Arsenal’s Saliba faced heavy criticism following his performance for France against Germany in a recent friendly match, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for Les Bleus at Signal Iduna Park.
Germany was in search of a turnaround after relieving Hansi Flick of his managerial duties due to a 4-1 loss to Japan, and they got off to a strong start with an early goal from Thomas Muller within the first five minutes. Leroy Sane further extended Germany’s lead in the 87th minute, making it a challenging night for the French side. France did manage to pull one back through Antoine Griezmann, who scored from the penalty spot.
However, the spotlight was on Saliba, who struggled in his role as a left-center-back. The French media did not hold back in their criticism. Get Football France News rated his performance a mere three out of 10, describing him as sloppy and out of position, especially in the early stages of the game. They noted that he should have been closer to Müller during Germany’s opening goal but also pointed out that France’s overall defensive shortcomings contributed to Germany’s early dominance.
Maxi Foot was even harsher in their assessment, giving Saliba a 2.5 out of 10. They criticized his positioning, stating that he was too far from Müller during the opening goal, allowing the German player time to control and take a shot. They highlighted instances where Saliba lacked composure, including a dangerous lost ball in the first half. Additionally, Saliba was caught out by Leroy Sane’s acceleration, leading to Germany’s second goal.
Saliba typically plays on the right-hand side of Arsenal’s central defense, and his discomfort on the opposite side was evident in this match. Despite being considered a future mainstay in France’s defense, his performance in the absence of Raphael Varane did not strengthen his case for a place in the starting lineup for the upcoming Euros.
