France 1-0 Austria: France player ratings as Euro 2024 favorites grind out narrow victory over tough Austrians

France secured a 1-0 victory against Austria in their Euro 2024 opener on Monday (June 17) in Dusseldorf. Austria’s Maximilian Wober scored the solitary goal of the match in his own goal in the 38th minute.

The 2016 finalists controlled the game after taking the lead but will be disappointed at scoring only once. Ralf Rangnick’s side were tenacious and made the Euro 2024 favorites work hard. The French defense was impressive, helping secure the narrow victory.

France player ratings vs. Austria at Euro 2024

Mike Maignan - 8/10: It was a confident performance against the Austrians for the AC Milan goalkeeper. He made a few smart saves to make sure France held on to their narrow lead.

Jules Kounde - 7/10: Kounde had a fantastic game and offered solidity throughout the tie. The Barcelona defender made seven clearances for France and even managed to test the Austrian goal with an attempt.

Dayot Upamecano - 7/10: The Bayern Munich defender had a good game beside William Saliba. He looked assured and comfortable while recycling possession effectively from the heart of the defense.

William Saliba - 7.5/10- The Arsenal defender looked good in possession and effective in the tackle. Saliba barely set a foot wrong, as he stayed vital to the French effort throughout 90 minutes and ended the game as one of the best players on the pitch.

Theo Hernandez - 7/10: It was a good performance from the AC Milan fullback in the game, securing the flanks for France. Hernandez gave a fine account of himself, going forward and tracking back brilliantly.

N’Golo Kante - 7.5/10: Kante had a good match for France. He did not make any mistakes, had an 86% pass completion rate, and won two out of three (67%) tackles.

Adrien Rabiot - 7.5/10: The Juventus midfielder enjoyed a good game before he was taken off in the second half. He looked assured with the ball and partnered well with N’golo Kante.

Antoine Griezmann - 6/10: The forward was barely in the game. Griezmann will hope he can have better games moving forward. He was dispossessed three times, missed a big opportunity to score, and offered little in attack and defense today.

Ousmane Dembele - 6.5/10: The Frenchman had an unremarkable game and barely made a difference before coming off. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star will hope for better performances.

Marcus Thuram - 7.5/10: The Inter Milan star was a threat in the game. He was a constant source of worry for Austria, but despite getting two shots on target, he left the pitch without a goal.

Kylian Mbappe - 7/10: The Real Madrid star did not get a goal but was an important part of the France setup. His ability to link with the midfield and lead the attack from the front helped open the scoring. He missed a golden opportunity to double the French tally and was wasteful in front of goal.

Substitutes

Eduardo Camavinga - 6.5/10: He came on for Rabiot after 71 minutes and helped see out the game.

Randal Kolo Muani - 6.5/10: He came on for Dembele in the 71st minute and helped keep the central European full-backs busy till the final whistle.

Olivier Giroud - NA: The French leading goalscorer came on late for Kylian Mbappe but did not have enough time to affect the game.

Youssouf Fofana - NA: The Monaco midfielder came on for Griezmann, saw the game out, but did not have time to affect the game.