For its return after a disappointing Euro, the French team did not reassure at all about its condition by conceding a very worrying defeat in the Nations League against Italy (3-1) which plunged it into a deep doldrums, Friday at the Parc des Princes.
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We expected a reaction from the Blues, two months after a European Championship marked by offensive failure and soporific play. But Didier Deschamps’ troops failed in a big way, unable to get the game going and losing heavily at home against a Nazionale who were in full crisis before arriving in Paris.
The reunion with the French public was supposed to rekindle a flame that had been extinguished in Germany between June and July. But the vice-world champions managed the enormous feat of offering an even sadder spectacle than at the Euro.
The fastest goal in the history of the national team, scored after 13 seconds by Bradley Barcola, could have suggested a completely different scenario. While the Tricolores had to wait until the semi-finals of the continental tournament to score in open play, this time they managed to do so from the kick-off, the Parisian striker having deceived his teammate at PSG Gianluigi Donnarumma after having stolen the ball from the feet of Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
But this supersonic opening goal, Barcola’s first goal in his sixth appearance for the French team, was a deception. The Blues quickly fell back into their Euro ways before being punished by a magnificent volley from Federico Dimarco, following a fine relay with Sandro Tonali (30th), then by a volley from Davide Frattesi (51st) before the final thrust scored by Giacomo Raspadori (73rd).
Deschamps with his back to the wall
The French team is therefore more than ever in trouble and remains handicapped by the same problems as in Germany: a sluggish offensive animation and a glaring lack of collective control. For its coach, under fire from critics since the Euro and unable to find solutions to revive his men, it would be good to put the house in order as soon as possible, if possible on Monday against Belgium in Lyon, otherwise the next few weeks will be under very high pressure.
Part of the Parc did not hesitate to chant “Zizou, Zizou”, seeming to call for help from the legend Zinédine Zidane.
Deschamps wanted to use the Nations League to “oxygenate” his team. Barcola and novice Michael Olise were thus tasked with embodying this freshness and bringing in new blood. While the former confirmed his sparkling start to the season with PSG on the left side, the latter struggled on the right side after a promising start to the match.
For the two technical leaders Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, the ordeal experienced at the Euro also continued at the Parc des Princes. The captain, who was returning to the PSG lair for the first time since his departure to Real Madrid, was once again a shadow of himself and was almost never dangerous, except for an attempt at the start of the match (7th).
As for “Grizou”, a historic player who was downgraded during the European Championship, he did not really manage to get his head above water and did not really have an impact on his team’s game.
Even the defense, the only satisfaction of the Euro, was completely overwhelmed on the three Italian goals.
The problem affecting the French team therefore seems very deep and Deschamps, now with his back to the wall, is for the moment running out of ammunition to get it back in the saddle.