Griezmann shift opens door for Dembele in Euro clash

On Friday night, France will face Portugal in the Euro quarter-finals. Ousmane Dembele, PSG's attacking midfielder, could regain a starting position.

After their last-minute victory against Belgium (1-0), the French team will take on another European powerhouse, Portugal, in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals. Against Slovenia, Vitinha's teammates had to wait for a penalty shootout to qualify (0-0, 3-0 on penalties).

For this match, Didier Deschamps will have to make changes to his starting eleven. Adrien Rabiot received a yellow card against Belgium and will be suspended for the match against Selecao. According to Le Parisien, the French coach has two options to replace the PSG-trained player.

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Griezmann shift opens door for Dembele in Euro clash

The first option is to have Eduardo Camavinga or Youssouf Fofana replace Adrien Rabiot as a central midfielder in the 4-3-3 formation. The second option is to move Antoine Griezmann to the central position. "Reinstalling him in the heart of the game, in a position similar to the one he occupied during the 2022 World Cup, would allow him to take on more responsibility in the team's playmaking," suggests the Parisian daily.

By moving to the center, the Atletico Madrid player would leave a vacant spot on the right wing of the attack. Ousmane Dembele, a substitute against Belgium, would be a natural candidate for a starting position. His PSG teammate, Randal Kolo Muani, who made a strong impact off the bench against Belgium, also has the qualities to play in the center or on the right, according to Le Parisien.

"A musical chairs scenario could unfold if Didier Deschamps decides to move Kylian Mbappe to face the Ruben Dias-Pepe pair, freeing up the left wing, where Bradley Barcola showcased his skills against Poland. The staff still has three days to solve this puzzle," concludes the Parisian daily.