Mixed performance of the French team against Israel and victory against Italy

The France team disappointed in its draw against Israel (0-0) last Thursday, but then won against Italy (3-1) at San Siro this Sunday in the Nations League. This victory allows the team led by Didier Deschamps to regain the lead of its group and thus avoid difficult confrontations in the quarter-final against teams such as Germany, Spain or Portugal.

However, this last performance of the Blues in 2024 did not convince Claude Puel. The former AS Saint-Étienne coach highlighted certain limitations in the French team’s play, saying their performances were partly facilitated by an opponent who allowed the French to highlight their strengths .

Puel’s measured words after the victory

“We observed greater involvement from the players and the fact of scoring quickly reassured them. This allowed them to play to their strengths, whether by adopting a low or mid block, and to defend collectively. We know that this team does not have the players to play in combinations in small spaces, so this tactical balance of power was perfect. However, I don’t want to get carried away either. It was a good match, everyone defended well, it was consistent and serious, but we didn’t have many chances and we scored from three set pieces.”, he told The Team.

Despite his reservations, the Castres coach praised the state of mind displayed by the 2022 world vice-champions: “The exceptional state of mind, the cohesion, the mutual sacrifice. Good work in recovery, good sequences of ball conservation also, at times. After (Mike) Maignan’s last save and the final whistle, we could see a collective reaction, the players were happy. The critics had certainly left their mark on them. »