Iceland 0-1 France: 5 talking points from the game | UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifiers

#4 France dominate despite key absences

Paul Pogba missed the game due to injury.

France was already without Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe and their skipper Hugo Lloris prior to the game. N’Golo Kante, who was set to start, picked up an injury during the pre-game warm-up. France was also missing Aymeric Laporte in defense, which meant that Didier Deschamps’ side was without of their key players for the game. However, the visitors coped well with their absence and did not just win the game, but dominated the play.

The visitors ended with 71% possession, having registered 696 passes with 86% accuracy. They had 22 shots, six of which were on target. France dictated the tempo of the game and rarely looked threatened at the back. Even though they could not break the deadlock in the first half, Deschamps’ wards were relaxed yet determined, which helped them seal the win. France had a strong end to the game and could have scored the second when Blaise Matuidi hit the frame of the goal.