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And one, and two, and three, and four, and five and six and seven and eight-zero… Heard repeatedly on Saturday evening during the French recital in front of Kazakhstan (8-0), the famous song entered in the collective memory a certain July 12, 1998 was brought up to date by an audience of the Parc des Princes aux Anges and cheerful after such a spectacle. Symbol of a delicious moment and of a monstrous French team of ease and ease when validating its ticket for Qatar (November 21-December 18, 2022) where it will dearly defend its title of world champion with a XXL ambition. For its last outing on French soil in 2021, Didier Deschamps' band put on the show, not content only to finish the work of a perfectly negotiated qualification campaign. It was theobjective of the day and it was easily fulfilled, the ghosts of the disastrous Bulgaria of November 1993 did not even exist.
In a perfect evening with in particular a magnificent Marseillaise a capella before the start of the match and a vibrant tribute to the victims of November 13, 2015, if the entire France team was at the rendezvous, a man will inevitably be talked about more than the others for a few days. With a quadruple - and a decisive pass - in front of an audience at the Parc des Princes won over to his cause, Kylian Mbappé marked the spirits for his 52nd selection by signing his 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd achievements ... at only 22 years old. Colossal. Monstrous. Prodigious. At the height of the phenomenon. Superlatives are so lacking the native of Bondy martyred the poor Kazakh defense, unable to silence him and surprised by a flat of the foot full of mastery (1-0, 6th), an ideal positioning (2-0, 12th), a head - its weak point - masterful (3-0,32nd) and an incredible boost (8-0, 87th) at the end of the match. A real recital in front of 45,551 spectators under the spell of such ease, talent and class.
If the striker of the Blues, on course to beat all the records in the history of the France team in the years to come if he continues on this momentum, was the great man of a cheerful and radiant evening, he it would be unfair to reduce the victory and qualification of the world champions to this single individual performance.
Facing a Kazakhstani nation loyal to its status as the 125th nation in the world, the recent winners of the League of Nations made life easy by taking the game from the right end.
Without ever slowing down in terms of aggressiveness, impact and presence in the duels, while adding mastery and the desire to switch during most of the meeting.
Read also World 2022: Benzema overtakes Trezeguet with 35 goals in Blues, Griezmann surpasses Platini
Communion with the Parc des Princes
A definition that sums up the match of Karim Benzema, double scorer (4-0, 55th then 5-0, 59th) and a clever mix of altruism, good play and infinite class. For a production modeled on the lineage of what he proposed in Italy last month in the quest for the League of Nations. And especially with the feeling of a seductive and effective blue attack, which still leaves regrets to the Euro by saying that with a reminder much earlier from the Madrilenian and a more consistent playing time, this team of France would not have stopped in the round of 16 ... Despite everything, this trio (6 goals, 3 assists in total on Saturday night) Benzema-Mbappé-Griezmann gives a glimpse of all possible hopes in a year in Qatar. Provided that everything else also follows collectively. Another debate.
Let's not stop only at the attack, so much the play in the corridors was also a success in front of Kazakhstanis entangled in a true nightmare on the side of the Porte d'Auteuil on Saturday evening. Like a Kingsley Coman, preferred to Benjamin Pavard in the famous fashionable post of right piston, author of two assists, but above all infernal in his ability to cause misery to his direct opponent, poor Maksat Taykenov. What also to say about Théo Hernandez, 2 assists to his credit on Saturday night in his left lane and who displays a line of insolent statistics in only 4 selections (1 goals, 3 assists). A success that falls to Didier Deschamps, resolutely offensive and rewarded for his panache. The bill was even a little saltier thanks to Adrien Rabiot (6-0,75th) and Antoine Griezmann (7-0, 84th) - who even offered the luxury of overtaking Michel Platini in 3rd place among the top scorers in the history of the selection - for the Blues who have continued to do the show to properly celebrate the qualification for the next World Cup. With the key to a tasty lap of honor and an outpouring of joy beautiful to see between the champions and their supporters.
