No pressure. The French team will leave for Azerbaijan on Sunday 16 November (18:00) for the next World Cup qualifiers in the United States, Canada and Mexico, next summer. A match with no stakes for both teams, as the Azerbaijan team who have never won in this campaign (one draw, four losses) are already eliminated.
A match without stakes but not without lessons. Thanks to a 4-0 win against Ukraine on Thursday at the Parc des Princes, the French team qualified and most importantly avoided a difficult journey to the shores of the Caspian Sea, more than 4,500 kilometers away, to punch their ticket to the World Cup. Guaranteed to finish at the top of Group D, the Blues can rotate in Baku, and give playing time to substitute players as usual.
Mbappé and several players are absent. The destiny player of the season with five goals in the four games he has played, Kylian Mbappé will not be taking part, as will Eduardo Camavinga and Manu Koné. Those who play in the World Cup, such as Malo Gusto, Warren Zaire-Emery, Hugo Ekitike, Christopher Nkunku or Maghnes Akliouche have the opportunity to score valuable points.
The qualifying campaign was generally successful. Four wins, one draw, 13 goals scored and three conceded. If the offensive animation seems often purr, the French team avoided all the pitfalls in this campaign, especially in the two games against Iceland. “We must not underestimate” hit Didier Deschamps and his players on Thursday. Since his arrival in 2012, the coach has never failed to qualify for the Blues (four World Cups, three Euros).
