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10-man France were held to a 1-1 draw by Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Stade de la Meinau on Wednesday (September 2).
Les Bleus headed into the game off the back of a last-16 exit from the European Championship and were looking to restore some pride. Meanwhile, the visitors came in search of their first win in 13 games across all competitions.
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However, in a game where Jules Kounde received his marching orders, Antoine Griezmann and Edin Dzeko scored for either side in the first half. But the teams could not find a goal in the second half as the spoils were shared in a 1-1 draw. The result brought no change to the shape of the table in Group D of the qualifiers. France continue to lead the way, while Bosnia and Herzegovina remain second from bottom.
Here, we look at how the France players fared in the match against the Bosnians:
France player ratings
Hugo Lloris - 5/10
Tottenham Hotspur’s in-form goalkeeper had a decent outing between the sticks for Les Bleus. While there was little he could have done about Edin Dzeko’s opener, Lloris did well to keep out Miralem Pjanic’s dangerous free kick later on.
Jules Kounde - 3/10
The Sevilla man, who saw his potential move to Chelsea fall apart this summer, had a game to forget. Kounde was initially good, providing two key passes and completing 93% of his passes. But he received his marching orders in the 51st minute for a cynical challenge.
Raphael Varane - 7/10
The new Manchester United man put in a leader-like performance at the heart of the defense. Varane was calm and composed despite his side going a man down. The French centre-back finished the game with a team-high five clearances, one interception and one tackle.
Presnel Kimpembe - 6/10
The PSG defender was brimming with confidence from the start and put on a solid display. Kimpembe paired brilliantly with Varane and played his part in helping France hold on to the point. He managed two tackles and completed 98.5% of his passes against Bosnia.
Lucas Digne - 6.5/10
The 28-year-old full-back covered lots of ground for France as he bombed to and fro on the left flank. Digne was impressive at both ends of the pitch as he fulfilled his defensive duties diligently, while also joining the attack on occasions. However, the Everton left-back was guilty of inaccuracies with his crosses in the final third as he completed just one of seven attempts.
Paul Pogba - 7/10
The midfielder entertainer continued to dazzle in the center of the park for France. Pogba showed an adept reading of the game and kept the play ticking with neat and accurate passes while also threading a few through balls. The Manchester United star ended the game with two shots, one tackle and an 83.3% pass accuracy.
Jordan Veretout - 6/10
Making his senior debut for France, the AS Roma man started the game off the pace and was guilty of a few fouls that led to his early booking. However, Veretout grew into the game and was tidy with his passes, finishing with a 91.1% passing accuracy. He also completed four of his five attempted long balls. However, Veretout was hooked off before the hour mark to avoid him picking up a second yellow.
Thomas Lemar - 5/10
Playing in a rather unfamiliar midfield role, the attacker put his side in danger as his misplaced pass led to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s opener. Lemar failed to really get going in the game for France and was subbed out at the break after failing to register a single shot. He made one tackle and completed 91.4% of his passes.
Antoine Griezmann - 7/10
The newly-signed Atletico Madrid star was lucky to get France's leveler in the 39th minute as Dzeko’s header ricocheted off his back and into the net. Griezmann's high work rate was highlighted once again against Bosnia. He covered plenty of ground to help out his teammates. Griezmann won four ground duels, two tackles and completed 93% of his passes and all his long balls.
Karim Benzema - 6.5/10
The Real Madrid striker put in an industrious performance, spearheading the attack for France. While Benzema may not have got his name on the scoresheet, his hold-up play and link-ups with the other forwards were impressive. The forward ended the game with two shots and two key passes, as well as an 87.1% passing accuracy.
Kylian Mbappe - 6/10
The France star was a thorn in the flesh of the Bosnians thanks to his lightning speed with and without the ball. Mbappe constantly tore at the opposition defenders, finishing with a team-high 10 dribbles attempted. However, he lacked that sting at the attacking end of the pitch. Mbappe managed no shots on target throughout his time on the pitch, but provided one key pass and completed 85.7% of his passes.
Player ratings for France substitutes
Aurelien Tchouameni: 6.5/10
The AS Monaco starlet was handed his France debut when he came on for the struggling Thomas Lemar at half-time. Tchouameni provided extra stability in midfield and also defensive cover for his backline. It was a fine debut from the youngster.
Leo Dubois - 6/10
Dubois replaced Jordan Veretout, who was at risk of picking up a second yellow card. The versatile Lyon man operated on the right flank to fill the void left by Kounde and put in a diligent shift to get France a share of the spoils.
Anthony Martial - 5/10
The Manchester United man came on for the final quarter of an hour, replacing Karim Benzema. However, Martial failed to make any impact whatsoever in the attacking third of the pitch.
Kingsley Coman - 5/10
Like Martial, Coman failed to make a telling impact after coming on for Antoine Griezmann for the final 15 minutes of the game.
Moussa Diaby - N/A
The third player to make his debut for France. Diaby came on for Mbappe in the final minute of normal time and did not have much time to make an impact.
