While France and Denmark were again placed in the same groups at the World Cup in Qatar, the last confrontation between the two teams, during the last World Cup in Russia, did not leave any good memories…
France and Denmark will not leave each other in 2022. Although they will meet in the next Nations League, the two countries will also meet in Group D of the World Cup in Qatar. Good practice for the two rivals who have met six times since 1984 during a group stage of a major tournament. With many fond memories of the sacred Blues at the 1984 European Championship, the 1998 World Cup, the 2000 European Championship and finally four years ago, during the World Cup in Russia.
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As in 1998, Didier Deschamps’ men were already assured of qualifying for the round of 16 when they faced Christian Erriksen and his teammates in the third game of the group. The Scandinavians, for their part, only needed a draw to validate their ticket. A result that is synonymous with first place in the group for the Blues and is therefore suitable for everyone. Both teams had it in mind and never gave up, meaning the game ended 0-0, the first in the league.
It was a purge
More than the score, the content of the match was the problem. † In the first half it was not that bad, but in the second it was a purge. recognized Olivier Giroud at the end of the meeting. And the tricolor striker wasn’t the only one to have very harsh words when mentioning this encounter. “The Shame of Moscow”, so titled Die Zeit in Germany, while in Brazil, O Globo qualified the game as “torture”. The tone had to fit the English press, following the example of the Times, which conjured up a spectacle “miserable”, or in the Italian media, the Corriere dello Sport with emphasis on “absolute poverty” Contest.
But for Didier Deschamps, still as pragmatic, the essence lay elsewhere. “The goal has been achieved, yes, that was the most important thing, to secure our first place. It was not a non-match, or maybe in the end, because the Danes were also satisfied with this draw which ensured their qualification, he explained after the meeting. We wouldn’t take any reckless risks, either, as long as they wanted that outcome.”
