Gonalons given surprise start versus Spain

Deschamps pulls a minor surprise by inserting the Lyon midfielder Gonalons over TFC midfielder Capoue.

Le 11 de départ français :
Lloris – Evra, Sakho, Koscielny, Debuchy – Gonalons, Matuidi, Cabaye – Ribéry, Benzema, Ménez

Sightly greater pressure than his first cap for Gonalons

The remainder of the starters are not a surprise. It will be interesting to see how the young and inexperienced midfield holds up in Madrid against the Spanish midfield. I fear they might be overwhelmed and overrun. There is increased pressure that will fall on the "veteran" of the midfield - Cabaye - to keep the gaps between the defense and attacking players to a minimum. Otherwise I can envisage the inexperienced players - Gonalons and Matuidi dropping deeper for fear of being caught by the Spanish diagonal runs.

I do not have a good feeling about this game. Unlike a similar situation, when France traveled to Bosnia last qualifiers, where Blanc rolled out a muscled and defensive midfield of Diarra, Diaby and M'Vila, this midfield does not have the same characteristic. And they are facing La Roja not the Bosnians!

Nothing like a baptism by fire. If France can emerge without being embarrassed, this might go a long way to building up some of these players.