Kante rolls again the years in classic show

France have an abundance of younger midfield expertise in Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelin Tchouameni and Warren Zaire-Emery, but nonetheless picked N’Golo Kante.

Many noticed that decision as a shock given the 33-year-old now performs for Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, however it took simply 90 minutes of France’s opening 1-0 win at Euro 2024 towards Austria to see why Didier Deschamps acquired it proper, as soon as once more.

Kante rolled again the years with a classic show that appeared exhausting from the surface. No France participant received extra tackles than the midfielder, with solely William Saliba making extra ball recoveries and profitable extra possessions within the defensive and center thirds of the pitch.

An important intervention got here 5 minutes from time when Patrick Wimmer burst via after choosing Saliba’s pocket. However masking the bottom once more was Kante.

The France midfielder additionally put his team-mates via on objective 3 times towards Austria. His biggest ability of being unbelievably ubiquitous at each ends of the pitch has not light.

“It was like a youthful model of himself,” stated Roy Keane of Kante’s show. That youthful model received the World Cup with France six years in the past. He may be essential in a bid so as to add the European Championships to that assortment.
Sam Blitz

Rangnick’s urgent gives Austria hope

Belgium are the one one of many fancied groups to endure a setback to this point on this European Championship however it has been encouraging to see so few sides organising in a deep block and hoping to carry on. Austria got here to impose their sport on France.

It was simple to see why they’d misplaced solely one among their earlier 16 matches coming into their Group D opener, a workforce revitalised beneath former Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick. They actually appeared properly coached by the German.

Austria made extra tackles within the first half towards France than every other workforce on this event has made in a full match to this point. It summed up their front-foot strategy. Solely a scarcity of particular person high quality prevented them from inflicting an upset.

The urgent challenged France all through and it was a extra entertaining match because of this. Kylian Mbappe had house to work with however the one distinction between the edges was Max Wober’s personal objective. Christoph Baumgartner actually ought to have scored.

With Poland and the Netherlands to return, Austria shouldn’t be discouraged. To an extent, their plan work. They’re properly able to getting out of Group D if they’re able to keep that depth within the subsequent two video games. This event might be higher for it.
Adam Bate

Lunin’s lapse in focus proves expensive

One of many massive selections dealing with Carlo Ancelotti forward of the Champions League closing earlier this month was whether or not to stay with Andriy Lunin, the Ukraine goalkeeper, forward of Thibaut Courtois.

A minimum of, it was a subject of dialog within the media. Not for Ancelotti, who saved his playing cards near his chest on the eve of Actual Madrid’s encounter with Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

Because it transpired, Courtois was entrusted with the gloves and the Belgian confirmed simply why he’s the Italian’s first selection when match. Sadly for Lunin, his deficiencies have been uncovered by a rampant Romania in his first look since dropping his place within the Madrid aspect.

When confronted with an intense press, the 25-year-old was sloppy with the ball at his toes as Nicolae Stanciu emphatically punished him with a sweeping end into the highest nook.

His second mistake was even much less excusable as he allowed Razvan Marin’s speculative shot to flash beneath his physique.

Serhiy Rebrov’s aspect paid dearly for his or her incapability to transform their early possession into any actual probabilities, as Romania soaked up the stress after which struck on the counter after dispossessing Ukraine deep in their very own half.

Ukraine have been quarter-finalists on the final European Championships regardless of dropping two of their three group video games. All hope is just not misplaced, as Rebrov stated afterwards. However he should decide already on whether or not to stay or twist with Lunin.
Ben Grounds

Dragusin leads Romania to well-known win

In an admittedly quiet January, Radu Dragusin’s £26.7m transfer to Tottenham was the most important of the Premier League’s switch window.

The centre-back was restricted to simply 4 league begins following his arrival. However as Romania earned their first win at a significant event for twenty-four years, Spurs followers noticed why their membership invested so closely within the Genoa defender.

Dragusin was excellent in Munich. Each time Ukraine ventured into harmful areas, they discovered the dominant 22-year-old of their means.

He made 10 clearances – twice as many as every other participant – continuously positioning himself to quell the specter of Mykhailo Mudryk, Artem Dovbyk and Georgiy Sudakov.

It wasn’t simply Dragusin – all the Romania workforce purchased into the sport plan, sacrificing possession and defending their space with admirable dedication, earlier than punishing Ukraine’s errors to attain their targets.

Harder assessments absolutely await – Belgium additionally lurk in Group E – however these opponents might not discover it simple to interrupt Romania down with star participant Dragusin on this type.
Joe Shread

Will Belgium ever dwell as much as the hype?

Maybe Belgium are cursed. Maybe unfortunate. Or perhaps this ‘golden era’ merely is not pretty much as good because the hype – or third-place FIFA rating – suggests. Regardless of the intricacy or situation, they do not appear to carry out as predicted on the massive stage.

Romelu Lukaku was wasteful, Kevin de Bruyne off-colour, Leandro Trossard ineffective. Everywhere in the pitch, the truth is, Domenico Tedesco’s aspect underwhelmed, and that is regardless of creating 4 ‘massive probabilities’ and an xG of 1.91.

Sport by sport, the shine is flaking off what stays of Belgium’s fame as one among Europe’s stellar sides. This can be a workforce of people, removed from a complete unit of event winners.

And but, there was one thing unjust about their opening sport defeat. For all the plain shortcomings, Lukaku did have the ball at the back of the web twice. The primary was dominated offside, and so little argument could be made.

The second choice, nonetheless, jarred way more. That is the kind of officiating that has drawn suspicion and skeptics within the Premier League, deemed by many as ‘re-refereeing’ – there may be justification for either side.

Lois Openda did deal with the ball, however does that imply it is handball? The rule is subjective, after all, however many imagine this model of VAR intervention to be a stain on the sport. Jury’s out.

Both means, Belgium should enhance if they’re to keep away from a repeat of Euro 2022, crashing out on the competitors’s group stage.
Laura Hunter

Slovakia veterans assist ship event’s first shock

All that was lacking from a gripping begin to Euro 2024 was a outcome to upset the apple cart; a outcome to get the underdogs dreaming. It got here in sport 9.

Positive, Belgium have been denied an equaliser not as soon as however twice after VAR opinions, however they lacked vigour in assault all through the match and, to an extent, solely had themselves accountable.

It was a momentous outcome for Slovakia as their first win in 4 makes an attempt towards Belgium offers them a strong probability of qualifying for the knockout levels of the competitors.

But additionally as a result of they achieved it having change into solely the second nation in European Championship historical past to call three gamers of their beginning line-up who have been aged 35 or older.

France did it at Euro 2008 with Gregory Coupet, Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram – and now Slovakia have matched it with Peter Pekarik (37), Juraj Kucka (37) and Martin Dubravka (35), who all performed the whole thing in Frankfurt.

Pekarik had a strong sport at right-back and Juraj Kucka provided a good sufficient menace in the course of the park, however the choose of the bunch was Newcastle stopper Dubravka, whose 5 saves prevented 1.03 targets being scored by the Crimson Devils.

Albeit with a slice of luck, Francesco Calzona’s Falcons have handed what was considered the hardest take a look at they might face within the group levels and their outdated guard have strengthened the case for age being nothing however a quantity.
Dan Lengthy