Special Envoy to Doha
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It was a foregone conclusion.
When the French starting XI fell an hour before kick-off, most French fans in the Education City Stadium press room weren't expecting much from such a fixture.
And no doubt Didier Deschamps' squad composition, with nine changes from the second game for a side that didn't look like much against Tunisia (0-1), will be sure to change. agitate the (numerous) debates.
Pragmatic, the coach of the Blues will vigorously retort that his group was already qualified before the meeting against Tunisia, that it was necessary to blow executives for the round of 16 and avoid sinking to ensure first place in the group. D. On these points, mission accomplished.
If in 2014 and 2018, the idea of a turnover had been validated with six changes and two soporific draws (0-0 against Ecuador and Denmark), this time the staff of the Blues went too far in the experimental side.
We hear the reasons and we can understand them, but throwing players together in the same evening in new positions (Disasi on the right while Pavard has been chomping at the bit the whole match on the bench, Camavinga on the left) or in roles keys like Veretout and Guendouzi in the middle, ultimately benefited no one.
If not the usual executives, kept warm for a good part of the meeting.
Some will say that the France team was disrespectful at the World Cup, others will argue that the coach only took advantage of the
advantage drawn from the first two successful outings against Australia (4-1) and Denmark (2-1).
There is debate.
What to say in the end of this football porridge?
Already it has not even fully benefited the Tunisians, pushed by more than 30,000 passionate spectators but not very respectful of the national anthems, since Australia has dominated Denmark (1-0), sending them back to their country.
World Cup over.
And this game?
A French team in pain for a good part of the end of the afternoon, like a nice Camavinga to help out on the left side but in constant asphyxiation at a position that is not his.
The French building, made of odds and ends, did not look like much, apart from a valiant and only international Tchouameni, with Konaté, to hold his rank.
Unsurprisingly, with heart and courage, Tunisia allowed themselves to believe in the dream of a qualification when Khazri opened the scoring with the tip of the left foot, taking advantage of the largesse of Fofana and Varane (1-0, 58th) .
But it would have taken more talent and a French team really at the end of the abyss to hope for better.
Above all, at the same time, the amazing Australia, swept away by the Blues at the opening of group D, did the job against sad Danes, semi-finalists of the Euro and already asked to leave Qatar.
If the changes made by Deschamps at the hour mark (exit of Varane, Coman, Veretout for Saliba, Mbappé and Rabiot) have rebalanced things, the overall performance remains sloppy.
Only a goal disallowed in the last seconds of Griezmann (90 + 8) brought the French team out of torpor.
But the reigning world champions did not deserve better on Saturday evening in Doha.
From now on, we will have to wait a few hours to know the identity of the future opponent in the round of 16 on Sunday (4 p.m.).
Argentina, Poland, Saudi Arabia or Mexico are jostling at the gate.
