The player ratings following France’s 4-0 victory over The Netherlands.
Hugo Lloris – 5
A solid evening for the captain, not much to do due to the lack of attacking threat from Holland. However, he did make an impressive save towards the end from a ferocious Arjen Robben shot. Solid but unspectacular from Lloris, just what he needed following his club form.
Djibril Sidibe – 6
Maybe not the strongest performance defensively, but Sidibe showed why he is so highly rated going forward consistently tonight. On a defensive note, Sidibe looked suspect and maybe a side with better forwards could’ve exploited his weaknesses but he was threatening going forward and even grabbed an assist for the final goal.
Laurent Koscielny – 5
Koscielny was solid when called upon. He did go down at one point clutching his ankle after a nasty collision which forced him off the pitch briefly, but apart from that he was impressive.
Samuel Umtiti – 5
Much like his central defensive partner, Umtiti held his defensive position well but didn’t make any glaring mistakes. Umtiti is growing into this role in the heart of the defence and is looking like a good deputy for Raphael Varane.
Layvin Kurzawa – 6
On the left side going forward, Kurzawa was a constant threat all night and was up and down that flank from start to finish, but had the same problem that Sidibe had in that he occasionally got caught out defensively. A great outlet going forward but if there was any sort of criticism to hand out to Kurzawa, I guess it would be his defensive performance.
N’Golo Kante – 7
N’Golo Kante is usually spoken about in the same breathe as good work rate, interceptions and tackling but tonight was all about his passing in the middle. He controlled the game with his steady and careful passing, allowing Paul Pogba to go forward and be the creative spark. Kante did very well to steady the midfield and add balance to a side that was very attacking and he was quite close to getting Man of the Match this evening.
Paul Pogba – 7
Kante’s partner in crime, Paul Pogba can be such an exquisite player when in a balanced midfield, and as Nemanja Matic does at Manchester United, Pogba had license to go forward this evening thanks to Kante’s defensive mindset. He may not have got on the score sheet but he was dominant in the middle and controlled the passing going into the final third.
Kingsley Coman – 6
A very tricky winger and today was no different as Coman was a threat for most of the game. It wasn’t his most vintage performance, but he attacked Daley Blind with such pace that the Manchester United man just couldn’t get to him. The Bayern Munich man may be disappointed with his performance, but this writer feels he did well.
Thomas Lemar – 8
The obvious choice for Man of the Match, Arsenal and Liverpool fans must be gutted that Thomas Lemar isn’t joining them this Deadline Day after seeing this performance. Almost everything positive went through him this evening, and his first goal was absolutely beautiful to watch from behind the man, as the ball just flew in off of his foot. Lemar looks like he’s staying at Monaco and that is great news for fans of Ligue 1.
Olivier Giroud – 6
Giroud did well this evening in giving his teammates the room to move around and get into good positions, and his link up play with Griezmann for the opener was delightful. Is Giroud the most mobile or efficient striker? No, but he suits the system that Didier Deschamps wants to play and this is why Giroud can be so good for Les Bleus.
Antoine Griezmann – 7
Another goal for Antoine Griezmann means that the Atletico forward maintains his good form up front for Didier Deschamps’s side. Griezmann was great tonight at creating space and chances for his teammates and whilst Giroud is more of a target man and link up player, Griezmann offers both goals and creativity in one go.
Substitutes:
Kylian Mbappe – 7
What a day for this young man! Mbappe joined his boyhood club earlier in the day and scored for the National Team a few hours later and he was magnificent when he came on. He turned Wesley Hoedt inside out for his goal and showed that even when the eyes of France are all on him, he can still perform under a lot of pressure.
Alexandre Lacazette – N/A
