Didier Deschamps disappointed with France’s efficiency but happy with chances created

LEIPZIG – France could not find the net without star man Kylian Mbappe on the pitch on June 21, but coach Didier Deschamps said he was still glad his side had opportunities to score.

Les Bleus’

0-0 draw with the Netherlands

at Euro 2024 left Group D wide open, as neither side progressed to the last 16. Both have four points after two games, Austria have three after

beating Poland 3-1.

The Poles have none.

Still, Deschamps was happy with his team’s performance, saying: “My only regret is that we didn’t have enough efficiency.

“We did a lot of things but unfortunately we didn’t manage to find the back of the net. And if we hadn’t found the back of the net, we weren’t going to leave with the three points.

“We wanted to try to repeat the last performance (a 1-0 win over Austria). But I’m happy with what my guys did this time despite the fact that we weren’t as efficient.”

Mbappe remained on the bench with the broken nose he suffered in the Austria game, but Deschamps had no regrets about not bringing him into the action.

“He’s improving, and if it was a decisive game I might have thought twice about whether to play him,” the coach added.

“He took a nasty blow, and he’s going to have to wear a mask. It may change his vision too... So today, I thought the best decision was to keep him on the bench.”

In the absence of Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann took the captain’s armband and also occupied his attacking space.

But he failed to convert a stream of chances, twice getting the ball caught under his feet when right in front of goal.

France enjoyed 58 per cent possession, completed 614 passes to the Netherlands’ 353, and had twice as many goal attempts at 16.

But Deschamps may not worry too much about his team’s profligacy, given their control of large periods and the likelihood of Mbappe’s return.

Whether the forward is rested for the last group game against Poland on June 24 remains to be seen.

With or without Mbappe, Deschamps will want to see an improvement in front of goal for his players.

“To win games, we have to score goals,” he said. “So, again, the only regret I have, regarding the number of chances we saw, is the fact that we didn’t win.”

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman, meanwhile, said the referee made a mistake in ruling out a goal for his side.

A second-half strike from Xavi Simons was chalked off because Denzel Dumfries, standing offside next to France goalkeeper Mike Maignan, was penalised, with the decision eventually confirmed by the VAR (video assistant referee).

“The position of Dumfries is offside, that’s true. But he isn’t disturbing the goalkeeper. It’s a legal goal in my opinion,” Koeman said, but added that the goalless stalemate was a satisfactory outcome for both sides.

“Although I think that the goal should have stood, my takeaway from this is it is a fair result.

“I can accept this, we have four points from two games and played against the big favourites. I’m happy.”

In the other Group D game, coach Ralf Rangnick’s transformation of Austria’s style of play was on full show in their victory over Poland, with the team delivering on the German’s fluid, attacking gegenpressing philosophy.

Although the two teams covered a similar distance (Poland 111.8km and Austria 113.2), the value of those numbers is in the Austrians’ attacking runs as they counter-pressed to win the ball back as quickly.

They had 21 runs into the attacking third compared to Poland’s eight, while Austria’s runs into the penalty area numbered 10 compared to two for the Poles.

Poland striker Krzysztof Piatek levelled Gernot Trauner’s opener, but Christoph Baumgartner and Marko Arnautovic’s second-half goals earned Austria three vital points.

“The first 20 minutes were maybe perfect on our side,” Rangnick said, adding: “In the second half, we totally controlled the match.” REUTERS, AFP