France wants to return to the World Cup final, but to do so, it must beat the European champions. Coach Didier Deschamps is confident, but also cautious.
These days, you see a lot of relaxed faces when French players or officials talk about the ongoing World Cup. And they have every reason to be confident, given the dominance that Kylian Mbappé and company are currently displaying on the field.
Next up, European champions Spain will try to stop the World Cup runners-up in the semifinals. Incidentally, that’s a feat that, over the past 64 years, only the German national team has managed to pull off at a World Cup. In 1982, 1986, and 2014, their runs were ended by the German national team; otherwise, Les Bleus either fell in the group stage or in the final.
Coach Didier Deschamps will be only marginally concerned about the worries of others; instead, he can take pleasure in his fluid offense and solid defense. France has yet to concede a single goal in the knockout stage, while scoring six of its own.
Deschamps—likely thanks in part to Luis Enrique’s influence in Paris—has managed to get his versatile players to work together defensively as well, which frustrates opponents and energizes the French. Nevertheless, the World Cup-winning coach does not want to elevate the French to the status of favorites; on the contrary: “Spain is the favorite,” Deschamps explained on Monday afternoon in a completely packed press room at Dallas Stadium. And he smiled, at least. “I don’t want to put the pressure on Luis and his team, but they are the favorites. They can defend and attack very well.”
Which, in turn, applies exactly to his own team. “Given the qualities of both teams, it could be spectacular,” Deschamps believes. Spain thrives on possession, while France excels at aggressive ball recovery. Spain has Lamine Yamal; France has Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, Mbappé, Michael Olise, and Desiré Doué.
“We know our opponent’s strengths,” Deschamps assures. “We have many solutions for potential problems.” In one-on-one situations, an exceptional player like Lamine Yamal is certainly difficult to defend against, but just imagine the headache Deschamps’ counterpart, Luis de la Fuente, must be facing. “We feel good,” explains the French coach. “We’re ready.”
Mbappé and Tchouameni are fit
Ready for the next World Cup final and a rematch for the recent semifinal losses at the European Championship and in the Nations League. “The past is the past,” says Deschamps, with his sights set solely on the present.
Aurelien Tchouameni is back to 100 percent after overcoming adductor issues and could push Manu Koné out of the starting lineup; as is usually the case before every game, the wing position remains up for grabs, with Bradley Barcola and Doué in a neck-and-neck race. Mbappé, who was substituted against Morocco while still nursing an injury, is fit and ready to go—just like Deschamps and the French team.
