Seeking a rebound following a defeat against Germany, France struggled to secure a 3-2 victory over Chile in a friendly match that had few standout moments on Tuesday.
France, a top contender at the European Championship this summer, seemed to lack a clear attacking strategy, appeared vulnerable in defense, and lacked accuracy and speed in the final third.
The exceptional performance of Randal Kolo Muani, who scored a goal and provided a fantastic assist for Olivier Giroud, proved to be crucial after Youssouf Fofana equalized for the hosts. Marcelino Nunez had initially put Chile ahead, and Dario Osorio later narrowed the gap for the visitors eight minutes before the end.
“We needed to respond after the Germany game,” Kolo Muani remarked. “We needed to inject more energy into the game, which was missing in those two matches. Even though we didn’t execute everything perfectly, we managed to secure the win.”
France coach Didier Deschamps made nine changes to the team that faced defeat against Germany, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Kylian Mbappé being the only ones to retain their starting positions. However, the alterations didn’t immediately yield positive results.
While France conceded a goal just seven seconds into the Germany match, this time it took Chile six minutes to take the lead.
Despite facing setbacks, France managed to level the score with a deflected shot from Fofana in the 19th minute. The team gradually improved its gameplay and created more scoring opportunities.
France surged ahead when Theo Hernandez delivered an excellent cross for Kolo Muani, who outjumped two defenders to head the ball into the net in the 26th minute.
Chile, a participant in the upcoming Copa América, displayed aggressive play and controlled the midfield in the early stages.
Despite playing in front of his former club’s fans, Marseille striker Alexis Sanchez posed a threat to Chile, forming a formidable partnership with forward Eduardo Vargas.
Kolo Muani once again played a crucial role in the 72nd minute, dribbling past Igor Lichnovsky and providing an assist for Giroud’s goal. Osario capitalized on a loose ball near the box, scoring with a well-placed shot from the edge of the box to reduce the deficit for Chile.
