France vs. Brazil: Winners and Losers from International Friendly
Brazil comfortably beat France 3-1 on Thursday night in what was a disappointing 90 minutes for manager Didier Deschamps' men.
The Stade de France spectators were on their feet after 21 minutes when Raphael Varane headed home from Mathieu Valbuena's corner to put the home side in front, but that would be the French highlight of the night.
Bacary Sagna was caught out on 40 minutes when Roberto Firmino poked the ball past Varane to find Oscar on the left. The Manchester City defender couldn't recover, and the Chelsea midfielder levelled the scores.
Second-half goals from Neymar and Luiz Gustavo helped identify weaknesses in the French back line. Brazil cruised to the 3-1 victory, as the home side never recovered. According to OptaJean, this was just the second time ever the French national team allowed three goals at the Stade de France.
The French performance lacked invention and belief, and it will cause Deschamps concern, even though this was only a friendly. With no European qualifying games to compete in, Les Bleus need to play with more drive and determination in these types of fixtures.
Here are the winners and losers from Brazil's 3-1 win over France.
Winner: Willian
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Oscar, Neymar and Luiz Gustavo may have scored Brazil's goals on Thursday night, but Chelsea's Willian was the chief creator for the Selecao.
It was the midfielder who slipped in Neymar for Brazil's second and delivered the corner that found Gustavo unmarked.
He did well in finding little pockets of space in between the lines. Brazil were much better in the second half, and Willian was a huge part of that.
Loser: Bacary Sagna
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The right of France's defence has been a problem position for a few years now, and the injury to Mathieu Debuchy has not helped.
Bacary Sagna didn't cover himself in glory against Brazil on Thursday. He was caught cold by Oscar for the first goal and then went missing as Neymar burst forward to put Brazil ahead.
It's not ideal that he hasn't found regular football for Manchester City, and the lack of emerging young right-backs will be a concern for Deschamps.
Winner: Morgan Schneiderlin
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In the absence of Paul Pogba and Yohan Cabaye, Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin was one of the few bright points for France.
He looked to make forward passes and link play, and he was also constantly getting back to try to protect the French centre-backs.
Maxime Gonalons missed out through injury too, but the Southampton midfielder took the opportunity well and will give Deschamps something to think about.
Loser: Antoine Griezmann
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The Atletico Madrid forward had a quiet night on Thursday; the brightest element of his performance was his hair.
With Alexandre Lacazette and Nabil Fekir looking to make a mark on the international stage, performances like this will not help Antoine Griezmann keep his place in the French side.
He has yet to really make his mark for Les Bleus, and now more than ever, there is pressure on his ability to be a star for Deschamps' side.
Winner: Dunga
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It was surprising when Dunga took over the Brazil national team for a second term, but that shock is beginning to wear off. Brazil has now only conceded twice in the former World Cup winner's term and now he has a win in Paris.
His side came back from a goal down and showed great combinations between the attacking players, in large part due to Neymar's free role. It all bodes well for Brazil going toward the Copa America in Chile.
Loser: Karim Benzema
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Deschamps gave Karim Benzema the captain’s armband on Thursday night, but it seemed to add nothing to the Real Madrid striker’s performance.
Although he started fairly well, it was another night of missed chances and a striker doing a disappearing act. He was denied early on when Brazilian goalkeeper Jefferson did fantastically well to claw the Frenchman's header away from goal.
That save had an effect on the rest of Benzema's performance. He later blazed a volley at the back post well over. Mathieu Valbuena had picked him out with a lovely pass, and a forward of his calibre should have done better.
It’s another game where you expected Benzema to stand up and show leadership qualities, but he failed to make the mark. There has to be a point when his Real Madrid form isn’t enough for him to lead the France attack.
