Tops / Flops France-South Africa: Mbappé bright, South Africans overwhelmed

Tops

Mbappé was still sparkling

The least we can say is that he recovered well from his ENT infection.

Absent for this reason last Friday, Kylian Mbappé was back this Tuesday against South Africa.

And the PSG striker had ants in his legs.

Impactful entry, he never stopped combining, hitting, hitting.

And what a gem.

In the 23rd minute, stopped in the area, he executed a marvelous curling shot that lodged out of reach of goalkeeper Williams.

Moreover threatening on each acceleration, he gave the South African defenders a real nightmare, who never knew how to stop him.

Or else irregularly like this penalty at the end of the game that he provoked and transformed to sign the double (76th).

Finally,

Read alsoTeam of France: the Blues and Mbappé feast, Giroud gets closer (again) to Henry

Giroud, even closer

As often, he touched few balls, took little part in the game. But as often, he was able to be decisive on the rare opportunities he had.

Scorer thanks to a good sequence in the area (33rd), Olivier Giroud scored his 48th goal in selection, his 2nd consecutive goal during this rally.

He is thus only three units behind the record holder Thierry Henry.

Absent for almost nine months from the selection, this return has undoubtedly done him a lot of good.

And allowed him to regain some points for the next World Cup.

The nerve of Clauss, the good form of Digne

For his first tenure in the France team, Jonathan Clauss played without any complex.

Yet whistled at the start by the Lille public for belonging to rival Lens, the piston did not have legs that trembled and occupied its corridor well both defensively and offensively.

We have seen him hit several times on goal and deliver a few interesting crosses.

Same observation for Lucas Digne, who brings a real alternative to Théo Hernandez, who has overtaken him in the hierarchy since last fall.

Welcome performance for Deschamps in positions where specialists are missing.

Griezmann, in the service of the collective

He had been discreet against Ivory Coast, he was much more present this Tuesday evening.

Free of any movement, Antoine Griezmann led the French game perfectly, directing it well and distilling many good balls.

His overflow on the right side and his chained cross for Mbappé on the action of the 1st French goal also launched his game.

Again decisive passer on the 2nd concluded by Giroud, he fully assumed his role in this free position to establish the mid-attack relationship.

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A South Africa exceeded

68th nation in the FIFA rankings, South Africa really did not make the weight at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium.

With no players playing in the major championships, Hugo Broos' men seemed limited, without physical, technical and mental resources to oppose the Blues.

A very weak adversity which, at least, allowed the French to continue their good series.