World Cup Qatar | A ‘France B’ is subdued by Tunisia, which fails to qualify

For about two minutes, at about 5:15 p.m. in Spain, Tunisian fans were happier than they had ever been watching a World Cup.. In that short span of time, the one that elapsed between Khazri’s goal against France and the one that Australia’s Leckie scored against disappointing Denmarkthe African team was temporarily qualified for round of 16, a peak that he had never reached in his five previous participations. But happiness, written remains, was ephemeral.

In two minutes, everything was back to where it was until then for Tunisia, condemned to elimination, paying for their defeat against Australia on the second day. It will be another World Cup with no greater horizon than the group stage for the team led by Jalel Kadri. He treated and at times shook a France from series b, with nine starters catching their breath on the bench for what will come, classified as the current champion was. If the game helped Deschamps at all, it was to confirm that his usual selection of starters is adequate: none of the less usual ones won the position against Tunisia.

Knowing already classified, and virtually first in the group, Deschamps raised a revolution in his starting eleven. Tchouaméni is the only one who started, having been so in the two previous games, while Varane and Konaté formed in the center of defense, after having each started in one game. The other eight players debuted in a line-up at this World Cup, with absences as prominent as Mbappé, Griezmann, Dembélé and the goalkeeper and captain Lloris, replaced by the very veteran Mandanda. Camavinga, as was already rumored in the previous days, served as an emergency left back.

bare chest

The French eleven, in short, was unrecognizable. And Tunisia took advantage of that to go bare-chested to try to take advantage of their few options to advance to the round of 16. In the 8th minute he had already scored a goal, but Ghandri was slightly ahead and his goal was ruled out for offside. It was not going to be an accident in France, but the tonic of the entire first half.

Tunisia was ostensibly superior to the reigning world champion. All the occasions before the break had an African signature, most concentrated after half an hour of play. In that section, Slimane put together a header in the area, Khazri invented a poisoned semi-volley from the edge and Disasi avoided a goal by taking a pass from Khazri’s death almost over the line.

France does not change

Despite the image projected by his team, Deschamps decided not to make a single change at halftimeprioritizing the dosing of efforts ahead of the round of 16 over the result, almost inconsequential for them, of the match against Tunisia.

The Africans took advantage of that to follow their own, against an opponent with a broken transmission belt that allowed him any rudeness on the green. Until the big blow came, dealt by Khazri, the best of the Tunisians. He dribbled past several French defenders, while avoiding a fall, and in the last effort managed to get around Mandanda’s exit to send the ball into the net.

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From then on, now yes, Deschamps began to empty the pantry, giving entry in a staggered way to Mbappé, Griezmann and Dembélé, in addition to Rabiot and Salibathe only field footballer who had not yet participated in the World Cup.

France, of course, gained packaging and prominence with the ball after the changes, against an already exhausted Tunisia that was waiting for a favor from Denmark that would return those two temporary minutes of glory they had experienced forever. But that Danish goal never came and Tunisia goes home after the group stage, as had happened in his five previous World Cups. A goal from Griezmann, at the last minute, seemed to leave them even without the consolation of leaving with the good taste of a victory against France. The VAR intervened and annulled it for positional offside. At least they have this victory left.