Lucas Digne was in action for France on Thursday evening.placeholder image
Lucas Digne was in action for France on Thursday evening. | Getty Images
What French media had to say about the performance of Lucas Digne on Thursday
Lucas Digne started for France on Thursday evening as Les Bleus secured 2026 World Cup qualification in some style with a 4-0 victory over Ukraine at the Parc des Princes.
The 2018 World Cup winners and 2022 runners-up will be on the plane to the USA, Canada and Mexico next summer after a brace from Kylian Mbappe and goals for Michael Olise and Hugo Ekitike secured a comprehensive victory over their group D opponents, who drop below Iceland to third in the group with France remaining top.
Villans left-back Digne has 55 France caps and has seen a regular return to the fold under Emery in recent seasons. He played all 90 minutes during the victory, leaving the likes of Theo Hernandez on the bench, and was given largely positive reviews by French media, who were fairly harsh in terms of ratings on their players in general considering the nature of victory.
How French media rated Lucas Digne’s performance
Le Parisien gave Digne a 6/10 rating, saying of his performance: “As often in the national team, he looked comfortable on the left flank, allowing almost nothing through on the rare Ukrainian attacks. He made a good through pass to Barcola in the first few minutes and was never caught off guard, confirming his reliability.”
While Foot Mercato gave him a 6.5/10: “Competing with Théo Hernandez for the left-back position, the Aston Villa player held his own perfectly. Strong defensively, he was especially involved in the offensive play of the Blues by delivering numerous crosses and sharp passes. An interesting match in terms of commitment and taking initiative.”
90 Min France also gave Digne a 6/10: “His left foot initiated a few of Les Bleus’ attacking moves (5th, 11th minutes), but neither Barcola nor Mbappé could properly control the ball. Rarely troubled defensively, Digne also tried to combine with Bradley Barcola, but their connection was perhaps less fluid than that of the duo on the right side.”
L’Equipe opted to be a little more harsh, rating the 32-year-old a 5/10, though only Mbappe and Olise were given above a 6, as was the case in almost all of the above ratings.
Le Figaro said we can ‘expect more’ from Digne, rating him a 5.5/10: “We have the right to expect more from the Aston Villa player with the ball at his feet, especially in such a one-sided match. A nice [attempted] assist for Mbappé (12th minute), and another good touch to the French captain (58th minute). More effective than Koundé, that's for sure.”
Azerbaijan next for Digne ahead of Villa Premier League return
Digne and France face a trip to Azerbaijan next up on Sunday, in the comfort that their World Cup qualification is already secured. Les Bleus sit top of group D with 13 points from five matches, while their hosts are bottom with just a single point. France won 3-0 the last time the two sides faced each other in September, and Digne will hope to retain his place in the starting XI after a solid performance.
The 32-year-old former Everton man has started 10 Premier League matches for the Villans so far this season, bagging three assists already. Villa face Leeds United next on November 23, before hosting Young Boys in the Europa League and following league clashes against Wolves, Brighton and Arsenal. The January transfer window then lies in wait.
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