MY ACCOUNT
Kylian Mbappe scored a brace in his first game as the French captain as his side dismantled Netherlands 4-0 in their opening Euro 2024 qualifying game.
The first three goals came in a first-half rout which was started by Antoine Griezmann and shortly followed up by Dayot Upamecano.
Mbappe scored Les Bleus’ third and fourth to complete a perfect night for Didier Deschamps’s side.
The result meant that Ronald Koeman started his second stint in charge of the Netherlands with a humbling defeat at the Stade de France.
Captain Mbappe leads the way
Mbappe was announced as the new permanent captain of France this week, succeeding Hugo Lloris after the goalkeeper announced his retirement from international football.
The 24-year-old’s first game could not have gone better — his side comfortably beat the Netherlands 4-0 and he grabbed an impressive brace.
The first goal stemmed from a classic piece of Mbappe skill.
He sprinted past the last line of the Netherlands defence, receiving an excellent through-ball from Aurelien Tchouameni and slotted past the goalkeeper with ease.
His second goal of the night came a lot later in the game but it was equally as impressive — he danced, teased, and feinted through the Netherlands defence before eventually firing his shot into the bottom left-hand corner.
The forward will hope to captain his country to a major trophy and based on this performance they will be favourites to lift the European Championships in Germany next year.
Griezmann class
Antoine Griezmann has been a regular in the France squad for many years now and he proved tonight that he remains a key part of this squad moving forward.
France’s blistering start was mainly due to the 32-year-old — his brilliant first-time finish from a Kylian Mbappe cut-back within two minutes set the tone for the evening.
Only six minutes later, he showed off his wide skillset, turning into the provider from a free-kick.
He whipped in an inviting ball which was parried by goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen but it then came straight off Upamecano to double Les Bleus’ advantage.
If he can continue this level of output, he will remain a key player for France despite his age.
Bad start for Koeman
Koeman stated in the week that managing the Netherlands will be easier the second time around.
Despite his first game being a very hard challenge, the former player will be furious with how his side collapsed in the first-half.
They did have the majority of the possession the first-half but failed to create anything of note — whereas France were incredibly sharp in the final-third.
Koeman will want to improve in this qualifying campaign and there is an excellent chance to do that in their fixture against Gibraltar.
Tchouameni stakes his claim
France have plenty of options in central midfield as Adrien Rabiot, Eduardo Camavinga, Youssouf Fofana and Jordan Veretout are all viable options for the role.
However, Tchouameni is the one currently shining in this position for Deschamps’s side.
The Real Madrid star was excellent in the World Cup, even scoring a vital long-range goal against England in the quarter-finals.
He continued this form against Netherlands — his assist to Mbappe was a beautifully-weighted pass that split the entire Oranje defence apart.
The 23-year-old was also excellent off the ball, shutting out any potential attacks and making sure the Netherlands possesion did not progress into any dangerous areas.
Mike Maignan era begins
Lloris has been France’s main goalkeeper ever since his debut in 2008 — but it is now time for the mantle to be passed on.
Deschamps confirmed in a press conference this week that Mike Maignan will be the new number one.
It was a perfect start for AC Milan’s goalkeeper as he did not face a lot of action but was calm and composed when any potential danger came his way.
In the dying moments of the game he ensured a clean sheet by saving a Memphis Depay penalty, capping a very impressive start to his new role in the France setup.
