Key events
I’m struggling to get Prime Video working, so I’m going to reset my computer; it’s anthem time.
It really is ridiculous how many good players France have. But can Zidane find the balance Deschamps could not against Spain? The answer, perhaps, might lie with Eduardo Camavinga, left out of the World Cup squad but whose quality and athleticism could make the difference in future.
Tonight’s a big night for the aforementioned Yoro, who’s shown his quality since joining Man United from Lille, but not consistently. Moreover, he doesn’t seem to have improved his weaknesses all that much: he’s still prone to losing men at set-pieces and his passing should also be better, faults thrown into sharper clarity by how well Jacquet has settled at Liverpool. United have been conceding goals, and the way Michael Carrick wants to play suits him, in theory – pace is essential with a high line. But, so far, he’s not shown enough to force his way into the starting XI ahead of Harry Maguire or Lisandro Martinez.
Email! “I was wondering,” writes Stephen Nolan, “why that stadium in Bologna looked familiar – that peculiar tower structure is a facsimile of Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral. Any link between the two?”
Er, not that Gemini can discern. But “Bologna’s stadium is often affectionately called a “football cathedral” due to its historic, red-brick arches and its iconic 42-meter Torre di Maratona (Marathon Tower) built into the stands.”
I’m disappointed we’re not seeing Godts from the start, but I’m sure we’ll get a cameo. On the plus side, Romeo Lavia has had such bad luck with injuries, so it’s always good to see him on the park.
Van Bommel also makes changes. In net, Senne Lammens, who’s been excellent in replacing Thibaut Courtois, is himself replaced, by Maarten Vandevoordt – it’s his debut too. Otherwise, Joaquin Seys is in for Maxim De Cuyper, while the suspended Youri Tielemans and Kevin de Bruyne are replaced by Roméo Lavia and Nicolas Raskin. Up front, Romelu Lukaku and Diego Moreira take the places of Mika Godts and Charles De Ketelaere.
Taking a closer look at the teams, Zidane does what he said he’d do, making 10 changes to the side that drew with Italy. I guess there are players he wants a look at, but also, for what Jews call shalom bayit, a peaceful home, it makes sense to gives starts to lads who’ve been away with the squad a long time.
So in goal, Guillaume Restes comes in for Mike Maignan, and at centre-back Leny Yoro replaces the injured Jeremy Jacquet – those two are making their debuts. Otherwise Jules Koundé, Andy Diouf, Maxence Lacroix, Manu Koné, Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola and Esteban Lepaul come in, with Kalulu, Upamecano, Truffert, Da Cunha, Cherki, Rabiot, Doué and Olise left out. The one man to maintain his spot is the captain, Ousmane Dembele.
Northern Ireland v Georgia teams
Northern Ireland (4-3-3): Charles P; Atcheson, McConville, Brown, Hume; Charles S, Galbraith, Devenny; Kelly, Donley, Price. Subs: Hazard, Peacock-Farrell, Devlin, Thompson, Marshall, O’Neill, Smyth, Morrison, McNair, Toal, Spencer, Magennis,
Georgia (3-4-1-2): Mamardashvili; Sazonov, Dvali, ,Lochoshvili; Kakabadze,Mekvabishvili, Kochorashvili, Mamageishvili; Davitashvili; Kvaratskhelia, Zivzivadze. Subs: Kereselidze, Gugeshashvili, Goglichidze, Lominadze, Chakvetadze, Lobjanidze, Kharebashvili, Kvernadze, Egoyan, Tsitaishvili, Gagua, Mikautadze.
Italy v Turkey teams
Italy (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Ruggeri; Barella, Romano, Doumbia; Vergara, Scamacca, Maldini. Subs: Calafiori, Cambiaghi, Carnesschi, Esposito, Fagioli, Frattesi, Inácio, Kayode, Scalvini, Tonali, Vicario.
Turkey (4-4-2): Uğurcan Çakır; Zeki Çelik, Abdülkerim Bardakçı, Ozan Kabak, Ferdi Kadıoğlu; Eren Elmali, İsmail Yüksek, Salih Özcan, İrfan Can Kahveci; Yunus Akgün, Aral Şimşir. Subs: Bayindir, Sengezer, Demiral, Topcu, DElmaz, Kerem Aktürkoğlu, Tiknaz, Deniz Gül, Ilhan Fakili, Melih Kabasakal, Oğuz Aydın, Mustafa Eskihellac.
France v Belgium teams
France (4-3-3): Restes; Koundé, Yoro, Lacroix, Diouf; Akliouche, Camavinga, M.Koné; Dembélé, Lepaul, Barcola. Subs: Butez, Cherki, Doué, Kalulu, Maignan, Olise, Rabiot, Truffert, Da Cunha.
Belgium (4-3-3): Vandevoort; Castagne, Mechele, Ngoy, Seys; Vanaken, Lavia, Raskin; Moreira, Lukaku, Lukébakio. Subs: De Cuyper, De Ketelaere, Zebast, Fernandez-Pardo, Godts, Keita, Lammens, Openda, Penders, Sabbe, Theate, Trossard.
Preamble
It feels churlish to grouse about a World Cup-winning manager, but sometimes, it must still be done: given the players Didier Deschamps had in 14 years in charge of France, one World Cup feels like bare minimum at best and failure at worst, the solitary triumph more likely in spite of than because of him.
So to Zinedine Zidane. On the one hand, it is not easy to pinpoint the tactical adjustments that won him and Real Madrd two La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues in a row but, on the other, if “all” he did was create an environment in which brilliant talents could flourish, that may also be “all” he needs to do with France.
It feels like it was several months ago, but actually it was just last week that his team won 1-0 in Belgium, who they face once again this evening. Mark van Bommel, though, has also made a decent start to his new job, wins away to Italy and at home to Turkey leaving them just a point behind France with a better goal difference. Tonight’s clash in Paris should be a belter.
Nor is it the only one we’ll be bringing you. Also in this group, Turkey visit Italy while, elsewhere, Northern Ireland host Georgia, Ukraine face Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina meet Poland and Romania entertain Sweden. Bring them on.
Kick-offs: 8pm BST
