N’golo put the nation of France on his back to win their first game in the Euros tournament. Although everyone thought that the Frenchmen would wipe the plate clean with the Austrians in their opening game, with the likes of Mbappe, that was far from the truth. The Bavarian men gave Deschamps and the rest of the squad a real fight to claim the three points and go top of the table on their first international game.
France Claims Small Margin Win Courtesy Kante
The Les Bleus are among one of the favorites to win the tournament, but they almost let it go before they even started. France only won against Austria by a narrow one-goal win thanks to the unlikely hero, Kante. The engine in the midfield was one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League for Chelsea before he decided to cash it all in and head to the Saudi Pro League to increase his wages and earn a hefty salary.
Now, he has been shockingly recalled to the French national team for the Euros 2024 tournament in Germany – and has immediately proved his worth. Everyone would think that Mbappe would be the one who would score the winning goal thanks to his typical performances at Paris Saint-Germain (and the main reason he was scouted to go to Real Madrid).
But, Kante helped the team earn the victory as he caused an own goal from one of the Austrian players to help the French earn three much-needed points.
Mbappe didn’t even earn his keep this game, as he had a chance to put the team up within the first ten minutes of the game but had his penalty saved by Pentz. Then, the French keeper had a lot to do as well, denying Baumgartner a 1v1 goal in the first 40 minutes of the match. Once the keeper made the crucial save, it was Mbappe’s turn to redeem himself – he helped spur on the own goal by Wober to give the French a needed 1-0 lead.
But, he fell short again in the second half. In the 54th minute, he took a shot that just went wide when he was only 1v1 with the keeper. We hope that he can find his finishing boots as the season goes on to withstand the pressure of being the French #9.
Lastly, the Austrian goalkeeper denied another goal from Throw in the 67th minute, which would have seen the France team go up 2-0 heading into the last 20 minutes of the game.
France in the Euros Looking Forward
If we can expect a similar performance from the France team next game, N’Golo Kante will be the best player for the team going forward. Many pundits, coaches, reporters, and teammates couldn’t understate how important the was in the win. Kante won a lot of 50-50 balls in the middle, blocked the Austrians from passing through balls to the forwards to get a shot on goal, and completed his passes forward to the wingers and strikers for his team.
Plus, his work rate and speed are unmatched in the middle, as he was able to cover for the defenders and track back the midfielders to prevent them from being able to break into the final third.
Let’s see if Kante can put together another complete performance for France’s next game this Euros. France faces off against the Netherlands this Friday and Poland next to see if they can win their group stage.
About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.
For More Great Content
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
