France: Lucas Da Cunha owns his Italy error and does not start against Belgium

On Friday at the Stade de France, Adrien Rabiot’s short pass found Lucas Da Cunha in the centre of the pitch, back to goal. His first touch was heavy, Alessandro Bastoni nipped in and beat Maignan with the inside of his left foot. 1-1, and the first goal France have conceded under Zinédine Zidane.

A second of missing information

Da Cunha went back over the scene on Téléfoot on Sunday, without an excuse in sight: “I get caught straight away and everything happens too fast, there is no time to do anything. Of course I am disappointed to have lost that ball.” The mechanism is a basic one: when you drop in to offer an option off a short build-up pass, you scan over your shoulder before the ball arrives. Da Cunha came short to help Rabiot without looking; Bastoni read the pass and jumped on the touch. One second, one point gone. Some of the coverage has also questioned Rabiot’s pass. Da Cunha looks for no excuse, and Zidane for no culprit: “When there is a mistake, it is everybody’s fault. I really like this player, he has a lot of personality.”

The starting XI does without him

Zidane had said on Sunday that he would rotate again for the fourth match of this window, and the confirmed teams follow: Da Cunha does not start. In midfield, Manu Koné sits as the holding midfielder with Eduardo Camavinga and Maghnés Akliouche around him; Estéban Lepaul plays between Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé, with Guillaume Restes in goal. Romelu Lukaku leads the Belgium line.

Quarter-final qualification is on tonight

France, on seven points, host Belgium, on six, at the Stade de France tonight, kicking off at 7.45pm UK time. The quarter-final spot is sealed this evening if they win and Italy fail to beat Türkiye in Bologna, at the same time. The market has not moved: 1.57 at Bwin for a France win, the same price as at the opening.

My full preview and prediction are in the France v Belgium prediction. 18+. Only bet what you can afford to lose.