France vs. Denmark: Winners and Losers from International Friendly
France recovered from their 3-1 loss to Brazil on Thursday by beating Denmark 2-0 at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Alexandre Lacazette fired Les Bleus into the lead early on before Olivier Giroud doubled the advantage prior to the half-time whistle. The closest the Danes came was just before the break as Nicklas Bendtner headed against the post from a cross.
Didier Deschamps was delighted with his side's first half display in particular, per Goal.com's Matthew Rogerson:
"We did better things in the first half. The rhythm then dropped a lot, which with many changes is only logical. There are a core of players. Players must now focus on their domestic and European competitions."
Here, B/R picks its winners and losers.
Winner: Alexandre Lacazette, Who Scored His 1st Senior Goal for France
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For a long time, Les Bleus have been hoping Alexandre Lacazette would transfer his goal-scoring brilliance from domestic to international level, and finally, in front of the St. Etienne crowd of all places, he has done so.
He swept his first goal for the French senior team home to cap a brilliant move, where Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Dimitri Payet and Geoffrey Kondogbia were all involved in moving the ball forward quickly.
Throughout, he was lively and showed a positive tendency to trouble the defence.
Loser: Christian Eriksen, Who Was Anonymous Despite His Side's Need for Him
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Denmark looked absolutely toothless throughout, with the sole Nicklas Bendtner chance, which hit the post, the only real moment of danger for Raphael Varane and Co. at the back.
Usually, the creative onus falls on Christian Eriksen's shoulders, as he's the clear best player in the Danish ranks, but the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder went missing and barely got his foot on the ball in key areas.
He did show a nice touch on occasion and got a little better in the second half, but overall, many were left disappointed by his no-show.
Winner: Benoit Tremoulinas, Who Added to the Left-Back Conundrum
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Didier Deschamps may be in desperate search of a right-back ahead of Euro 2016, but another left-back just threw his hat into the selection ring for good measure.
The Sevilla man, afforded a rare France start, paid his manager's faith back by putting in a brilliant performance on the flank. He surged forward well to cross for Olivier Giroud several times and defended well against the pacey Lasse Vibe.
In fact, Vibe was one of the most toothless players on the pitch due to Tremoulinas' tight marking.
Loser: William Kvist, Who Must Improve
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Denmark need a far better showing from their defensive midfielder if they're to progress as a side and earn a spot at Euro 2016; William Kvist sorely disappointed on Sunday evening.
In particular, Olivier Giroud's goal will have stung coach Morten Olsen. He watched in horror as no one challenged Geoffrey Kondogbia surging through midfield, and his cute pass set the Arsenal forward in on goal for a one vs. one. He did not miss.
Kvist is the enforcer, and he needs to be breaking up play far better. He also needs to be a little more adventurous with his passing; he was wholly negative and cautious all night.
Winner: Dimitri Payet, Who Shone
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With apologies to Geoffrey Kondogbia, who could easily have featured here after impressing in Paul Pogba's position, Dimitri Payet shone the brightest of the "trialists" on show on Sunday.
Displacing Antoine Griezmann and Mathieu Valbuena will be difficult, and with Nabil Fekir and Alexandre Lacazette breathing down the necks of the starters too, it promises to be a fierce battle for a spot in the Euro 2016 squad. But Payet was stunning at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, running rings around the defence, passing superbly and crossing for Olivier Giroud.
He really was every avenue of attack and showcased his immense energy and athleticism too. He did absolutely no harm to his chances here.
