DECRYPTION –Be it the stakes, the absentees, or the broadcast… Everything you need to know in advance of the match between the Blues and Austria in the League of Nations, which will take place on Thursday at Saint-Denis.
Where and when to see the match?
This next Thursday, the match between France and Austria will take place at the Stade de France at 8:45 p.m. A match that will be shown on M6 and that you will, of course, be able to follow live here on our website, complete with commentary from Teddy Vadeevaloo.
Will the climate weighing on the FFF rub off on the ground?
To say that the atmosphere right now is weighty would be something of an understatement. Disagreements around image rights, the Pogba situation, and the presence of big bills in high-ranking positions within the FFF… There is simply the frustration of having too many options. Only time will tell if the Blues can seal off all of these disruptive influences and keep their hermetic status. Didier Deschamps ensures the being. Since Sunday, my colleagues and I have been stationed at Clairefontaine, where the beginning of the course was both solemn and lighthearted. After that, the race will be won by the competition. Now is the time to tell the truth. The atmosphere is unchangeable in its current state. Whether you believe what I say or not, I am isolated from the rest of the world when it comes to what goes on inside of me. As is typical for me, I have a lot of work to complete in my job. He makes the bold assertion, “I am also adjusting to the circumstances with a lot of injuries, and I remain focused on the sporting objective.”
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Which absentees among the Blues?
It was a bloodbath that fell on the Blues for this penultimate gathering before the World Cup. In addition to the choices made by Didier Deschamps, players such as Moussa Diaby (Leverkusen), Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco), and Wesley Fofana (Chelsea) were not included (November 20-December 18). Therefore, we would have no trouble putting together a strong eleven players with the ones we are missing! We would discover there, in particular, the world champions Hugo Lloris, Presnel Kimpembe, Paul Pogba, and N’Golo Kanté, without forgetting the potential future Golden Ball winner Karim Benzema, who was absent in Russia. We would find them there. It has even happened that some players, like Boubacar Kamara or Lucas Digne, have been brought up to compensate for a package that required them to give something up. Bad luck.
The 11 of the absentees (3-4-3):
Lloris – Fofana, Kimpembe, L. Hernandez – Coman, Kanté, Pogba, T. Hernandez – Diaby, Benzema, Ben Yedder. Replacements: Mandanda (g), Konaté, Digne, Rabiot, Kamara, Martial, Saint-Maximin.
The team that was declared to start this Thursday evening on the lawn of Saint-Denis nevertheless remains competitive. There are a priori two newcomers in the starting lineup. These newcomers are the Monegasques Youssouf Fofana and Benoit Badiashille. Armband that belongs to Raphael Varane.
The probable 11 of the Blues: Maignan – Koundé, Varane, Badiashille – Clauss, Tchouaméni, Fofana, Mendy – Griezmann, Giroud, Mbappé
Read also: “I am closed off from the outside world”: Hermetic Approach to Business by Didier Deschamps Before France-Austria Match
What are the challenges for the France team…
The Blues have already been eliminated from contention to advance to the semi-finals of the League of Nations in June 2023 after earning only two minor points after the first four days of competition. They will not be able to catch up to the Danish leader who now has 9 points in this position. This does not imply that the upcoming matches against Austria (which will take place on Thursday) and Denmark (which will take place on Sunday) are devoid of intrigue. The French, who are now in fourth place behind Croatia (7 points) and Austria (3 points), will be demoted to the second level of competition for the next iteration of the competition if they finish in last place in their pool… For a selection of this caliber, this is one hell of a snub. In addition to taking into account the financial implications, the France team will strive (and perhaps most importantly) to gain confidence after the matches in June. According to Raphael Varane, “the major purpose of these two matches is primarily to set shared benchmarks so that we can be stronger together.”
… and the Blues?
There are fewer than two months until the start of the World Cup, and even though this is the final gathering, certain players have every motive to show themselves off. After that, it will be too late to do anything. In addition to the newcomers Fofana, Badiashille, Kolo-Muani, Treffert, and Lafont, we will pay close attention to the performances of veterans Ousmane Dembélé and Olivier Giroud, even though DD has previously provided information regarding the latter of the two players indicated. Aurélien Tchouaméni has a fantastic chance to demonstrate to the head coach that he has what it takes to be a starter now that both N’Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba are sidelined with injuries. Especially because it is not at all guaranteed that the “Pickaxe” will be delivered in time for Qatar… If it became essential, there would be locations to take in the middle, and Eduardo Camavinga or Mattéo Guendouzi would attempt to take them. To determine whether or not Ferland Mendy will be able to get a spot at the World Cup in the Hernandez brothers’ place.
Claus says, “I want to prove that I have the level,” which you can read about here:
In the rear, young men such as Jules Koundé, William Saliba, or Dayot Upamecano can be anticipated to compete for the last seats on the flight to Doha. A priori, Jonathan Clauss, Christopher Nkunku, and Mike Maignan can already prepare their bags, although the latter has every incentive to shine in the absence of Lloris. Jonathan Clauss, Christopher Nkunku, and Mike Maignan all have an interest in shining. Varane and Antoine Griezmann have shown signs of returning to form in the past few weeks, and it will be important for them to continue this trend. Kylian Mbappe? He does not require any further encouragement or inspiration.
What should we fear from the Austrians?
Didier Deschamps’s players are in a good position to know that we need to be aware of those who were coached by Ralf Rangnick, the interim manager of Manchester United during the previous season because they were held in check in Vienna in the first leg, which ended in a 1-1 tie. We immediately think of David Alaba (Real Madrid), who has served as the captain of this team for several years. However, we also think of Marcel Sabitzer (Bayern) or Marko Arnautovic (Bologna). There are also several very talented Bundesliga players on this team (Schlager, Baumgartner, Lienhart, Lainer, etc.), as well as players who get the opportunity to mix it up with the best players in Europe thanks to Salzburg’s participation in the Champions League (Seiwald, Wober, and Ulmer). Last but not least, Rangnick has a few “French” players that he can count on, such the Lensois Kevin Danso, the Clermont-based Muhammed Cham, and the Reims-based porter Patrick Pentz. Andreas Weimann, who scored in the first leg and plays pistol for the English national team, is also present.
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