Qatar 2022 qualifiers: France-Ukraine –

The race for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar begins and on Wednesday evening, in Group D, there is immediately a very interesting France-Ukraine, which brings to mind the feat made eight years ago by the Blues in the play-off for Brazil 2014.

THE PREVIOUS

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November 2013, France and Ukraine are forced to play off as runners-up to get the world pass. The French, in the group, came behind Spain, Ukraine behind England. The national team led by Didier Deschamps is the favorite, but on 15 November in Kiev unexpectedly collapsed, 0-2 with goals from Zozulya and Yarmolenko from a penalty. In four days, however, the coach manages to transform the team and with a 4-3-3 that enhances the exuberance of Pogba, the imagination of Valbuena and the skills of Ribery, he sends the Ukrainian defense into a tailspin, “amputated” by the disqualifications of Kucher and Fedetskiy. At 22 ‘Sakho scores, then Valbuena doubles, a goal spotted by Benzema’s offside not reported. When Khacheridi was sent off at the beginning of the second half, France accelerated and found the qualifying goal thanks to Gusev’s clumsy deflection in their own goal, in an attempt to anticipate Sakho. France, in front of president Hollande, makes the historic feat: no national team had managed to snatch the world qualification in the play-offs after losing 2-0 in the first leg.

THE BUDGET

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France and Ukraine were included in group D with Finland, Bosnia Herzegovina and Kazakhstan. There was the hope of being able to play the match on Wednesday evening at the Stade de France with the presence of a limited number of spectators, however the French authorities have considered that the situation linked to Covid is still very delicate and have not authorized access of the audience at the stadium. Deschamps once again ignored the AC Milan player Theo Hernandez, the only “Italian” called up for Juventus Rabiot. The victory of 2013 is the only one obtained by Ukraine against France, which has a clearly in favor: 6 wins and 3 draws. The latest success is recent, on 7 October 2020 in a friendly. A 7-1 without history, but with many excuses for coach Shevchenko, who showed up in France without six injured players and six affected by Covid. The only positive note, the performance of the Atalanta Ruslan Malinovskyi. France are in a great moment, they have won three of their last four games (against Croatia, Portugal and Sweden, they lost only at home 2-0 to Finland last November), while in 2020 Ukraine have only beaten Switzerland and Spain (then six defeats).