France 0-0 Portugal: 5 Hits and Flops from the game as Les Bleus and Selecao share the spoils in clash of the champions | UEFA Nations League 2020/21

#3 Hit: Paul Pogba | France

After a mixed bag of a first-half which was more frustrating than flamboyant, Paul Pogba grew into the game and played a pivotal role in France's multiple waves of sustained attacks in the second half. The Manchester United man was given the license to roam, and he played the box-to-box role superbly. He influenced proceedings from the middle of the park and tracked back to help out his defence as well.

✈️ @paulpogba pic.twitter.com/pyJ68EMpfe

— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) October 11, 2020

Pogba saw an awful lot of the ball, leading France for the number of touches (99) and shots (three) on the night. His surging forward runs, particularly in the second half, were very impressive as Les Bleus piled on the pressure. He contested and won more duels (eight) than any midfielder on the pitch and was a contender for the most influential player during the 90 minutes.

He also registered three tackles and committed more fouls (four) than anyone bar Benjamin Pavard, showing Didier Deschamps that he isn't afraid of doing the dirty work in the middle for his side.

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#2 Flop: Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal

The Selecao legend's faithful might not be accustomed to seeing him listed as a 'flop', but in truth, it never appeared to be Cristiano Ronaldo's night. The Juventus man was largely isolated for a significant chunk of the game and cut a frustrated figure playing off the left while in possession and playing centrally when the Selecao didn't have the ball.

Ronaldo failed to win a single aerial duel he contested for (five), and despite his three shots — the most among any player alongside Pogba — he was unable to trouble Hugo Lloris apart from a comfortable parry for the hosts' captain. The 35-year-old came close to scoring in the dying embers of the first half and was almost through on goal, but a brilliantly-executed last-minute tackle from Lucas Hernandez denied him the goalscoring opportunity.

Idol 👑🐐... @Cristiano pic.twitter.com/uZGEXnhuUB

— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) October 11, 2020

Deschamps reserved a mention for the Portuguese icon in his post-match thoughts, saying that Ronaldo didn't see too much of the ball. The World Cup-winning coach remarked;

"We can always do better, then there is the quality of the opponent too. They take precautions like us, with respect to the players opposite like Cristiano [Ronaldo], who we didn't see too much tonight."

A glaring miss, albeit from a relatively tight situation, in the second half all but summed up the former Real Madrid great's display on the night. It was an outing to forget for Ronaldo.

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#1 Hit: Presnel Kimpembe | France

There was a feeling that Presnel Kimpembe was a bit of an unsung hero in Paris Saint-Germain's fairytale run to their first-ever UEFA Champions League final. The Frenchman was an absolute titan in defence for Thomas Tuchel's men, and tonight, against Fernando Santos' Portugal, he was nothing short of a defensive colossus.

Kimpembe was outstanding for Deschamps' side and was a crucial component in shutting down a dangerous attack featuring Ronaldo, Joao Felix, and others.

Good Fight ⚔️ #LAFORCE #FiersdEtreBleus #FRAPOR pic.twitter.com/bWgw10nqMv

— Presnel Kimpembe (@kimpembe_3) October 11, 2020

Kimpembe, paired alongside a more adventurous Raphael Varane on the night, was the more conservative of the two and played his role to near perfection. The 25-year-old made a staggering eight (!) clearances, which was just one shy of the remaining Frenchmen combined. He was tidy on the ball completing only over 98% of his passes and won six of the eight duels he contested for, capping off an absolutely magnificent display on the night.

9-1 - Presnel Kimpembe est le seul joueur de l’équipe de France à avoir récupéré plus de ballons (9) qu’il n’en a perdu (1) ce soir face au Portugal. Maestro. pic.twitter.com/2QhFjAPxJo

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) October 11, 2020

Les Bleus are genuinely blessed to have some of the most incredible central defenders to call upon, but on current form, Kimpembe could very well be their best bet for the left-sided centre-half for the near future. A great contender for the Man of the Match.

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