A first swaying dance in a duet with Kimpembe, then a solo robot sway.
In the 75th minute of this France-Switzerland, there was only one king on the pitch in Bucharest.
His name was Paul Pogba and allowed himself a long minute of festivities after his magnificent goal, synonymous with 3-1 for the Blues.
But how the hell did the reigning world champions manage to ruin everything for the next fifteen minutes, only to then fail on penalties?
We watched the last nightmarish quarter of an hour for Didier Deschamps' men before extra time on Monday evening.
It is about a collective sinking, concentration jumps and an incredible technical waste, at least as culpable as the final failure of Kylian Mbappé on penalties.
First galvanized by the goal of 3-1 ...
Pogba's skylight missile had initially had a euphoric effect on the eleven.
Kingsley Coman, who we will talk about several times as he symbolized the incredible inconstancy of the Blues, took advantage in the 77th minute of a combination between Rabiot and Benzema to also try his luck from outside the area.
His powerful strike ends in Sommer's gloves, but the attempt then suggests that France is not in the mood to disappear from the match as in the first period.
[⚽️ GOAL VIDEO] 🏆 #FRASUI
🚀🚀🚀 POGBOOOOOOM!
🤯 A missile rolled up to 25 meters!
🔥 And that's 3-1 !!!
https://t.co/IGSBXhjbbP
- beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) June 28, 2021
A minute later, this impression is confirmed.
Coman's cross for Benzema still ends up in the gloves of the Swiss goalkeeper, but whatever.
The game is played with ease.
Nobody multiplies the touches of the ball.
The defensive returns are marked, like those of Griezmann, and, above all, the block does not retreat.
... then unable to outsmart the Swiss dry cleaners
The French defense will however crack three minutes later, in the 81st. Spaces are suddenly created between the lines and Switzerland takes the opportunity to find gaps. At the start of the reduction in the score, Varane was forced to attempt a long complicated pass that went into touch. Difficult to blame him: no solution is offered to him in the midfield or on the side of Pavard, on the right, and the pressing of the Swiss attackers prevents him from keeping the ball.
Three passes later, the torchbearer Freuler pierced the French midfield between Kanté and Coman and found Fassnacht at 35 meters.
His pass is blocked by Kimbembe, but he manages to gain the upper hand on the Munich player, far too tender and give Mbabu.
The latter, strangely left alone by Rabiot, who prefers to stick to his axial, has plenty of time to serve Seferovic, placed in front of Varane and intractable against Lloris.
Haris Seferovic reduced the score in the 81st minute.
Reuters / Justin Setterfield JUSTIN SETTERFIELD
Six minutes without a single pass
We are then at 3-2.
Before the start, Benzema tries to calm everyone down after this air hole, but France actually plunges into a barely believable streak, retreating by at least fifteen meters.
For exactly six minutes (from the 84th to the 90th), the reigning world champion selection will not succeed in any pass, simply striving to reject the ball in the duels and clear his camp thanks to his defenders or Lloris over six meters .
To read also France-Switzerland: "No cohesion", Patrick Vieira raised against the state of mind of the Blues
The thesis of the physical breakdown, and of the lack of movement which results from it, is undoubtedly not foreign to this renunciation.
Ricardo Rodriguez's fake strike, in which Griezmann gets trapped in the 85th minute, also illustrates a glaring lack of lucidity.
Fortunately, the Swiss defender's center shot won't be an assist for Gavranovic due to a logical offside, even though Rabiot came close to covering it.
Pogba, a goal and a fatal loss of ball
One thing is certain, we find the same man at the beginning and at the end of these six minutes of absence, marked by the exit of Antoine Griezmann: the striker Paul Pogba.
It is he, first, who puts the ball in touch after a series of dribbling dispensable in his camp (84th).
And it is again he who tangles the brushes in the central circle on a one-two with Benzema to offer a decisive counter to the Nati (90th).
[⚽️ VIDEO GOAL] 🏆 #FRASUI
🔥 Led 3-1 in the 81st, Switzerland snatches extra time!
🤯 A sublime strike from Gavranovic in the 89th, after a devastating hook on Kimpembe! Https: //t.co/ehk0aTwqbT
- beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) June 28, 2021
On this goal, one can frown at the zigzag run of Kimpembe, but it can be explained.
With the loss of the ball, the Parisian deserted the axis and lost sight of the goalscorer Govranovic, because he tried to plug the angle of pass towards Fassnhacht, left behind his back to the right, ahead of Rabiot.
This delay justifies why Kimpembe then finds no other solution than to throw himself on his opponent.
Finally, remember that this 3-3 madness could also have ended without extra time.
And this in favor of the Blues as of Switzerland.
This French team was plugged, against its will, on alternating current and it proved it during the last minute of regulation time.
In the 94th, on a new defensive wandering, Kimpembe lets escape in his back the fresh Admir Mehmedi.
He is finally stopped by Lloris.
🏆 #ClubEuro
⚽ Oh Coman's transverse !!!! # FRASUI pic.twitter.com/YsoH0j1LU0
- beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) June 28, 2021
Barely twenty-five seconds later, Sissoko crosses for Coman, whose superb sequence of chest control and half-volley smashes the crossbar.
Suddenly at the stroke of the pump, there was only one step for the Blues in this Euro.