It's a bit like him, it's a bit of them, it's totally the France team.
The world champions defend themselves like leaders, continuing the French tradition since the first world champion title.
This is a constant in the modern history of the Blues, as in football in general: the greatest conquests are born of collective solidity, as indicated by the last three international titles (1998, 2000, 2018) and they still had it in 2006 when they failed by nothing in the World Cup final against the Italians.
Chelsea's victory in the Champions League is not exactly the affirmation of an offensive imbalance, it is above all about the success of the team that has been defending the best in this competition this season.
The main merit undoubtedly goes to Didier Deschamps, who always finds solutions and team complementarities.
For three years, he has implemented a strategy composed of four central defenders, a rarity at this level.
Germany did so in 2014 with a world championship title, four goals conceded in seven games in Brazil, half of which against Ghana in the first round.
This Tuesday evening, Joachim Löw had the credible compliment at the time of the analysis: "France is also world champion in defense".
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The French coach changed everything just before the 2018 World Cup in taking risks that no one had seen coming.
While the last preparation match, a France-United States (1-1) in Lyon without flavor, had started with Djibril Sidibé and Benjamin Mendy on the sides of the defense, it was Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez who played the World Cup with solid gold success.
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And when three years later, Samuel Umtiti has only one knee left for the very high level, Deschamps replaces him with Clément Lenglet, then Presnel Kimpembe, with no sign of sagging for the moment. With the two pillars still at the top, Hugo Lloris in goal and Raphaël Varane in captain, the last rampart of the Blues ensures, reassures, holds, does not concede anything. Germany framed a single shot and N'Golo Kanté's partners have just lined up five games without conceding anything (Kazakhstan, Bosnia, Wales, Bulgaria, Germany).
But the tricolor base is not reduced to its defensive block which extends to the three midfielders.
The three attackers fall back, work and help their seven field partners.
Kylian Mbappé immediately set the tone for the loss of a ball, going to recover it in the same action.
Karim Benzema was a poison for the first revival of the National Mannschaft, when Antoine Griezmann, undoubtedly to the detriment of his offensive contribution, distinguished himself in an obscure work of harassing environment.
“I do not dissociate the attacking trio who put in a lot of effort.
They helped defend well, ”said Deschamps, who was able to count on hard-fought training and receptive players, full of physical freshness.
Sanitary bubble or not, among the Blues, it is forbidden to enter.
