As part of the Nations League, the French national team faced Italy at the San Siro stadium this Thursday, ultimately losing 3-1. The match featured three players from Paris Saint-Germain, all French: Warren Zaïre-Emery (20-year-old midfielder), Senny Mayulu (20-year-old midfielder/forward), and Désiré Doué (21-year-old midfielder/forward). Here are the player ratings for Les Bleus as reported in the press.
Le Parisien:
Doué (3.5) – Barcola (3.5) – Olise (4.5)
Rabiot (4.5) – Da Cunha (5) – Cherki (3.5)
Truffert (4) – Upamecano (3.5) – Jacquet (3) – Gusto (1.5)
Maignan (4)
L’Équipe:
Doué (4) – Barcola (5) – Olise (5)
Rabiot (5) – Da Cunha (6) – Cherki (5)
Truffert (3) – Upamecano (3) – Jacquet (3) – Gusto (2)
Maignan (4)
These ratings fairly reflect a rather mediocre performance, even though Les Bleus dominated the first half and—with a bit more luck—could have regained the lead before falling behind (notably hitting the woodwork through Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki). As the match progressed, the team gradually lost its way, largely due to major defensive errors. The collective structure collapsed, and their play in possession deteriorated. While not everything was a failure, the blunders in the defensive third proved too costly.
