France drew 0-0 with the Netherlands in the third match of Euro 2024 on Friday.
With Kylian Mbappe watching on from the bench just days after breaking his nose, France looked disorganized in attack, although Antoine Griezmann will still feel he had enough chances to seal the win.
Xavi Simons saw a second-half strike ruled out by VAR, as the two teams ended up playing out a goalless draw at Euro 2024.
How the game happened
Jeremie Frimpong got in behind in the first two minutes but couldn’t fully connect amid pressure from the retreating Theo Hernandez, allowing Mike Maignan to deflect the effort away. The stopper also came down to deny Cody Gakpo not long ago.
Griezmann was left wondering how he failed to open the scoring when Adrien Rabiot’s cross left him in the clear. The ball was behind the Atletico Madrid striker, who was unable to convert from just a few yards out.
France quickly got on top of the game and could have taken the lead through Marcus Thuram, but the Inter striker blazed his effort over the bar on 30 minutes after good work from Jules Kounde down the right.
Xavi Simons and Memphis Depay both had dangerous moments as the first half drew to a close but neither could pose a tough question to Maignan in the France goal, while Griezmann’s soft ball ended the first 45 minutes.
A slow start to the second half saw both sides guilty of sloppy mistakes in the final third. Thuram fired wide on the hour mark, before Aurelien Tchouameni headed over from close range.
Griezmann also failed to make good use of the opportunity that appeared around him. He couldn’t catch N’Golo Kante’s quick pass and he fired his shot wide.
France’s poor performance looked set to be punished with 20 minutes remaining when Simons fired into the net, but a late flag ruled that Denzel Dumfries, who was standing in the offside area, had blocked Maignan. A lengthy VAR test was finally agreed.
In the dying embers, Rabiot’s low cross failed to find Kingsley Coman, who summed up the game perfectly. A story that will not be forgotten all around.
GK: Bart Verbruggen – 7/10 – Busy performance that includes a number of smart stops.
RB: Denzel Dumfries – 5/10 – Defensively confident when he thought Rabiot was up against him, but he didn’t go far enough.
CB: Stefan de Vrij – 7/10 – It took a lot of work to stop Griezmann and Thuram. Holding his own.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – 7/10 – A tough game against the fast players of France. He does everything he can to control his box.
LB: Nathan Ake – 5/10 – He didn’t get a chance to do as much as he did in the opening game. Rejected by Dembele.
DM: Jerdy Schouten – 6/10 – A solid game in the Dutch midfield. He was given a serious yellow card but he didn’t let that affect his performance.
DM: Tijjani Reijnders – 6/10 – He had to be patient and wait for his time in football and, despite the good times, he did not produce as often as needed.
RM: Jeremie Frimpong – 6/10 – Provided some quality moments but never looked completely comfortable in this new attacking role.
AM: Xavi Simons – 6/10 – The focal point of the Netherlands’ attack, but Simons had a bit of a catch on the ball when it mattered most.
LM: Cody Gakpo – 6/10 – Some clever moments down the left but didn’t do much for Kounde.
ST: Memphis Depay – 5/10 – He found it difficult to engage in the game and was guilty of not putting enough effort into defending himself.
What you are holding
SUB: Georginio Wijnaldum (73′ for Simons) – 5/10
SUB: Joey Veerman (73′ for Schouten) – 5/10
SUB: Lutsharel Geertruida (73′ for Frimpong) – 5/10
SUB: Wout Weghorst (79′ for Memphis) – 5/10
Subs used: Justin Bijlow (GK), Mark Flekken (GK), Daley Blind, Ian Maatsen, Matthijs de Ligt, Micky van de Ven, Ryan Gravenberch, Brian Brobbey, Donyell Malen, Joshua Zirkzee, Steven Bergwijn
The manager
Ronald Koeman – 5/10 – Difficult grade. Koeman was clearly determined to try and keep France from scoring, which he achieved. That said, maybe he should have shown more desire to win this game without Mbappe coming up with him.
GK: Mike Maignan – 7/10 – I didn’t have to do anything too difficult but I was up to the challenge every time.
RB: Jules Kounde – 6/10 – It is involved in football trying to make things happen. Sometimes you get caught in a position but nothing too much trouble.
CB: Dayot Upamecano – 6/10 – He was taken out once or twice in the back but mostly held his own against Memphis. His speed was needed at times.
CB: William Saliba – 7/10 – He showed impressive individual defense and did his best to lead by example.
LB: Theo Hernandez – 6/10 – A good run to stop Frimpong in the opening stages but he was out of the game after that.
RM: Ousmane Dembele – 7/10 – Some great moments in football and it seemed to grow into a game. His speed was too much for Ake.
CM: Aurelien Tchouameni – 6/10 – He wasn’t too comfortable in this role but he didn’t do too well either. He enjoyed playing alongside Kante.
CM: N’Golo Kante – 7/10 – General power kept France in control of the internal war. It is obvious that he can play at a high level.
LM: Adrien Rabiot – 6/10 – His decision to move on to Griezmann will divide opinion. Whether he should have done it or not, the pass itself was not enough.
AM: Antoine Griezmann – 6/10 – They were full of energy trying to pull things together, but seemed to lack a bit in the final third. He had many good chances to open the scoring but couldn’t find his feet.
ST: Marcus Thuram – 5/10 – A few decent runs but Thuram found it difficult to make a noticeable impact in the game.
What you are holding
SUB: Kingsley Coman (75′ for Dembele) – 6/10
SUB: Olivier Giroud (75′ for Thuram) – 6/10
Subs used: Alphonse Areola (GK), Brice Samba (GK), Benjamin Pavard, Ferland Mendy, Ibrahima Konate, Jonathan Clauss, Eduardo Camavinga, Warren Zaire-Emery, Youssouf Fofana, Bradley Barcola, Kylian Mbappe, Randal Kolo Muani
The manager
Didier Deschamps – 5/10 – France had chances to win this, and were almost better, but this was far from convincing. The system without Mbappe obviously needs a little work.
Best player – N’Golo Kante (France)
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