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The French team played its last match of the international break against Ireland in Dublin. After a first convincing success against the Netherlands last Friday at the Stade de France (4-0), the men of Didier Deschamps went to seek a new victory on Irish soil but it was difficult! After a first meeting during which the attackers shone like the tricolor offensive trio struggling against the Bataves, this time it is the defensive sector which showed the extent of its qualities with a Mike Maignan author of an exceptional parade in particular.

The return to form of Benjamin Pavard

If the tricolor goalkeeper shone at the end of the match to keep his clean sheets, as during the last confrontation of the French team against the Netherlands finally, Benjamin Pavard was also there and responded brilliantly , after a 2022 World Cup marked by his dismissal of the starting eleven. Even if the Bayern Munich full-back lacked automatism at the start of the meeting with his teammates on the right flank, he silenced the critics on the return from the locker room by sending a wet firecracker into the back of the net with a sublime strike that came smash the crossbar before entering. A beautiful gift that the 26-year-old player gave himself on the eve of his 27th birthday. A strike that necessarily recalls the one that Benjamin Pavard had sent against Argentina during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

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But in the meantime, the tricolor side has lost its starting place in the defense of the Blues and in particular during the last edition of the World Cup in Qatar. The principal concerned also returned to his difficult times after the match against Ireland. “It’s true that the World Cup didn’t go as I would have liked, but I was there for the team and I was very happy after each victory. I am there for the collective, if the coach did not call on me it is because he felt that there was someone better than me. I had the opportunity to play, it worked for me, I scored more » notably entrusted the tricolor defender. When he left the field when he gave way to Jules Koundé, Benjamin Pavard had a first return from Didier Deschamps as revealed by the coach of the Blues at the microphone of TF1 after the final whistle: “I told him that I was happy for him. He had less happy periods but he is there. He allows us to win this match.”

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An irreproachable state of mind

Asked about the return to form of Benjamin Pavard Didier Deschamps did not seek to evade the question and spoke without jargon on the subject. “He had a very complicated first match (at the World Cup), and then there was Jules Koundé who took over and kept him. Necessarily Benjamin was the holder in previous years, but in the competition Jules took the place. This does not mean that he is dismissed, with what he does in his club. (…) He has the experience and so much the better, I am very happy for him. That’s what I told him. He had difficult periods but despite his personal disappointment he always kept the good state of mind vis-à-vis the group. Even if I didn’t play him to score that goal, it’s very good.” rejoiced the coach of the Blues before continuing on the high class action of his defender.

“Through his beautiful interception and his shot which is of excellent quality… Good for him. No one is left out. They can all have difficult times, it’s up to them to react, especially at club level, that’s what I tell them. Today, Benjamin took advantage of it, even if I shortened the end as he already had a yellow card and a lively player entered during the match. It’s very good for him and especially for the group. After this first conclusive meeting marked by the advent of a new cycle symbolized by the advent of Mike Maignan but also by the return to form of the old embodied by this opener of the score of Benjamin Pavard, the players of the French team will return to their respective clubs. The Blues will meet again in June for the rest of the Euro 2024 qualifiers with two new matches on the program against Gibraltar (June 16) then against Greece (June 19).