Five talking points from France 4-0 Netherlands

Kylian Mbappe scored a brace in his first game as France captain as Les Bleus dismantled the Netherlands 4-0 in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier.

The first three goals came inside 21 minutes, started by Antoine Griezmann and shortly followed by Dayot Upamecano. 

Mbappe scored the hosts' third and fourth to complete a perfect night for Didier Deschamps's side. 

The result means Ronald Koeman starts his second stint in charge of the Oranje with a humbling defeat at the Stade de France.

Here are five key talking points from a one-sided encounter in Paris.

Captain Mbappe leads the way

Mbappe was confirmed as the new permanent captain of France this week, succeeding Hugo Lloris after the goalkeeper announced his retirement from international football. 

The 24-year-old's maiden match with the armband could not have gone any better and his first goal of two stemmed from a characteristic burst of movement in the 21st minute.

He sprinted past the last line of the Dutch defence, receiving an excellent through ball from Aurelien Tchouameni and slotted past Jasper Cillessen with ease. 

His second goal of the night came with only two minutes to play but was equally as impressive — he danced, teased and feinted through the visitors' defence before eventually firing his shot into the bottom left-hand corner. 

The Paris Saint-Germain forward will hope to captain his country to a major trophy and based on this performance they will be favourites to lift the European Championship in Germany next year. 

Griezmann class 

Griezmann has been a regular in the France squad for many years now and he proved tonight that he remains a key part of this team moving forward. 

France's blistering start was mainly due to the 32-year-old — his brilliant first-time finish from a Mbappe cut-back within two minutes set the tone for the evening.  

Only six minutes later, he showed off his wide skillset, turning provider from a free-kick.

He whipped in an inviting ball which was parried by Cillessen but then came straight off Upamecano to double Les Bleus' advantage. 

If he can continue this level of output, the Atletico Madrid playmaker will remain a pivotal figure for France despite his age. 

Bad start for Koeman 

Koeman stated in the week that managing the Netherlands will be easier second time around. 

Despite his first game being a very hard challenge, the former Everton and Barcelona boss will have been furious with how his side collapsed in the first half. 

They did have the majority of the possession but failed to create anything of note whereas France were incredibly sharp in the final third. 

Koeman will want to quickly improve in this qualifying campaign and there is an excellent chance to do that in their next fixture against Gibraltar on Monday.

Tchouameni stakes his claim 

France have plenty of talent in central midfield as Adrien Rabiot, Eduardo Camavinga, Youssouf Fofana and Jordan Veretout are all viable options for the role. 

However, Tchouameni is the one currently shining brightest in this position for Deschamps's side. 

The Real Madrid star was excellent in the World Cup, even scoring a vital long-range goal against England in the quarter-finals. 

He continued this form against the Netherlands with a beautifully-weighted assist to Mbappe that split the entire Oranje defence apart. 

The 23-year-old was also excellent off the ball, shutting out any potential attacks and making sure the Dutch did not progress into dangerous areas.

Maignan era begins 

Lloris has been France's main goalkeeper since his debut in 2008 but it is now time for the mantle to be passed on. 

Deschamps confirmed in a press conference this week that Mike Maignan will be the new No1.

It was a perfect start for the AC Milan stopper as he did not face a lot of action but was calm and composed when any potential danger came his way. 

In the dying moments of the game, he ensured a clean sheet by saving a Memphis Depay penalty, capping a very impressive start to his new role in the France setup.