Football
Didier Deschamps under the pump after he leaves out Eduardo Camavinga during Euro 2024 qualifier victory over Netherlands
Kylian Mbappe struck twice to give the visitors an important lead
In their Euro 2024 qualifying matches in Amsterdam, France was slated to take on their fiercest group rivals, the Netherlands. Didier Deschamps, the manager of France, has drawn attention for his selection of players for Les Bleus in the encounter.
With five straight victories to begin the qualifications, France was in a prime position to maintain their control of Group B. Six points separate the 2022 FIFA World Cup champions from the Netherlands. The Netherlands lost their first encounter against France during the 2024 Euros qualifying.
Didier Deschamps decided to start Juventus player Adrien Rabiot in midfield rather than Eduardo Camavinga. The selection has not been warmly received by the nation’s supporters, who were unhappy with the manager’s choice of players for the match.
Camavinga, the midfielder for Real Madrid, unquestionably performs at a far greater calibre than his 28-year-old countryman. Kingsley Coman of Bayern Munich was also named as a starter, while Ousmane Dembele had to be left due to injury. Many supporters bemoaned Camavinga’s absence, suggesting that the team would gain so much more from having him start.
In addition, Olivier Giroud, France’s all-time leading scorer, was benched in favour of Randall Kolo Muani at the front. The Hernandez brothers and Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool both start in the defence.
France clinched Euro 2024 qualification after victory over the Netherlands
In a 2-1 victory over a weakened Netherlands team in Amsterdam on Friday, Kylian Mbappe propelled France into the European Championships for the next year. Les Bleus maintained their perfect qualification record with the victory.
With two games remaining and three points, Didier Deschamps’ team qualified for Euro 2024, while the Netherlands had to compete with Greece for the second spot in Group B.
As he returns from an ankle injury, there were questions about Mbappe’s condition going into the game, although the Paris Saint-Germain superstar has a strong history against the Oranje and scored within the first seven minutes. The Dutch defence was split open by a deft play down the right, and Mbappe struck in a cross from Jonathan Clauss to put Les Bleus ahead.
