In the Nations League, the French national team played at the Stade de France this Friday against Belgium and managed to turn the game around to secure a 4-1 victory (France vs. Belgium video highlights). Four Paris Saint-Germain players were involved in the match: three French players—Désiré Doué, Maghnes Akliouche, and Ousmane Dembélé—and one Belgian, Mika Godts. Here are the press ratings for Les Bleus.
Le Parisien:
Barcola (5) – Lepaul (4) – Dembélé (3)
Koné (4) – Camavinga (5.5) – Akliouche (4)
Diouf (4) – Lacroix (5.5) – Yoro (7) – Koundé (5)
Restes (5)
L’Equipe:
Barcola (4) – Lepaul (4) – Dembélé (3)
Koné (5) – Camavinga (6) – Akliouche (3)
Diouf (3) – Lacroix (5) – Yoro (7) – Koundé (5)
Restes (5)
Given the 4-1 win, one might expect higher ratings. However, all of Les Bleus’ goals were scored in the final fifteen minutes by substitutes (Désiré Doué, Rayan Cherki, and a brace from Michael Olise), as were the assists (two from Doué, plus ones from Olise and Lucas Da Cunha).
The starters looked dangerous at times, but they always seemed to lack that final touch to finish the job—sometimes it was just the shot itself that was missing. Still, it is an important result. At least the team remained composed when trailing 0–1, and Les Bleus didn’t fall apart. It is also valuable to have that kind of strength within the squad. However, some players missed the chance to prove themselves.
