Entering Euro 2016, France was renowned for their talent up front and in midfield. Yet, as stacked as many considered the host nation to be, there were massive doubts about their defensive talents, especially fullbacks Patrice Evra and Bacary Sagna.
France’s fullbacks have gone from liabilities to leaders at Euro 2016
Once thought of as the weak points of the France team, fullbacks Patrice Evra and Bacary Sagna have stepped up to become important fixtures.
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Their critics had their points — after multiple French defenders were injured before the tournament began, the defense Didier Deschamps had was weaker than expected. Despite both playing frequently for their club teams over the last season, at Juventus and Manchester City, respectively, neither Evra and Sagna really excelled. In fact, the two have looked like lesser versions of their former selves as they've climbed up in age; Evra turned 35 before the tournament started, and Sagna is 33. But despite that, Evra and Sagna have gone from weak links in a team capable of lifting the championship to being crucial parts as they enter the final against Portugal.
The tournament did not start off without a hitch, especially for Evra. After taking a 1-0 lead in the second half of their opener against Romania, Evra unnecessarily kicked Nicuşor Stanciu in the box and conceded a penalty, which Bogdan Stancu scored. Evra was below average all night, looking susceptible to getting beaten down the wing and losing his man on a first half set piece. Sagna, for his part, fared better than his counterpart on the left, making nine clearances in the process and winning eight duels to stifle the active Romanians. Yet, as France won 2-1 in the end and many discussed Les Bleus' potential to win the tournament, they established it would have to be in spite of the defense, not aided by the defense. However, that performance started to look like an anomaly as the competition went on.
In their second match against Albania, Evra was perhaps the best player on the field on a day the French notched their first clean sheet of the tournament. He took his ineffective performance against Romania and switched it for a dominant one, making four clearances and two interceptions, while also setting up shooting opportunities with two key passes. Sagna did his job on the right side of defense, making two clearances, two tackles, and winning five out of five of his duels. He managed a strong performance in attack, also, having one key pass and boasting a 92 percent passing accuracy. France won again, and though many criticized France for only scoring their goals in stoppage time, concerns were not with the defense this time.
As the tournament continued for the French, they managed to concede only three more goals in their run to the final of Euro 2016, one from Ireland after Paul Pogba conceded a penalty, and two from Iceland, who scored only after the French established multi-goal leads in the quarterfinals. The fullbacks remained strong in that time, with the two of them having standout performances against Ireland in the Round of 16. Evra made eight clearances and won seven of his nine tackles, while Sagna recorded the assist to Griezmann’s first goal, starting the comeback that would allow France to advance to the next round. In their last test before the final, against 2014 World Cup winners Germany, the two stood out as they shut out Julian Draxler, Thomas Müller and Mesut Özil.
As France look to claim their second European title on home turf, Evra and Sagna have proved their worth after being considered the biggest hindrance to the ultimate success of their team. Managing strong performances against opponents that ranged from tournament newcomers Albania to reigning world champions Germany, they’ve proved they are as strong as their teammates that steal the headlines. Evra has managed to take his success at Euro 2016 one step further, taking on a parental role and unifying his teammates six years after being stripped of the captain’s armband. As France take to the field against a Portugal team that have been successful defensively during the tournament, the French can take pride in the fact that they too can match their opponents in a position that was once considered an obstacle in their title chances.
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