Euro 2024: Aftermath of France's opening match
In a disappointing day for the favored teams, the French national team had to rely on luck to secure a victory against the Austrian national team.
Struggling
Despite fielding their strongest lineup, coach Didier Deschamps's team couldn't create many chances against a disciplined and well-organized Austrian side. Furthermore, they nearly conceded a goal in the 36th minute if not for the excellent save by goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
In a deadlock, the French team unexpectedly scored the opening goal in the 38th minute. It was a rather fortunate goal for the French team, as defender Maximilian Wöber headed the ball into his own net after a cross from Kylian Mbappé. That was also the only goal of the match.
With this hard-fought victory, the French team had a less than convincing debut at this year's Euro. And coach Didier Deschamps's squad will have to improve significantly if they want to win the title in Germany.
Disappointing Kylian Mbappé
Taking to the field with the captain's armband, Kylian Mbappé was expected to shine and help the French national team secure an easy victory. However, it turned out to be a disappointing day for the striker born in 1998.
The missed golden opportunity in the 55th minute is a prime example of Kylian Mbappé's disappointing performance. In that situation, the French captain's speed completely bypassed the opposing defenders, but his shot lacked accuracy despite having the goal wide open.
With his failure to score in this match, Kylian Mbappé still hasn't scored any goals in the European Championship finals, a surprising statistic for this outstanding striker.
ImpressionMike Maignan andN'Golo Kanté
With his teammates playing poorly further up the field, goalkeeper Mike Maignan had a very busy day. It was thanks to three outstanding saves from the 1995-born goalkeeper that the French team managed to protect their lead in their opening match. With this impressive performance, Mike Maignan was one of the best players of the match.
Another player who impressed was midfielder N'Golo Kanté. The Saudi Arabian midfielder proved he's far from finished in the recent match. Like a perpetual motion machine, N'Golo Kanté was present at every crucial point on the field, significantly limiting the threat posed by the Austrian team. It's safe to say that N'Golo Kanté brought balance to the French team in this year's tournament.
