Zinédine Zidane’s France team is already beginning to display a new identity. Despite making major changes to the starting lineup, Les Bleus claimed a 1-0 victory in Belgium while producing an impressive statistic in possession. The evening was also marked by a very solid international debut for Jérémy Jacquet and an almost perfect start to Zidane’s tenure.
Zinédine Zidane wanted to see a France team capable of playing with the ball, taking the initiative and establishing itself in the opposition half. Against Belgium, the head coach received several encouraging answers, even though he had significantly reshuffled his starting XI. France ultimately had to wait until late in the game for Michael Olise’s winning goal, but their control of possession was one of the main takeaways from the evening.
France Set a 20-Year Passing Record
According to Opta, Les Bleus completed 92.8% of their passes in the opposition half against Belgium, their best percentage in this area over the last 20 years. The statistic is even more notable considering Zidane had made extensive changes and was also without Kylian Mbappé. Despite the rotation, France’s desire to keep possession, build attacks in the Belgian half and play higher up the pitch remained clear, perfectly illustrating the new coach’s emphasis on greater technical control and initiative on the ball.
The match was also a memorable one for Jérémy Jacquet. At 21, the Liverpool defender earned his first France cap and delivered a very solid performance alongside Maxence Lacroix. “A clean sheet, for a defender, there is nothing better, especially with the win at the end,” he told TF1. However, Jacquet remained demanding of himself, admitting he could have handled “two or three attacking balls” better after regaining possession and found his forwards instead of losing the ball.
Zidane has now recorded two victories from his first two matches in charge of France. According to Stats Foot, only Henri Guérin in 1964, Henri Michel in 1984 and Aimé Jacquet in 1994 had previously started their tenures with two wins. It is far too early to draw conclusions, but Zidane’s opening has been impressive: two games, two victories, no goals conceded and a clear playing philosophy already emerging. France will now face a tougher test against Italy on Friday, when Zidane will have the opportunity to extend his perfect start.
