France 0-0 Portugal: 5 Hits and Flops from the game as Les Bleus and Selecao share the spoils in clash of the champions | UEFA Nations League 2020/21

It was the clash of two champions as France hosted Portugal on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Nations League 2020/21. The League A Group 3 clash, played out between the defending FIFA World Cup champions and the defending UEFA Euros and Nations League winners at the Stade de France, ended in a stale 0-0 draw as both sides shared the spoils.

This was the first time both sides met in a competitive game since Portugal's historic Euro 2016 win at the same venue. It was a well-contested 90 minutes of football during which Les Bleus were arguably the better side, but it accounted for nothing as they failed to convert their chances.

The stats paint a picture of a perfectly even game which it was to a great extent, but the opportunities the home side had — particularly one for Kylian Mbappe where he squared off with Rui Patricio — marginally gave them an edge.

However, there was quite literally nothing to separate the two sides as both sides attempted the same number of shots (ten) and the possession stakes were nearly even at 49-51.

France went into the game with seven changes from their last Nations League outing, which was a comfortable 4-2 win against Croatia. Portugal retained the core of the same side that saw off Sweden in a 2-0 win and made just three changes.

Here, we take a look at the hits and flops from the game.

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#5 Hit: Pepe | Portugal

Pepe in action against France [Image courtesy: Ligue1.com]

It was a throwback performance from the ex-Real Madrid man as Pepe put out an adventurous display on the night against the reigning world champions. The Portuguese veteran made more clearances than anyone bar Presnel Kimpembe was solid in the air, winning all three of his aerial duels. Pepe was also clean on the ball as he completed more long balls than any outfield player on the pitch, and successfully found his teammate with 98.2% of his passes.

The Porto defender came painfully close to seal a smash and grab for his side with a late goal from a set-piece, but was ruled offside. All in all, even at the age of 37, Pepe showed that he has what it takes to play at such a high level. France were prevented from scoring on their own turf for the first time since 2017, and Pepe played a massive role in keeping them at bay.

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#4 Flop: Bernardo Silva | Portugal

Bernardo Silva's display on the night could be summed up in just one word — anonymous. The versatile attacker failed to leave an impression of himself on the game despite playing on the same flank as the swashbuckling Nelson Semedo, who constantly provided the Manchester City man with ample width on the right.

Bernardo tried his best to cut infield and make things happen in the final third, but his display was, simply put, not good enough. He came close to scoring in the first half after Bruno Fernandes beautifully picked him out, but apart from that one chance, there was nothing of note, and he barely even saw the ball. To be fair to Bernardo, he is yet to find his best form as the City winger was out of action for a while. His lack of match sharpness though was evident on the night, to say the least.

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#3 Hit: Paul Pogba | France

After a mixed bag of a first-half which was more frustrating than flamboyant, Paul Pogba grew into the game and played a pivotal role in France's multiple waves of sustained attacks in the second half. The Manchester United man was given the license to roam, and he played the box-to-box role superbly. He influenced proceedings from the middle of the park and tracked back to help out his defence as well.

Pogba saw an awful lot of the ball, leading France for the number of touches (99) and shots (three) on the night. His surging forward runs, particularly in the second half, were very impressive as Les Bleus piled on the pressure. He contested and won more duels (eight) than any midfielder on the pitch and was a contender for the most influential player during the 90 minutes.

He also registered three tackles and committed more fouls (four) than anyone bar Benjamin Pavard, showing Didier Deschamps that he isn't afraid of doing the dirty work in the middle for his side.

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#2 Flop: Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal

The Selecao legend's faithful might not be accustomed to seeing him listed as a 'flop', but in truth, it never appeared to be Cristiano Ronaldo's night. The Juventus man was largely isolated for a significant chunk of the game and cut a frustrated figure playing off the left while in possession and playing centrally when the Selecao didn't have the ball.

Ronaldo failed to win a single aerial duel he contested for (five), and despite his three shots — the most among any player alongside Pogba — he was unable to trouble Hugo Lloris apart from a comfortable parry for the hosts' captain. The 35-year-old came close to scoring in the dying embers of the first half and was almost through on goal, but a brilliantly-executed last-minute tackle from Lucas Hernandez denied him the goalscoring opportunity.

Deschamps reserved a mention for the Portuguese icon in his post-match thoughts, saying that Ronaldo didn't see too much of the ball. The World Cup-winning coach remarked;

"We can always do better, then there is the quality of the opponent too. They take precautions like us, with respect to the players opposite like Cristiano [Ronaldo], who we didn't see too much tonight."

A glaring miss, albeit from a relatively tight situation, in the second half all but summed up the former Real Madrid great's display on the night. It was an outing to forget for Ronaldo.

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#1 Hit: Presnel Kimpembe | France

There was a feeling that Presnel Kimpembe was a bit of an unsung hero in Paris Saint-Germain's fairytale run to their first-ever UEFA Champions League final. The Frenchman was an absolute titan in defence for Thomas Tuchel's men, and tonight, against Fernando Santos' Portugal, he was nothing short of a defensive colossus.

Kimpembe was outstanding for Deschamps' side and was a crucial component in shutting down a dangerous attack featuring Ronaldo, Joao Felix, and others.

Kimpembe, paired alongside a more adventurous Raphael Varane on the night, was the more conservative of the two and played his role to near perfection. The 25-year-old made a staggering eight (!) clearances, which was just one shy of the remaining Frenchmen combined. He was tidy on the ball completing only over 98% of his passes and won six of the eight duels he contested for, capping off an absolutely magnificent display on the night.

Les Bleus are genuinely blessed to have some of the most incredible central defenders to call upon, but on current form, Kimpembe could very well be their best bet for the left-sided centre-half for the near future. A great contender for the Man of the Match.

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