Jeremy Jacquet delivered a standout performance in just his second cap for France, playing the full 90 minutes of Friday night's 1-1 Nations League draw against Italy at the Stade de France. The Liverpool defender outshone his more experienced centre-back partner, Dayot Upamecano, on the night.
Olise free-kick and Bastoni equaliser
Michael Olise gave France the lead in the 55th minute with a sumptuous free-kick. Italy equalised 13 minutes later through Alessandro Bastoni, and Upamecano's late sending off denied Zinedine Zidane a third win in as many games as manager.
Zidane had selected a blend of the teams from his first two matches in charge. Jacquet retained his place after keeping a clean sheet on his international debut against Belgium on Monday.
Media ratings and praise
The 21-year-old, who joined Liverpool from Stade Rennais in the summer for a significant fee, impressed even more on this occasion. French and Italian media heaped praise on the defender.
L'Equipe, known for its brutal ratings, gave him a solid 7/10, making him their joint highest-rated French player alongside goal-scorer Olise. Get French Football News also awarded him 7/10 and praised his maturity, writing that "Les Bleus could always rely on Jacquet to snuff out the danger," adding: "The Liverpool centre-back looks very much at ease in France's back-line."
Eurosport France deemed his "monstrous" performance worthy of a 7.5/10, lauding his leadership skills, ball-playing ability and front-foot defending. The publication wrote: "It's extremely rare to see a central defender at this level after just two caps. Jacquet played like a true leader, relentlessly pressing the Italians right up to their own penalty area."
Italian outlet joins the acclaim
Maxifoot also handed out a 7.5/10 rating, saying: "What a performance! Already excellent against Belgium, the centre-back displayed impressive composure once again." The outlet highlighted a crucial intervention to deflect Davide Frattesi's dangerous shot just before half-time.
Even Italian publication Corriere dello Sport issued the same sentiment with a 7/10 rating, saying the Reds defender had a "gigantic match."
