In the absence of Kylian Mbappé, Didier Deschamps opted for a typically conservative approach in the 0-0 draw against the Netherlands. While France’s defence thrived, their (very few) attacking elements looked lost and inefficacious. Maignan steps up L’Équipe deservedly awarded Mike Maignan, who made four saves on the night, three of which were excellent, an 8, lauding not only his shot-stopping but also his distribution. An integral – if underappreciated – part of Lille’s title win in 2021, Maignan is no youngster; he’ll turn 29 before the tournament finishes, but there were nevertheless questions surrounding his capabilities on the biggest stage. This was despite his continued strong form with Milan, having been part of the France setup since 2019, and having more than a dozen caps since supplanting Hugo Lloris as first choice following the latter’s retirement. Granted, Lloris – France’s record appearance maker – is a true legend of his country, but given his commanding play, at this juncture one could even argue Les Bleus are stronger overall with Maignan in goal. Now with four clean sheets in a row, he has grown into the type of goalkeeper whose presence and natural quality can make him the quiet centrepiece for this team. His abilities – both in net and in terms of organising a defence – are able to help the team hold it together when things are as disjointed, as they were in other parts of the pitch against the Netherlands. Rabiot’s positional problems Playing in a hybrid wide-central role not unlike how Blaise Matuidi was used in the 2018 World Cup, Adrien Rabiot’s tireless running did much to limit the effectiveness of the Dutch’s vaunted right flank, as Jérémie Frimpong and Denzel Dumfries were both kept quiet on the evening. His ability to share space with Théo Hernández did leave something to be desired but Rabiot showed once more that his efficacious play for his country belies his sometimes indifferent form for his club. Beyond his rapport with Hernández, though, Rabiot’s more advanced position often left him in situations where his decision-making on the ball had a negative effect on his team’s ability going forward – unfortunately. As willing a runner as Rabiot was, his play in key moments was poor, even as the Dutch seemed to struggle to come to grips with how to track him. His decision to pass to Antoine Griezmann with both in the six-yard box is the moment that sticks in the mind but, on the whole, he seemed to struggle to both stretch play and to link with Marcus Thuram and Griezmann in what was essentially an unfamiliar role – perhaps the match against Poland is an opportunity to start Bradley Barcola as a more conventional winger? Kanté’s importance grows There are few superlatives left at this point for the level of surprise in these quarters at N’Golo Kanté’s high standard in this tournament. That he was even selected was a surprise to many, having struggled with injury, a loss of form at club level and a subsequent decamping to the Middle East. But against the Netherlands he was as effervescent as he had been in the first match, despite playing a much more advanced role with Aurélien Tchouaméni the deeper of the pair. Kanté worked hard to break up play and turned in another evening full of smart, precise passing, working within his limits to help facilitate attacking. Constantly threading the ball to Griezmann and Rabiot, his efforts weren’t rewarded, but that he would again turn in a world-class display despite playing a different system with different players after a lengthy absence from top-level international football only serves to underscore not only his quality but his importance to France’s hopes of winning this tournament. Thuram misfires again Like Maignan, Thuram is no callow youth – he turns 27 later this summer and has won multiple major honours at club level, amassing more than 20 caps in the process. But he’s cut a frustrating figure for his country, at least when tasked with leading the line, something underscored by his return of just two goals for Les Bleus. Against the Netherlands, without a more natural striker off of whom to work (as he has had with Inter this season), he looked lost more often than not. Eager to do the work to drop deep and bring teammates into play with his holdup play, but with the imbalance created by having Rabiot as the nominal left winger, this combination fell flat in a major way. This second part, of course, is down to Deschamps’ tactics, but it seems unlikely that Thuram will ever be able to be the focal point for France, and one might even wonder if Deschamps missed a trick here (without Karim Benzema) in not considering Alexandre Lacazette, given his impeccable play for Lyon over the past two seasons. Lack of end product from Dembélé If there’s such a thing as a typical Ousmane Dembélé performance, this match was it. The Paris Saint-Germain winger thrilled at times, nutmegging Cody Gakpo at one point in a moment made for social media. He never stopped trying to create, variously cutting inside as well as pulling the ball wide, but the problem – as it has been for PSG this season as well – was a lack of being as sharp as the occasion required. Neither of his two shots were on target, and while he did show the odd moment of flair, including a subtle flick for Griezmann in the second half, a paucity of end product was again his undoing. His strong display against Barcelona in the Champions League is but a distant memory. There’s little chance of Dembélé being dropped in this system, but one has to wonder if Dembélé, in this sort of form, would even be in the frame were France still playing with a back three. Did Deschamps get his tactics wrong? Finally, what of Deschamps? There’s no doubting that France rode their luck in this match – the saves made by Maignan were of far higher quality than those made by his Dutch counterpart, Bart Verbruggen, and France’s best chance was arguably Tchouaméni’s header in the second half. But did Deschamps get it wrong with his tactics? Yes, a defensively sound draw against the Dutch is hardly shameful, but it also leaves France behind the Oranje in the table, and potentially facing a tricky matchup in the quarter-finals. But despite having a cadre of proven attacking options (Kingsley Coman, Olivier Giroud) and intriguing wild cards (Barcola, Randal Kolo Muani) at his disposal, Deschamps was slow to make any changes, making only two substitutions with 15 minutes to play. Perhaps he viewed a three-man midfield with Griezmann in a deeper role and Giroud starting as too much of a risk, but the team lacked a focal point or much coherence going forward, leaving individual skill to decide the game. It’s a gambit that has more often than not paid off with Mbappé in the team, but looks to have its limitations in his absence.