{"id":1221894,"date":"2021-09-07T21:47:06","date_gmt":"2021-09-07T20:47:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1221894"},"modified":"2026-02-17T17:52:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:52:19","slug":"france-2-0-finland-match-analysis-griezmann-benzema-deschamps","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/france-2-0-finland-match-analysis-griezmann-benzema-deschamps\/","title":{"rendered":"“Glorious Griezmann” and the shape that saw France beat Finland and could give Les Bleus the way to win the World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

After five consecutive draws (and a penalty shootout loss), France finally won again, beating Finland 2-0 in Lyon.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The game was notable for two things beyond the result; the shape France played and the star of the show on an individual level. First the shape: it was a 3-4-1-2 (or 3-4-2-1) which France last used quite unsucessfully in their round of 16 defeat to Switzerland at Euro 2020. Well, not even the whole round of 16 game, just the first-half. It was going that badly!<\/p>\n

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But Les Bleus returned to the shape tonight with one enormous, colossal difference: he had two flying wing-backs in the wide positions. Leo Dubois is not the best player around but he is unquestionably a full-back (and received a standing ovation from his home stadium when he was subbed off in the second-half). Meanwhile Theo Hernandes is a freight train and, unlike his brother, a natural born wing-back. Making his debut for France, Theo was an absolute sensation up and down the touchline.<\/p>\n

Having genuine width out wide rather than the makeshift nonsense we saw at Euro 2020 made the formation so much more potent as France could actually stretch Finland wide while keeping two or even three forwards in the midfield.<\/p>\n

The midfield functioned as you’d expect, with Paul Pogba more comfortable shifting the ball wide. Adrien Rabiot was less useful but he’d be replaced by N’Golo Kant\u00e9 in the main team anyway.<\/p>\n

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France's all-time top scorers:<\/p>\n

\u25c9 Thierry Henry (51)
\u25c9 Olivier Giroud (46)
\u25c9 Michel Platini (41)
\u25c9 Antoine Griezmann (40)<\/p>\n

The Atletico Madrid striker moves one behind Platini. ? pic.twitter.com\/bbsiFqChMk<\/a><\/p>\n

— Squawka (@Squawka) September 7, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n