France 4-0 Netherlands: Mbappe Leads With Stunning Performance In European Qualifier
On March 25th, France and Netherlands faced each other in a qualifying match for Euro 2024. Some key players for France, such as Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Raphael Varane, and Karim Benzema, have chosen not to participate in the qualifiers.
France, Netherlands missed key players
Additionally, France were missing several other players, including Christopher Nkunku, Ousmane Dembele, N’Golo Kante, Presnel Kimpembe, Wesley Fofana, Lucas Hernandez, and William Saliba, due to injuries.
This was Ronald Koeman’s second tenure as coach for the Netherlands, and he will be fielding his first squad pick. However, the Netherlands were also missing some of their star players, including Cody Gakpo, Matthijs de Ligt, Sven Botman, Joey Veerman, and Bart Verbruggen. Frenkie de Jong absent due to injury, and Steven Bergwijn will also miss out, while Denzel Dumfries is suspended.
Griezmann, Upamecano and Mbappe outscore Dutchmen
The opening moments of the game were an absolute delight for the French side, led by the newly appointed skipper Kylian Mbappe, who expertly assisted Antoine Greizmann to commence the goal-scoring extravaganza. Greizmann then turned provider, dishing out a sublime assist to Upamecano, who found the back of the net with ease in the eighth minute.
The 21st minute was graced with a moment of sheer brilliance when Tchouameni’s impeccable low ball found Kolo Muani, who, with a masterful dummy, let the ball roll to Mbappe, who then produced a magical finish, sending the Les Blues ahead by three goals to nil. Once again, the French team’s captain, Mbappe, scored at the 86th minute mark, increasing their lead to an unassailable 4-0.
It was a day to forget for Koeman’s side, as they even missed a penalty in the dying moments of the match. The Netherlands suffered a complete and utter collapse, and they will be looking to bounce back in their upcoming match against Gibraltar, which will be played at home on March 28th. Meanwhile, the French team will seek to continue their impressive form when they face Ireland in an away match on the same day.
