Dimitri Payet's Stunning Cameroon Winner Must Not Mask France's Defensive Issues

European Championship hosts France kicked off their preparations for this summer’s tournament on home soil with a 3-2 win over Cameroon at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Monday.

Didier Deschamps’ men ultimately saw off their African opponents thanks to goals from Blaise Matuidi, Olivier Giroud and a spectacular late winner from Dimitri Payet. However, as the final score suggests, it was a close-run thing, and Les Lions Indomptables twice pegged the French back.

There was plenty for Les Bleus to be encouraged by over the course of the 90 minutes. Matuidi’s opener was a fine finish, and former Paris Saint-Germain starlet Kingsley Coman (now on loan with Bayern Munich) created the…