France secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Austria in their opening Group D match of Euro 2024, which took place early this morning, June 18th, in Germany.

Determined to secure all three points from the get-go, manager Deschamps deployed a strong attacking line-up featuring Mbappe, Dembele, and Thuram upfront, supported by Kante, Griezmann, and Rabiot in midfield. However, “Les Bleus” faced a determined Austrian defense that held firm throughout much of the game.

The deadlock wasn’t broken until the 38th minute when a fortunate own goal by Austrian defender Wober gifted France the lead. Mbappe made a surging run down the left flank and delivered a cross into the box. Wober, in an attempt to clear, inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.

Austria came out with renewed attacking intent in the second half, searching for an equalizer. Despite their efforts, France displayed their experience and composure, managing to hold onto their slender 1-0 lead. Mbappe had a chance to double the advantage in the 55th minute, but his shot went just wide of the target.

This narrow victory puts France temporarily level on points with Netherlands at the top of Group D, who drew 0-0 with Romania in the other group fixture. The result wasn’t entirely satisfying for Deschamps, with both Mbappe and Griezmann picking up knocks and being forced off the pitch during the game.

A bright spark for France, however, was the performance of William Saliba. The young defender impressed in his unfamiliar left-center-back position, contributing to a clean sheet. Saliba boasted a 94% pass success rate, made 7 tackles, and won 2 out of 2 challenges.

France still has areas to address if they want to go deep into the tournament. Their аttаck lacked its usual bite, with neither Mbappe nor Griezmann finding the net. Additionally, they struggled at times against Austria’s counter-attacking approach.

Here are some key statistics from the match:

France:Possession: 52%Shots on Target: 3Corners: 2Yellow Cards: 1Austria:Possession: 48%Shots on Target: 1Corners: 4Yellow Cards: 2

France’s next challenge will be against Romania on June 21st.