The 2020 season of the France team will end this Tuesday evening against Sweden. A friendly meeting since the Blues brilliantly brought out their clothes of world champions in Portugal to win (1-0) and win their group of League of Nations. A successful performance of a collective in which was Anthony Martial in tip and Olivier Giroud on the bench. The two men should engage in a duel for one of the last places in Didier Deschamps’ eleven at the next Euro. The chosen one will have the task of accompanying Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé on the front of the attack, if all these beautiful people avoid the physical glitches.
Different profiles
This very special year 2020 prevents all predictions. Tomorrrow is far away. June and the start of Euro 2021, even more. But thanks to the fall, Martial seems to have taken a slight advantage over Giroud. In particular by the contribution of different qualities. The Mancunien started in Lisbon because “it’s better in this type of match”, Didier Deschamps justified.
With or without the ball, his less imposing size allowed him to multiply the races, to offer other solutions than a Giroud fixed back to the goal and useful in deviations. Even if the finish was lacking, the Martial-Griezmann-Coman combination made the heavy Portuguese central defenders dizzy. The former Monegasque had also started twice against Croatia in this League of Nations. It’s not just a symbol. With regard to the group intended for the Blues at the Euro (Portugal, Germany and Hungary), Martial’s speed should, again, prove to be an asset against the Portuguese and the Germans.
A heavy playing time
Deschamps embodies the very definition of pragmatism. Without significant playing time in the club, difficult to find a place in his selection. Giroud knows this and heard the new warning issued by “DD” on Saturday evening. “Olivier, I know him,” he slips affectionately. He is going through a difficult period psychologically and physically. His playing time is not doing him a favor. […] In four months, I don’t know what it will be like for him and his situation. If she drags on, he knows exactly what I’m thinking. “
With Chelsea, he has only played 154 minutes this season, more than half as much as with the Blues. Replacing the replacement in London, Giroud, 34, must already think about the winter transfer window. Unless you manage to reverse your situation with the Blues as during the post-coronavirus recovery. But the option of a departure this winter seems more realistic in the hope of competing for the Euro as the holder. Because for his part, Martial carbide with Manchester United, having missed only three games because of a direct red card.
A question of finishing
Here is the shadow in the picture painted by the Blues at the Luz stadium on Saturday evening. Martial has obtained four clear chances in one half for no goal. A more general problem for the 24-year-old striker: in 25 caps, he scored once, in Italy in a friendly match in 2016 (3-1). This season the Champions League (2 goals in 2 games) saves the results of its effectiveness. In Blue, Giroud has never been asked to be effective (42 goals in 102 selections), as was still the case in 25 minutes of play against Croatia (4-2) with a goal on penalty or during of his historic double (he exceeded Platini) in a friendly against Ukraine (7-1). These data will count in Deschamps’ mind at the time of the final choice.
Article original de: www.leparisien.fr
