PLAYER RATINGS | France 0-0 Israel: Les Bleus held amid tense and eerie atmosphere in Paris
Yesterday at 04:45 PM
UEFA Nations League, 14/11/24
On a night dominated by the wider context of a controversial encounter at the Stade de France, Les Bleus were held by Israel (0-0) in a result that nonetheless ensures their qualification for the next stage of the UEFA Nations League.
The Match
Attenton was diverted away from the pitch for much of the night. The build-up was dominated by the political context in which the match was taking place. Amid tight security measures, only 20,000 fans were in attendance at the Parc des Princes, whilst outside the ground, pro-Palestine protests took place.
Despite the secrity measures and the 4,000 offiicers deployed at the Parc des Princes, fights did break out inside the stadium, with RMC Sport reporting a fight between a set of attendees brandishing Israeli flags and France fans in the home end. THe action on the pitch did little to divert the attention towards the football.
Randal Kolo Muani was found when making runs in behind on two occasions in the first-half. Neither opportunity represented a clear-cut chances and he failed to capitalise – that was the story of the night for France. Bradley Barcola should have opened the scoring but unmarked inside the box, he couldn’t get any contact with his volleyed attempt with the goal gaping.
Israel rarely threatened but they did have one huge chance when Raz Shlomo pulled off the shoulder of Ibrahima Konaté and almost poked home Dor Turgeman’s flick-on. Les Bleus, whilst uninspired for much of the match, did have a flurry of late chances. The first fell to Warren Zaïre-Emery, who forced Daniel Perezt into a brilliant save from close range.
In injury time, sustitues Marcus Thuram and Christopher Nkunku both went close with efforts inside the box but both times fired straight at Peretz. The underwhelming draw is nonetheless enough to ensure France’s spot in the quarter-final of the Nations League.
France player ratings
Mike Maignan – 5
Théo Hernandez – 6
Dayot Upamecano – 5
Ibrahima Konaté – 4
Wasn’t called into action often but he was the one that lost Shlomo in a set-piece situation in what was Israel’s best chance of the game.
Jules Koundé – 6
Eduardo Camavinga – 7
The one that really tried to make things happen and was capable of doing so. His long-range distribution in the first half led to two of France’s best chances of the match, whilst he showed an ambition to increase the tempo of what for large periods felt like a low-energy encounter.
N’Golo Kanté – 6
Warren Zaïre-Emery – 6
Bradley Barcola – 4
One of Barcola’s more ineffective displays in a France shirt. His decision-making and execution was found wanting.
Randal Kolo Muani – 4
Michael Olise – 3
Yet to find a place in this team and make his mark in a France shirt. As was the case in his previous performances in Bleu, he looked disconnected from his teammates with most moves breaking down with him. He keeps getting chances but he’ll have to take one soon if he is to continue to feature so prominently at international level.
