France will host Gibraltar with both teams on opposing ends of the table. With two games remaining, Les Bleus have already been declared the group winners. Their wounded and broken opponents have not yet earned a point in the section.
Preview (France vs. Gibraltar)
France has only twice qualified for the Euros with a perfect record. They went to the 1992 and 2004 tournaments with eight victories out of a possible eight. Didier Deschamps’s team is just 180 minutes away from doing so on their trip to Germany. Although their 13 goals in qualification may not suggest that the 2022 World Cup runners-up are the most prolific attackers, they do have the greatest defensive record in Europe, having allowed only one goal in their first six group stages games.
That goal came in the final seconds of their most recent match against the Netherlands. Kylian Mbappe scored a brace that sealed qualifying and Quilindschy Hartman cut the lead in half. It guaranteed first place and a trip to the Finals for the French national team. The French team’s 4-1 friendly pounding of Scotland came after their 4-1 thrashing of the Netherlands. However, this month, Les Bleus will be aiming for more than just pride. Deschamps’s team needs to secure a spot in Pot 1 of the Euro 2024 group stage draw.
Together with Cyprus, San Marino, Liechtenstein, and Malta—the only team in that quartet with a stronger defensive record than Gibraltar—Llanis shares that unfavorable record. However, all four of those teams can at least claim to have scored a goal during Euro 2024 qualifying. After enjoying a much-needed breather from Group B responsibilities last month, Gibraltar played a friendly match against Wales, losing 4-0. Their record in Euro qualifying is now 18 losses from 18 games. The first-ever meeting between France and Gibraltar took place in June at the Estadio Algarve in Portugal. Deschamps’s team won 3-0, but the supporters of Allianz Riviera will be expecting a more decisive blowout this time.
Team News
Talk about Deschamps’s selection has centered on the presentees and absentees in midfield. The 17-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery, a Paris Saint-Germain prospect who was only promoted to the first squad in September, received his first call-up from the Bleus. Due to the fact that Aurelien Tchouameni’s Real Madrid teammate Eduardo Camavinga was sent home for worsening his foot injury in a training-ground collision with Ousmane Dembele, who appeared to be unharmed, Zaire-Emery has been able to make the squad. The teenager may even make his full debut for France in this match.
Ibrahima Konate, a defender for Liverpool, has also left the camp. Jean-Clair Todibo, who will likely only receive a second cap as Deschamps makes adjustments to his team in preparation for the more difficult match in Athens the following week, has taken his place. In Gibraltar, a number of seasoned international players who participated in the fixtures in October are absent this time, including Louie Annesley, Kian Ronan, and Ethan Britto, but a few other veterans are still going strong.
Roy Chipolina, forty, should continue to wear the captain’s armband in the Llanis rearguard for his 73rd cap, which is presently held by all-time record-setting appearance maker Liam Walker. The 35-year-old is ready to take the field in the engine room. Lee Casciaro, a 42-year-old striker, may play in his 60th international match, but Jay De Barr of Wycombe Wanderers, who is 19 years Casciaro’s junior, ought to start at the whistle.
France 6 – 0 Gibraltar
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