Netherlands 0-0 France analysis: Kanté rolls back the years with midfield mastery
Saturday, June 22, 2024
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Returning after a two-year absence, N'Golo Kanté has been making the France midfield tick at EURO 2024 – and he was at the heart of the action once again against the Netherlands.
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If its main tactical themes are still emerging, UEFA EURO 2024 has already given us a compelling comeback tale.
Prior to this month, N'Golo Kanté had not played for France since June 2022. Yet here in Germany, he is playing like he had never been away. Named Player of the Match in France's opening Group D win over Austria, he picked up the award once more after excelling in last night's goalless draw with the Netherlands.
"To come back to the national team is always special and even more so with a tournament like the EURO, and you want to give your maximum," the France midfielder said – and he is certainly doing that.
For a 33-year-old who spent 2023/24 in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad, his physical output has been eye-catching. Against Austria, he covered more distance than any other Frenchman (11.77km), and he did the same again in Leipzig (11.02km), impressing UEFA's technical performance unit with his enduring stamina and mobility. It was no surprise that, when asked about him afterwards, France coach Didier Deschamps quipped, "He's still out there running!"
Deschamps will tell you his game is about so much more, of course, and UEFA technical observers Fabio Capello and Ioan Lupescu offered their own insight when saying, "He is exceptional because, first of all, he's a very intelligent player. People say, 'He runs a lot,' but if you look at his movement, you'll see he's a very intelligent player who knows exactly where to be at the right time."
The video above highlights that movement, both in his attacking and defensive work, and begins with an example of his offensive contribution. With Aurélien Tchouameni starting in midfield on his first appearance since 8 May, Kanté "could focus a little bit more on his attacking", according to the observers.
Hence, in the first clip, we see him find a pocket of space and then receive the pass from Tchouameni before producing a line-breaking dribble and squaring the ball for Antoine Griezmann – one of his three key passes bringing one of the game's clearest opportunities.
This sequence illustrates well his overall attacking play on a night when, among the France players, he was second behind Griezmann for receiving the ball between the lines (17) and produced 11 breaking-the-line actions of the kind seen here (including five ball carries). Only Dayot Upamecano and Tchouameni (with 12 each) managed more.
In the second clip, we move on to his defensive work, and his mobility is evident again as he gets back to support his defence. After blocking the passing lane to Memphis Depay, he shows his enduring speed over a short distance, accelerating across to deflect the shot by Tijjani Reijnders.
Overall, out of possession, Kanté registered some notable numbers: with 22 pressures, he was second in the France side behind Adrien Rabiot (31), while his four counter-pressures represented the highest number for Les Bleus.
"He was integral defensively throughout the whole game," added the observers, and the final clip shows him in the right place again, getting back to support his central defenders. Kylian Mbappé may have been missing, but Kanté is back – and his old routine looks as good as new.
Technical observers at EURO 2024
