelsea to occupy alone the third step of the podium of the best markers in the history of les Bleus, ahead of David Trezeguet and his 34 achievements.
There will be something festive about the Dionysian forum, at least before kick-off with the celebrations planned for the centenary of the French Federation.
A documentary “tracing the great times of French football” will be screened, and the lawn covered with a large tarpaulin meant to “pay tribute to a hundred personalities who have incarnated and illustrated this story.” Les Bleus will wear a collector’s jersey, with a revisited logo.
