Zinedine Zidane breaks France curse! New boss wins first game in charge as Mbappe suffers injury scare in Turkey victory
Zidane’s first starting lineup offered a glimpse into his vision for the future, notably placing Ousmane Dembele in a central number nine role where he has frequently impressed at club level with Paris Saint-Germain. This left Mbappe to occupy the wide-left corridor, a move intended to maximize France’s pace on the counter-attack.
While the connection between the front three was occasionally disjointed, the defensive unit remained relatively solid under pressure. Mike Maignan was called into action on several occasions, notably producing a fine save to deny a dangerous header from Yuksek early in the second half as Turkey pushed for an opening goal.
The game took another dramatic turn in the closing stages when the hosts were reduced to ten men following a controversial VAR intervention. Turkey’s goalkeeper Cakir was shown a red card for a deliberate handball outside his area while attempting to stop a surging run from Bradley Barcola.
Despite the numerical advantage, France were unable to find a second goal to put the result beyond doubt, with Jules Kounde striking the post and Doue seeing a late effort saved. The narrow margin of victory underscored the resilience required to win away from home, though the performance suggested there is still significant room for improvement as the players adapt to Zidane’s new instructions.
