France defeated Portugal 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League and secures a spot in the finals for the very first time on Saturday after a splendid performance to dominate the defending champions.
An unlikely player of the ground popped up to score the only goal of the game and secure major three points for the current World Cup holders on a night when the ground was flooded with numerous stars from both the teams.
The man in question was N’Golo Kante who plays for Chelsea in the midfield and he scored off a rebound ball that came off Rui Patricio’s hands just eight minutes after the half time interval.
France bounced back from a shocking 2-0 home loss against Finland in a friendly game with Kante’s winning goal which marked his second goal for his country. But apart from the winner, it should be put up more as his all-around abilities that made Portugal struggle in the midfield battle.
He was arguably the best French player on the ground besides Paul Pogba as he pinged diagonal balls across the ground, intercepting important tackles and initiating forward runs for his teammates.
The statistics even show how good he is, as he made a total of 89 touches on the ball and won all the aerial duels. He also made all 100% accurate tackles and shone like a bright sun in the midfield area. He is although important for both the club and country and he again proved it in the big match.
The Frenchman will likely feature for Chelsea in the upcoming match against Newcastle United in the Premier League the next Saturday as Frank Lampard looks to continue their impressive form.
