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1 hour ago
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Key events
68 min Camara sticks Jaackson in behind, the ball bounces … and he absolutely pastes a shot that shrieks above Maignan and into the roof – I think the keeper gets a touch – but the flag goes up. Jackson was offside, just.
GOAL! France 1-0 Senegal (Mbappe 66)
Ohhhh, this gorgeous. Olise, running ting now, reappears on the right and power-slides an oblique pass into the box, near side, meeting Mbappe’s run, and this time he doesn’t wait to miscontrol, instead snapping an expert’s finish, first-time across Mendy and into the far corner!
65 min Senegal are rocking now, Rabiot out to Doue, who nudges cunning infield to Hernandez. But his first touch is heavy and his second, a shot, is blocked.
64 min Olise s properly involved now, again appearing infield to turn his man and streak away, slipping a luscious pass into the box at precisely the pace Mbappe would want it … yet it beats him. He’s having an absolute mare, and yet it’d be entirely unsurprising if he were to score the winner.
63 min I can see why, form the ref’s angle, it looked like a fair challenge, but judging by the look on Mane’s coupo, he thought he was done for.
NO PENALTY TO FRANCE!
61 min Goodness, it looks like the ref points to the spot, but actually he gestures for a goalkick, the suggestion that Mbappe initiated contact. I’m not sure how that’s possible, given it came from behind him; he perhaps waited for the challenge, but I’m not sure that’s even so, and he was in with men in front of goal to find. Deschamps is not amused by this development.
Yup, Mane catches Mbappe’s trailing leg with his thigh. The ref comes over to consult the screen…
59 min I think we can say with certainty that Mane gets man not ball. This is going to be a penalty to France.
59 min Mbappe pulls right, skates around Diouf on the outside, screeches into the box, and Mane slides in … but does he gets the ball? Mbappe thinks so, the ref says corner, and VAR will let us know which it is.
57 min Has someone spiked the half-time oranges? A loose touch from Cmara is seized upon by Olise, and his slide-rule pass into the box finds Mbappe – he’s in! But again, Mendy is equal to the situation, out quickly to block.
56 min I love how Senegal commit to attack, Koulibaly finding Diatta who finds Sarr … whose pass into the box for Jackson has just too much on it.
55 min Gueye passes smartly into midfield and Sarr lanks through midfield before playing in Jackson … but again, Upamecano is equal to him, easing him off the ball.
53 min Kounde pounces on a lax touch from Gueye a punches a ball into Olise, who slows up Koulibaly then stomps on the gas, taking him away and in! So out comes Mendy, spreading himself, and when the shot is clipped back against Olise’s momentum, his left thigh does enough. Excellent goalkeeping, and much better from France.
51 min Senegal have yet to muster an attack in this half, but when Mbappe gets Diatta one on one … he’s easily mugged-off, again, and Camara sets Sarr in behind … but Saliba makes a fine sliding tackle.
49 min “‘Tchouameni and Rabiot are a strange pairing, neither of them an aggressive passer or carrier, both lacking imagination and dexterity’” begins Brendan Murphy, quoting me back to myself. “Uh, huh. Funnily enough, this unimaginative pairing, that can’t pass and carry, was Deschamps central midfield of choice in 2022. Got them to the final and a missed penalty from retaining the World Cup.”
France have good players and the standard at that competition was poor. Just because a team do well, it doesn’t mean they’re perfect and there’s not a better version of them waiting to be unlocked. I don’t think many have watched them under Deschamps and not felt something better is possible.
48 min Upamecano drills a long pass to Doue, just left of centre who shifts it on to his left foot and wallops a low shot that zips a yard or two wide of the post. Better from France.
47 min “In the last two WCs,” says Bruce Brooks, “Griezmann was the real manager of the France attack, and Griezmann’s hard to replace.”
Yes, that’s a fair point. I originally typed that they’re missing a pivot, then deleted it because I didn’t think it entirely accurate – lots of good attacks do without – but I agree there’s no one buzzing about making and following short passes.
46 min We go again, Senegal kicking for touch as France did at the start of the first half.
Our teams are back with us. Has Deschamps been able to get his players going?
Mainoo, I should add, is wearing a vest and looks in absurd shape. He needs to be because, though his tackling is better than people think, in the last few months he’s started bouncing opponents, especially necessary because he doesn’t have long strides or serious pace.
BBC are showing an interview with Kobbie Mainoo who, it turns out, is boys with Clarence Seedorf – his dad met him at the Euros, they got talking, swapped numbers, and chat. I absolutely love that, what a bloke for a young player to have as a mate.
A group-chat tale in two acts:
Yes, “Drew” is a Palace fan.
Half-time reading:
HALF-TIME: France 0-0 Senegal
Senegal have hit the post and missed an open net; France have done a lot of nothing.
45+6 min WHAT A CHANCE FOR SENEGAL! Diouf, who’s been excellent, waits for Mane, then feeds a pass in behind as Kounde half-arses his tracking – he can’t be dug out for not doing it, but he does it in name only. So Mane snaps across the face AND SARR IS UNMARKED, EIGHT YARDS OUT! THIS IS HIS MOMENT! Er, except with the goal making eyes at him, he’s distracted into clattering a side-footer over the top. If Senegal don’t win this, that’ll haunt him.
45+4 min It’s france moving it slowly as we near the break, but Upamecano thunks a decent pass into midfield, the ball goes wide, and Kounde crosses way beyond the back post. The apparent lack of understanding between top-level players who’ve been playing together for years, is equal parts infuriating and disquieting.
45+2 min “There is surely something to be said for having a single, evident point of attack and everything else working in the service of that,” reckons Paul Whitfield. “Is it possible the French team has too many options and thus no plan?”
I don’t think the lack of cohesion necessarily comes about because there are too many options – I don’t think Deschamps is much of an attacking coach – but the blend is definitely a problem. It’s not, though, simply down to the strikers – Tchouameni and Rabiot are a strange pairing, neither of them an aggressive passer or carrier, both lacking a imagination and dexterity.
45+1 min Our kick-offs are coming late and so are our added time announcements. We’ll have six minutes.
45 min But France sustain the attack, Dembele now popping up on the right and whipping in a nasty low cross which kicks off the turf right in front of Koulibaly, who slices it behind for another corner. Again, it’s a poor one that comes to nowt.
43 min Pape Gueye is harshly penalised for a foul on Dembele, so france can put a ball into the box from out on the left … which Koulibaly heads clear.
40 min Sarr scarpers down the right and moves infield across the face of the box, somehow keeping possession though the ball is well ahead of him. It breaks to Pape Gueye who has a dig – it’s straight at Maignan – and, with Sarr down, France break. They can’t create anything, so the physio comes on and leads Sarr off – he’ll be back shortly – then off we go again.
39 min My screen crashe but, in the meantime and not for the first time, it seems Doue didn’t follow Diatta. Deschamps is not happy.
36 min Upamecano over the top for Olise … who’s easily unloaded by Diouf. France aren’t getting him the ball early and in space, so he’s having to beat his man from a standing start with little separation, and it’s not working. They must move the ball quicker and get it forward sooner.
34 min “Olise seems to be playing the Griezmann role, roving everywhere to knit together defense and attack and progressing the ball forward” reckons Kári Tulinius. “I don’t know if that’s the best use of his talents, as I’d love to see him focus on creating chances.”
It’s hard to discern France’s attacking idea – it feels very off-the-cuff, moving the ball forward and assuming something good will eventually happen. Which brings us back to Deschamps – this team’s USP is the majesty of its attacking players, but the manager’s conservative nature means they don’t exploit it.
32 min There’s a big difference in intensity between the Senegal press and the France version – such as it is. My sense is Deschamps is happier with his team in shape than leaving spaces looking to win the ball high.
31 min Though they had their momentum halted by the break, Senegal again time their press well, springing and finding Sarr, but he slips as he shoots. Still, though, his team are in the ascendancy.
29 min “Luis Enrique for France manager,” says Jim Myers. “All the outrageous talent Deschamps has had at his disposal since he’s been in charge, and yet watching France remains a snoozefest.”
Guy Mowbray just prefixed his name with “the great”, which I must say elicited in me a physical reaction. It feels more like France’s 2018 win was in spite of him than because of him, but it’s hard to argue with post-Knysna harmony and a trophy. I’m intrigued to see how Zinedine Zidane handles the gig when he takes over.
27 min The corner comes to nothing and it’s time for a drinks break. Mbappe could use a settler.
25 min Tchouemani to Mbappe, who fancies himself against Diouf, but a loose touch and ball is easily confiscated – does he have his boots on the wrong feet? – and we know the Senegal plan is to spring, because that’s what they’re doing every time. So Diouf takes another touch, then sticks a pass in behind and Jakcson is away and in space! In the inside-left channel, he diddles Upamecano with a stepover that intimates he’s going inside, dashes outside, and the striker who can’t shoot, which sounds like a kids’ book, laces one that whizzes past Maignan … and hits the base of the near post, bouncing off the keeper … and behind.
23 min Again, Senegal look to get it forward quickly, sending Sarr running at Upamecano … who sons him off, too strong and too solid.
23 min I’d like to see Senegal moving the ball better in midfield. Pape Sarr gives it away and off goes Mbappe, but Diatta does well to stick with him, conceding a corner … which comes to nothing.
21 min The corner is wasted and Senegal bring the ball away.
20 min “Papa, Steed, Sylvain, Clint” is CLEARLY a 70s R&B combo,” says Steve Gisselbrecht.
Meantime, Kounde, again high on the right, is this time tracked by Mane, who misses his kick ceding a corner.
19 min But of course, as soon as I hit send, Mane fails to track back, the ball comes in off the flank from Olise to Dembele, and his shot is blocked by Niakhate. Immediately, though, Senegal get back on the attack, Pape Sarr snapping a terrific pass down the line for Sarr … whose first touch is heavy.
17 min France are starting to exert control, but Senegal are doing a good job of sticking in, defending in a 4-4-2, then jumping as one when triggered. So far, I like what I’m seeing from them, in and out of possession.
15 min I think I – and many others – have a bit of thing for Cherki because he’s that contemporary rarity: a maverick who does things on the off-beat. His stride patterns and low backlift make him so hard to read, a natural footballer and a one-off. I’d not be surprised to see him bag some late-doors goals and assists, as opponents tire and he’s sent on to terrorise.
14 min Eeee, Koulibaly gives it away to Dembele, who again looks for Mbappe in behind … and almost gips up his upper intestine when it transpires he’s given the pass excess gas. That was, I think, the kind of thing Cherki would pull off without thinking about it.
