Jeremy Jacquet Has a Night to Forget as France Fall 3-1 to Italy
France lost 3-1 to Italy in Milan in the Nations League, and Liverpool pair Jeremy Jacquet and Bradley Barcola both started. It was Zinedine Zidane's
France lost 3-1 to Italy in Milan in the Nations League, and Liverpool pair Jeremy Jacquet and Bradley Barcola both started. It was Zinedine Zidane's first defeat as France coach. Neither player had the night he would have wanted.
Michael Olise gave France an early lead. Italy came back, with Pio Esposito scoring twice, and moved to the top of the group.
French verdict on the Liverpool pair
The French reaction was harsh on many of the team. Jacquet and Barcola escaped some of the heavier criticism, though neither was spared a difficult evening.
Jacquet, 21, was still ranked the best-rated French defender by one French outlet in its post-match marks. That sits oddly beside the wider picture of a poor night for the back line and the team as a whole.
A first rough patch for Jacquet
The France defeat followed another testing night for Jacquet a few days earlier. In Liverpool's 3-2 Champions League loss at Fenerbahce in Istanbul, Romelu Lukaku troubled him for much of the game.
Jacquet turned his back to deflect a Mason Greenwood free-kick into the net for Fenerbahce's opener, which angered goalkeeper Alisson Becker. He was also among the defenders who struggled for the winning goal.
Until then, his Liverpool career had been smooth. Many supporters had called him the signing of the summer and a natural successor to Virgil van Dijk.
A comeback from injury
Liverpool paid £60 million for the defender. Days after he passed his medical, he left the field with a shoulder injury while playing for Rennes in a 3-1 defeat to Lens.
Rennes manager Habib Beye called the injury "serious". Surgery ended Jacquet's season before the summer move, and he has been rebuilding his fitness since.
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola kept him on the pitch through a physical second half against Ipswich Town in a 2-0 win, rather than protecting him with a substitution. That was Liverpool's first Premier League win of the season. Jacquet had lasted 69 minutes against Newcastle United and 76 against Nottingham Forest.
What comes next
France still hold a strong position in their Nations League group. They need only a point at home against Turkiye on Sunday to reach the quarter-finals.
At club level, Iraola is expected to field Jacquet alongside Van Dijk in central defense for Liverpool's trip to Crystal Palace. Barcola was also part of the squad in Istanbul.
