By Tournament favorites France began their Euro 2024 journey with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Austria, but the victory came at a significant cost as superstar Kylian Mbappe suffered a suspected broken nose in a horrific on-field collision.
Mbappe, who recently joined Real Madrid, was instrumental in France’s lone goal, as his cross was deflected into the net for an own goal by an Austrian defender. However, the 24-year-old forward was forced to leave the pitch late in the match after a brutal collision left him with a bloodied face and a suspected broken nose.
France manager Didier Deschamps confirmed the extent of Mbappe’s injury in a post-match press conference, stating, “Yes, Kylian MbappĂ© has probably broken his nose. Apparently the nose is not good at all. So, we’ll see. It’s obviously the bad point of the evening. Even if it’s just his nose it’s annoying for us.”
Despite the concern surrounding Mbappe’s injury, the night also marked a significant milestone for Deschamps, who celebrated his 100th win as France’s manager. If he can lead the team to a handful more victories in the tournament, it could result in another successful campaign for the reigning World Cup champions.
While Mbappe’s injury dominated the post-match discussion, pundits were quick to praise the performance of midfielder N’Golo Kante, who was named man of the match. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville declared Kante the best player on the pitch, a sentiment echoed by the match observer.
Fellow ITV pundit Roy Keane added, “He was brilliant. He’s got that vast experience. We talk about him breaking the play up but it’s the other side of his game too. His passing was sharp. We know he covers the ground well but his decision-making was excellent and he was neat. He makes runs forward. He looked a younger version of himself, he was excellent.”
As France looks ahead to their next match, the focus will undoubtedly be on Mbappe’s recovery and his availability for the remainder of the tournament. The injury to their star player will be a cause for concern, but the team’s depth and quality were on display against Austria, suggesting they have the resilience to overcome this setback.
With Kante’s outstanding performance and the team’s collective ability to grind out a victory, France will be confident in their chances of making a deep run in Euro 2024. However, the full extent of Mbappe’s injury and his potential absence from the lineup could have a significant impact on their title aspirations.
