France full of confidence, says Valbuena

France winger Mathieu Valbuena said confidence is high after Sunday’s victory over Group E rivals Honduras in Porto Alegre.

A brace from striker Karim Benzema and a Noel Valladares own goal saw Didier Deschamps’ men kick-off their FIFA World Cup campaign with a routine 3-0 win against 10-man Honduras at the Estadio Jose Pinheiro Borba.

The result extended France’s unbeaten streak to six games, while it continued the country’s goal glut, having scored 21 times in their past six international fixtures.

“It went very well,” Valbuena told FIFA.com afterwards.

“You get days like that, when you realise that everything’s going to go your way, that every pass could lead to an opportunity.

“But it was the team performance that made me feel at ease.

“We’ve continued the good run we’ve been on over the past few months, and there’s a positive feeling running through the camp.”

While Benzema stole the show with his goalscoring exploits, Valbuena still received plenty of praise for his performance against the Hondurans.

Valbuena credited coach Deschamps for his return to form after enduring a forgettable campaign with Marseille as they finished sixth in Ligue 1 to miss out on European football.

“That trust that he placed in me, that I managed to earn, shows me that when you do things well you get your just rewards,” the 29-year-old said.

“I know I’ve got important responsibilities within the team now, and that my team-mates trust me. That changes everything. Tough times are a part of life. I probably wouldn’t be where I am today if everything had been easy.