Real Madrid new signing endures nightmare World Cup outing after France collapse vs England
· Yahoo Sports
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Ibrahima Konate will now turn his full attention to Real Madrid after enduring a frustrating FIFA World Cup campaign with France, one that offered little opportunity to impress before ending on a disappointing individual and collective note.
The new Real Madrid defender spent almost the entire tournament watching from the sidelines as Didier Deschamps consistently preferred Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba and Maxence Lacroix in central defence.
When Konate finally received his chance in the third-place play-off against England, it proved to be an afternoon to forget as France suffered one of their poorest defensive displays of the competition.
As a result, Konate will be eager to leave behind a difficult international tournament and begin life at the Santiago Bernabeu on a stronger footing.
Konate handed rare opportunity but France collapse
After playing no meaningful role throughout the tournament, Konate was included in Deschamps’ starting line-up for the clash with England in the World Cup bronze medal match.
It was an opportunity for the former Liverpool centre-back to make an impression before returning to club football, but France endured a disastrous opening 45 minutes that effectively decided the contest.
England overwhelmed Les Bleus from the opening whistle, racing into a commanding 4-0 lead before the interval through goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and a Bukayo Saka brace.
Although Konate was not directly responsible for any individual goal, the defensive unit struggled throughout the first half, repeatedly allowing England’s attack to exploit space and dominate transitions.
Like the rest of France’s back line, the 27-year-old found it difficult to cope with England’s intensity, movement and pace, resulting in a display that quickly unravelled.
Statistics show defender’s challenging outing
Konate’s individual numbers show just how difficult the game became for France’s defence.
Konate suffered severe humiliation against England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
The centre-back recovered possession only once, registered a single clearance and lost three of the four duels he contested.
He also committed two fouls as England repeatedly attacked with confidence and precision.
Deschamps eventually reacted at half-time by making four substitutions, where Konate, Theo Hernandez, Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki were all withdrawn as the France manager attempted to change the direction of the match.
Although France were closing in on mounting a strong comeback, England eventually raced away with a 6-4 entertaining win.