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World champions France beat Bosnia and Herzegovina by a solitary goal in Sarajevo to win their second game on the bounce in their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
A brilliant header from Antoine Griezmann in the second half helped France see off a rather stubborn Bosnia & Herzegovina as Les Bleus go atop Group D. A moment of magic from Griezmann in the 60th minute of the game proved to be the difference between the two teams as the Barcelona forward guided a beautiful cross from Adrien Rabiot into the top left corner.
The home side might've been a bit unlucky not to bag a point from the game, But they barely managed to create any clear-cut chances throughout the 90 minutes.
In the dying seconds of the game, Ivaylo Petev's men tried their best to breach France's defence but were unsuccessful. A good game came to an end as France ran away with three valuable points.
On that note, let's take a look at five talking points from the fixture.
#1 Hugo Lloris produces an impressive outing for France
Hugo Lloris hardly had any trouble between the posts, courtesy of a robust France defence. But there was a moment of sheer class from the 34-year-old. With his defenders losing their guards down in a rare instance, Lloris pulled off an unbelievable save from point-blank range to keep the scores level.
It was a save which might go under the radar. But Hugo Lloris just displayed why he is still the first-choice goalkeeper for France.
Didier Deschamps and Jose Mourinho are surely lucky to have the Frenchman, as Lloris only seems to get better with age.
#2 Miralem Pjanic the lone bright spark for Bosnia and Herzegovina
![The game vs France was Pjanic's 100th for Bosnia and Herzegovina [Source:@Barca_Buzz (Twitter)]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/04/0050b-16172271572472-800.jpg)
The former Juventus midfielder produced a fabulous outing against a physical and dominant France midfield pairing of Paul Pogba and Adrien Rabiot.
It would be safe to say that the pair did not have a solution to Miralem Pjanic's quick feet and incredible resilience. The 30-year-old managed to escape from pressure situations and dodge tackles with ease.
Pjanic was one of the players who did not deserve to be on the losing end. The midfielder was one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's brightest creative sparks, often finding space between France's defensive lines while also putting out a brilliant defensive shift.
With two key passes, 84% passing accuracy, six duels won, three tackles and two interceptions, it was one of Pjanic's better performances in national colours. Pjanic may have entered his 30s, but he still has plenty to contribute for club and country.
#3 Didier Deschamps' 4-4-2 set-up for France is underwhelming
France are blessed with creative, pacy and world-class forwards and midfielders like Kylian Mbappe, Antonie Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele, Kingsley Coman, Paul Pogba and Tanguy Ndombele. But Didier Deschamps's newly-introduced 4-4-2 does not seem to cut it with this crop of players.
N'Golo Kante was obviously a big miss in midfield, as Adrien Rabiot and Pogba formed the midfield pivot. Meanwhile, Thomas Lemar and Griezmann came in between the lines, with Mbappe and Coman holding the width and attacking the halfspaces.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the majority of the game, had absolutely no problem in dealing with some of the best players across the globe, while their goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic had to face only two shots on target all game.
For France, the 4-2-3-1 still appears to be the best option going into the Euros this summer, but Deschamps seems to have doubts over Olivier Giroud. Maybe it's time to deploy Anthony Martial up front or call up Alexandre Lacazette, someone who has been in top form since the turn of the year.
#4 Kylian Mbappe and Kingsley Coman have disappointing outings
The France duo of Kylian Mbappe and Kingsley Coman, on paper, is arguably one of the most potent in the world. But for some reason, the pair has been quite underwhelming for France in the past three games. Bosnia and Herzegovina handled the two wingers quite convincingly on the night.
Throughout the 90 minutes, Coman and Mbappe only completed a mere four dribbles, with 50% of them coming in the final ten minutes of the game. Known for their quick feet, both were contained by the likes of Sead Kolasinac, Darko Todorovic and Anel Ahmedhodzic.
With key Champions League fixtures coming soon, Mbappe and Coman would need to get themselves back on track and firing on all cylinders.
#5 Antoine Griezmann produces a clutch outing
With his 35th goal for his country, Antoine Griezmann is now fourth in the list of France's all-time goal-scorers, one clear of the retired David Trezeguet.
Yet again, it was a Griezmann goal that made the difference between the two teams. While Bosnia and Herzegovina's centre-backs were busy man-marking Olivier Giroud in the middle of the box, Griezmann effortlessly got away from his marker before heading home at the near post, beating Ibrahim Sehic with ease in the 60th minute.
The former Atletico Madrid star has been relentless for France in the past few years. The 30-year-old started all three games for France during this international break, completing 240 minutes on the pitch in less than ten days.
While he's also known to be one of Ronald Koeman's favourite for his work ethic and attitude on the pitch, Griezmann's managers need to make sure the striker doesn't run out of gas as the business end of the season approaches.
