Deschamps: We Made Fatal Mistakes, and We Will Fight in the Return Leg
Friday 21-03-2025
Didier Deschamps, the head coach of the French national team, admitted that his team was not at its best during the 2-0 defeat against Croatia on Thursday evening in the first leg of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals. Despite the negative result, Deschamps confirmed that the French team would do their utmost to make up for the deficit in the return leg on Sunday.

Deschamps said: "We started the match with good intentions, but we made a lot of technical mistakes and inaccurate passes. We did not direct the play well, and when you give a team like Croatia such opportunities, you pay a heavy price."

He added: "I was not pleased with the team's performance in the first half, and if it weren't for Mike Maignan's save from the penalty, the score would have been worse. We improved in the second half and had more control, but we lacked offensive effectiveness."

He continued: "The players gave everything they had, but we were a bit slow, and some of them lost their balance on the field. The opponent has great quality and exploited our mistakes, which made us suffer."

He went on: "Perhaps I could have made additional changes at halftime, but even with the limited adjustments, we were better in the second half."

When asked about the possibility of overturning the result in the return leg, he said: "Of course, that is what we will work on. We previously achieved a historic comeback against Ukraine in 2013, and we will fight to do it again. We lost the first leg, but we will give everything we have to win the second leg and qualify."

Regarding the expected changes in the return leg, he said: "Right now, I am not thinking about it. We first need to assess the players' condition after recovery, then we will decide on the appropriate lineup. Even with the substitution of Konaté for Upamecano in the second half, we performed better, which gives us some confidence."

About Dembélé and Mbappé, he said: "We moved Dembélé to the right side in the second half because he felt more comfortable there. He has always played in this area with us, even if the playing style was slightly different."

He added: "As for Mbappé, he looked very lively and was in very good physical condition. I have no doubts about his commitment or physical readiness."

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