France 2-0 Belgium: Five talking points as Les Bleus outclass Red Devils
France secured a comfortable win at Belgium's expense at the Groupama Stadium on September 9 to banish the memories of their opening Nations League loss to Italy. Didier Deschamps made a raft of changes to his side for the game and the new additions made the difference for the home team.
Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele was the star of the show, ripping the opposition to shreds and having a hand in both goals. In a star-studded game of this nature, multiple talking points are sure to arise among fans and neutrals at the final whistle; here are five of them:
Amadou "Andre is not even my name mate" Onana is a delight to watch even in defeat
Twenty-three-year-old Amadou Onana is one fine midfielder and a smooth operator in the middle of the park, even when things do not go his way. The Aston Villa man is a delightfully rare player who seamlessly transitions between the 6 and 8 roles with such elegance and class that comparisons to Patrick Vieira come naturally.
From 54 touches today, the midfielder completed 38 passes, created a chance, had two touches in the French box, made two interceptions, won two freekicks, and recovered possession four times. He can hold his head high despite a defeat to a Les Bleus team that was in full flow.
Wout Faes looked solid again for Belgium
Leicester City defender Wout Faes gave another strong account of his abilities on the pitch for his country at the Nations League. He played the full 90 minutes against France and looked like the best part of his team's defense throughout the tie.
The 26-year-old completed 73 passes, two dribbles, and recovered possession four times in the game. Faes will hope he can maintain his level of performance for the newly promoted Foxes in the Premier League.
Ousmane Dembele, blink and you miss him
The former Barcelona star has looked like a man reborn since his return to his native France, and his performance against Belgium underpinned that. He attempted five dribbles, pulling off three, and bagged a goal and assist for his troubles.
Dembele was a nightmare for the Belgian defense; he created the most chances (5) and tested the Belgian keeper two times in a game he helped his country dominate.
France looked fun against Belgium today
To anyone who has watched France play over the last year at least, they often make for pretty turgid watching. For a team blessed with generational talent coming out of their ears, Didier Deschamps often lines up with an approach so safe that fans and neutrals can feel sentenced to the game as a penal punishment.
Today was different; Les Bleus came out to play against Belgium, and boy did they play. They took 25 shots, peppering Koen Casteel's goal with nine shots on target. They had an impressive 36 touches in the opposition's box and bagged an impressive xG of 1.77 in the game. Deschamps will be keen to keep his team playing like this in the coming games.
Kouadio Kone was undoubtedly the best player in midfield
In a game that had Kevin de Bruyne and N'golo Kante in the middle of the park, 23-year-old Frenchman Kouadio Kone stole the show. The €18 million AS Roma paid for the twice-capped France international looks like a bargain after his confident and dominant performance against Belgium.
The midfielder's industry, passing, and recoveries ensured the midfield battle was comfortably won by the French. Kone recovered possession 10 times, drew four fouls, completed two dribbles and 54 passes, won one tackle, and created four chances with his 80 touches on the night.