France is one of the top footballing nations on the international scene. They have gone to four of the last seven World Cup finals. This is rather impressive considering that before 1998, they had never been to a World Cup final.
In fact, Les Bleus have won the last six semi-finals at the Euros or World Cup, which is remarkable given the quality of opposition they would have come against. One factor behind the recent success in the World Cup could be the quality of midfielders that they are producing at the moment. Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni are just two of the many young midfielders that have come out of the Claire Fontaine Academy recently.
One country that can rival France’s midfield is England since they have two playmakers who are performing extremely well. First there is Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid, who has made a whirlwind start for the La Liga giants. And then, there is James Maddison – yet another summer signing – who has been performing consistently for Tottenham Hotspur.
Tchouaméni and Camavinga’s chemistry
What benefits the France national team is that Tchouaméni and Camavinga play in the same team. This means they will have a greater understanding of one another’s game. They will know how to get the best out of the other as they have been at Real Madrid for years. The question is who will play in the defensive midfield position and who will play as alongside Adrien Rabiot as the second central midfielder.
How good can Zaire Emery be?
Warren Zaïre-Emery has unlimited potential. He is tidy in possession and hardly ever gives the ball away which is crucial because of the position that he plays in. He attempts a solid 52 passes per 90 minutes, according to SciSports data, but at an impressive pass completion rate of over 90%.
He always shows for the ball and drifts into the final third to provide another attacking option for his team. It is quite scary that he is 17 and can still improve further. One problem that could hinder him is the high volume of games he is playing at a early age since he has been an ever present in the PSG team. This is far from ideal as it could lead to fatigue and burnout which could shorten his career
Nice problem to have for Didier Deschamps
How Deschamps will fit Camavinga, Zaïre-Emery, Tchouaméni and Kamara into the same team is a issue many managers will want to have. What helps the coach is that Tchouaméni and Camavinga play for Real Madrid who ironically have a midfield problem of their own.
Deschamps could opt to play Camavinga at left back to ensure all the midfielders are able to play. However, by doing that you put the team at a disadvantage as he is not a fullback by trade. This is despite the fact he has played that position for Real Madrid due to the injuries they had at fullback. As for Zaïre-Emery, he is only 17, so he has time to force his way into Deschamps plans for the upcoming Euros.