Jeremy Jacquet was praised for his France performance after helping his side earn a 1-1 draw against Italy, with national team manager Zinedine Zidane describing the Liverpool defender as “very, very good”.
The 21-year-old made his name as a promising young player at Rennes before moving to Liverpool. However, he arrived at Anfield injured, which may have tempered expectations about his involvement during the campaign.
Jacquet now appears to be returning to his best form. His display for France earned particular recognition from Zidane, who highlighted the defender’s courage and effectiveness in the contest.
“Very good. Very, very good. Brave. He wasn’t afraid to come out a long way. Very good in the duels. He was, once again, very good. I said it four times,” Zidane said.
Jeremy Jacquet’s performance for France against Italy
Jacquet completed 100% of his passes and won all of his tackles against Italy, according to the match statistics cited in the report.
He also made two clearances and two interceptions as France produced a strong defensive display in a closely fought match. The 1-1 scoreline reflected a contest that could have gone either way.
French newspaper L’Equipe described Jacquet’s performance as “dazzling”, adding to the acclaim for the young defender’s contribution.
Liverpool will hope he can carry that form into club football. The Reds brought in Ronald Araujo on loan, but were still considered to lack defensive depth after Ibrahima Konate’s departure during the summer.
Jacquet’s performance could therefore lead to a more important role than many expected at this stage of his career, particularly if he can reproduce the bravery and defensive authority he showed for France.
