France's showpiece at this European Championship is its defense. Which is surprising, because coach Didier Deschamps is relying on a quartet that had never played together before the tournament.
How many goals does a team have to score from play to qualify for the semi-finals of a European Championship? If France is the benchmark in this respect, the answer is as simple as it is astonishing: 0. Against Austria and Belgium, an own goal by the opponent decided the game, against Poland, Kylian Mbappé scored his first goal at a European Championship from the penalty spot, and the games against the Netherlands and Portugal in the quarter-finals ended goalless, meaning that a penalty shoot-out had to decide the match.
For regular observers, however, it is at least as astonishing that the other side is still 0: The only goal the Equipe tricolore has conceded so far at this tournament came in the last group game against Poland (1:1). Robert Lewandowski's penalty goal may have cost the French team the group win, but at this point in time this is only an insignificant side note.
Difficult seasons at the clubs
The defensive stability of the French back line is surprising because coach Didier Deschamps has put his trust in a quartet in Germany that he has never before put on the pitch in this formation. Jules Koundé defends on the right, Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba form the center, and Théo Hernandez is deployed on the left.
In preparation for the European Championship, Deschamps tried out a few things, as is the nature of this phase. Sometimes he started Benjamin Pavard, sometimes Jonathan Clauss, sometimes Ibrahima Konaté. But as soon as things got serious, the 55-year-old stopped experimenting. And thus helped his team achieve a defensive stability that made it difficult for opponents to score any goals at all.
"The anatomy of a wall" was the headline of the specialist newspaper "L'Equipe" in its "Big Five" podcast, which also expressed its astonishment at how well the French national team's defensive work functions. After all, Upamecano, who lost his regular place at Bayern Munich in the meantime, Koundé, who struggled with injuries at Barcelona, and goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who had recurring problems with his adductors and dislocated the little finger on his left hand in training with AC Milan less than a month before the European Championship, had not had an easy season.
Outstanding defensive leader Saliba
The biggest surprise in the eyes of "L'Equipe", however, is William Saliba. Before the tournament, the 23-year-old was rarely used in the national team, but now the Arsenal player has risen to become the undisputed leader of the defense. "Saliba has been monstrous so far," say the French experts and suggest that he has been one of the three best defenders of the entire tournament so far thanks to his speed and strength in tackles - at least.
"Defense avant tout" is the credo that Deschamps gives his players. This means that all players, including the actual attackers, must think about defending first and foremost. It is an approach for which the national team coach is regularly criticized. After all, with Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Thuram and record goalscorer Olivier Giroud, the squad also includes outstanding attacking players.
But success proves Deschamps right. After all, he has led Les Bleus to two World Cup finals in a row, winning the title in 2018 and reaching the European Championship final in 2016. "That's how we play and we're in the semi-finals. If someone isn't happy with that, it's not our problem," says Dembélé.
More dynamic Spaniards
However, with Spain in the semi-final in Munich on Tuesday (9pm), France will face an opponent that is likely to behave differently to the teams that have crossed their path so far: Unlike the others, Spain are likely to want to play along and put their opponents under pressure. The Portuguese have already shown that a bold approach can lead to success. Hernandez and Koundé will be particularly challenged on the wing against the lively Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. And Alvaro Morata will also be more dynamic in the center of the Spanish attack than Romelu Lukaku for the Belgians or Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal.
It will therefore be interesting to see how the French defense deals with this. If the score remains 0 at the back after the next 120 minutes, there is a good chance that the journey will continue. To the final next Sunday in Berlin.
SDA
