The second UEFA Nations League trophy was clinched by France on Sunday. The defending World Champions managed to come away with a narrow 2-1 win against Spain in an entertaining game. Two of the three Bayern Munich players in the French squad did feature in the final against Spain in Milan on Sunday.
Benjamin Pavard once against started at right wing-back for France. The 25-year-old defender did struggle in the first half as Spain pressed aggressively when France was trying to play out from the back. Like the entire French team, Pavard also got better in the second half.
Even though he got better in the second half, Pavard did have an overall quiet game. His poor positioning did give Spain an advantage on the right flank on few occasions. Moreover, he had a passing range of 79%, with only two crosses attempted during his stay on the pitch. Didier Deschamps brought Pavard off for Leo Dubois in the 79th minute to provide much more attacking impetus on the right flank. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)
Dayot Upamecano was the other Bayern defender to play against Spain. The former RB Leipzig defender didn’t start the game, but he was summoned by Deschamps just before half-time as Raphael Varane suffered an injury.
Upamecano slotted in the center of the back three. He had a mixed performance during his stay of 45 minutes on the pitch. The French center-back did get outmuscled by Mikel Oyarzabal. However, he did recover quickly from his mistake in the second half and won duels consistently when France was looking to defend their lead.
Lastly, Lucas Hernandez was an unused substitute for the game. Deschamps brought in Presnel Kimpembe in the back three to replace Hernandez. The former Atletico Madrid defender had a mixed outing against Belgium, so it was not a surprise to see Kimpembe replacing him in the team.
Hernandez has always played in the left-back position for France in the past few years. However, France needed a much more offensive player in the wing-back role on the left flank. The Bayern Munich defender missed out to his brother Theo Hernandez in the wing-back role.
Lifting the Nations League trophy with France on Sunday was good for the confidence of the defensive trio. However, this international break has far from ideal for them in terms of their individual performances. The French defensive trio will be looking to get back to their best when they resume action with Bayern against Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.