Didier Deschamps only needs the Euros to complete his set of international trophies with France both as a player and manager. And Les Bleus are arguably the outright favourites at this tournament, but potential dark horses Austria could spoil their party at the very start.
By Neel Shelat
Rangnick-ball’s First Major International Test
There was a lot of intrigue when Ralf Rangnick took the Austria job following their failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Fans and experts alike were quite curious to see how his distinct tactical approach would work in international football, and so far, it has gone supremely well.
In hindsight, it is easy to see why. The most standout elements of Rangnick’s style of play are on the defensive side of things, which are much easier to pick up in a shorter amount of time from the players’ perspective. Better yet, Austria’s squad already included the right kinds of profiles to execute his direct and pressing-intensive approach, so everything naturally fell in to place nicely. No surprise, then, that this is Rangnick’s best coaching job of his career so far, in terms of win percentage.
However, Austria are yet to play a major international tournament under Rangnick, so this will be the first time his side are tested at the biggest of stages. Second place in the group should be their realistic target, but they have a great chance to make a statement against the tournament favourites in their opener.
Deschamps Won’t Fix It If It Ain’t Broke
Didier Deschamps is the only active coach who has won the World Cup both as a player and manager. No one in the history of the game has achieved such a feat both on the global as well as continental stage, so the 55-year-old Frenchman is one tournament away from creating a record all for himself.
This could well be the year it happens as Les Bleus are widely regarded as the tournament favourites. It is tough to make an argument against that too, as they will continue to use a formula that has served them well since 2016.
Their 4-2-3-1 system will see Kylian Mbappé work his magic on the left wing off a striker, while Antoine Griezmann is given creative license in the middle. Aurélien Tchouaméni will dictate the tempo of play ahead of a solid defensive base, while someone like Adrien Rabiot will do the dirty work in midfield.
France have a proven solid system capped off with genuine superstar power, so they can easily blow away any opponent on their day.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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