Didier Deschamps Laments Slackening Off After Iceland Draw
France's World Cup qualification hopes suffered a setback after a 2-2 draw with Iceland. Coach Didier Deschamps expressed disappointment with his team's performance.
“We mustn't concede that second goal. They didn't have any chances; they had two shots on target, that's two goals...”
France coach Didier Deschamps expressed his disappointment after the 2-2 draw against Iceland, stating that his team lacked punch in the first half. Although they dominated in the second half and took the lead, they conceded the equalizer due to a lapse in concentration.
Deschamps highlighted the pivotal moment when France conceded the second goal, saying they probably relaxed too much after taking the lead. This mistake prevented Les Bleus from clinching World Cup qualification on the day and left them with a tougher challenge ahead.
The 2-2 draw means France remains atop Group D with 10 points, three points ahead of Ukraine. However, the team's failure to secure a win means they face a crucial match against Ukraine in Paris next month, which could decide their qualification fate.
“We mustn't concede that second goal. They didn't have any chances; they had two shots on target, that's two goals.
“They did the opposite against Ukraine (a 5-3 defeat on Friday, editor's note) with six (seven) shots on target and five goals conceded. We made a mistake defensively with that second goal,” Deschamps said in his post-match press conference.
“That shouldn't happen to us. Maybe we were still celebrating our second goal. We were high up the pitch, and we were badly positioned,” added the coach after the match.
Deschamps expressed his discontent with the refereeing, claiming the Icelanders' opening goal was illegitimate.
“The first goal isn't valid. I've seen it several times, and it was a foul (by Victor Palsson on Manu Kone, editor's note).
“I'm not going to sum up the match on that, but with zero chances, they were 1-0 up at half-time. But I'm not taking anything away from this Icelandic team, who showed they had quality,” he said.
France coach Didier Deschamps heaped praise on Christopher Nkunku and Jean-Philippe Mateta for their impressive performances, scoring crucial goals in the absence of key forwards. The team was without Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Marcus Thuram, Bradley Barcola, and Désiré Doué due to injuries. Nkunku and Mateta stepped up to make a significant impact, keeping France in contention despite the absences.
Nkunku “had a first half where he was more in charge. He has the ability to get inside and hit the ball.
“He's not in top form, he's had less playing time at Milan, he was injured before, but he's very skilful in front of goal,” Deschamps said about Nkunku.
Deschamps praised Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored on his first start for France at 28, noting that playing out of position in central midfield with bigger names wasn't easy for him.
“He didn't get many balls in the first half. I would have liked to see more crosses because he's an effective player in the box, but to be able to score that goal is a very good thing for him,” he also said of the Crystal Palace striker.
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