France was not the machine that everyone assumed but with its quality it was enough for him to overcome to Austria 1-0 in their debut in the Euro Cup.
Deschamps’ team was not fine. The connections did not appear and Kylian Mbappé, the man called to lead the French offensive, barely stood out. The last finalists in the world were so subdued that the only difference in the game came after a goal against.
Kiki Mbappé overflowed the left side of the Austrian defense, sent the center and Wöber ended up scoring in his own goal with a deflected header in the 28th minute.
Austria left the stadium with its head held high. He put France in trouble on more than one occasion and even deserved a goal in the first half of the match.
Already with spaces and with an Austria that desperately tried to get the tie, France could have settled the match, but its aim in the final meters was worrying. The clearest was at the feet of star Mbappé, who missed a goal that he has rarely missed.
He faced Pentz’s area with a controlled ball and almost no resistance from the Austrian defense. He had time to settle in, to prepare for his lethal right hand and tried to place the ball next to the left post. His shot went too wide and he ended up sending it straight out, something that caught attention.
France ended up suffering from Austria’s crosses into the area, which were not dangerous enough to alter the final result.
It was not the best presentation, but France fulfilled its role as favorite in the game and achieved a victory that puts it on track in Group D, which for now has the Netherlands as the leader. On the next day, the French will face Ronald Koeman’s team, while Austria will clash with Poland in another day of Euro Cup action that you can enjoy live on ESPN and Star+.
