French misfirings lead to a draw in Lille

By Ed Pham

Even though France had already qualified for the knockout stages, there was still some importance in Matchday 3 for the hosts. On the line was winning the group, as well as momentum heading into the Round of 16 match in Lyon. However, France found themselves at a complete stalemate against Switzerland on Sunday night and had to settle for a draw against their neighbors at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille.

France found plenty of chances, with four shots on target and two hitting the woodwork. Paul Pogba came out firing early with two big chances. The first hit the the top of the woodwork, while his second was parried by impressive Swiss keeper Yann Sommer. West Ham’s Dimitri Payet came in as a sub and found himself primed to get his third goal of the tournament on a volley off a cross from Mamadou Sissoko but was denied by the woodwork.

3 Things that went wrong for France

1. France couldn’t find the back of the net

Despite getting fourteen shots off against the Swiss, they failed to find tally a goal to get them a win for their home fans. Despite being outpossessed 58%-42%, the hosts looked far more dangerous with the ball and finding plenty of opportunities to attack. It was the first time in as many games that they failed to get on the scoresheet, with the last time being November 17th against England (in an emotional game for the team after the Paris attacks). With the attacking talent they had, they should have done much better.

2. Very quiet night from Evra or Gignac

Unlike Matchday 2, Patrice Evra was extremely quiet. Typically one to press forward, he sat back defensively to try to deal with Stephan Lichtsteiner and Xherdan Shaqiri. However, he had his defensive struggles against the two Swiss players at times, where he was just caught watching the Swiss attack in the box. France will need a more consistent performance from the left back if they are to continue in the tournament.

Andre-Pierre Gignac had a relatively quiet night as well. He had the fewest touches of the starting XI, with only 25. He had three shots (one on target) and provided a good outlet for the French team when they needed to clear the threat. However, he didn’t stand out or show he could compete for a starting spot on this French XI with his performance, giving Giroud confidence that he still is France’s target man.

3. Left critics with a lot of firepower to work with

For a team that a lot of pundits had as favorites to win it all, Les Bleus failed to convince its critics that they were the real deal. After having to find last-gasp winners against Romania and Albania, they couldn’t replicate what they did against Switzerland two years ago in the World Cup, when they won 5-2 in Brazil. For a team with such quality and talent, the games should have been more convincing. There’s definitely some doubts as to whether this team can lift the trophy after these “mediocre” results when they face tougher opposition

 

3 Things that went right for France

1. Pogba showed why he’s important to this squad

After a poor performance against Romania and being forced to the bench, Pogba needed to get back on the right foot and have a strong performance for Les Bleus. Their talisman showed why he is so valued for this squad. His defensive work ethic was strong this game, winning four tackles and four clearances. His ability to create on the attack was much needed, as he had two shots on goal, one that hit the woodwork, and had three key passes for the hosts. While there were still some flaws to his game (five dispossessions and a near own goal that he cleared eventually), he showed why he shouldn’t be left out of the starting XI.

2. Cabaye and Sissoko show France’s midfield depth

With Deschamps not risking N’Golo Kante missing the Round of 16 match on yellow card accumulation and Blaise Matuidi looking poor these two games, the French manager looked to his bench to see if he could find a spark. He did with Yohan Cabaye and Sissoko contributing on both ends of the field for Les Bleus. Cabaye’s nine tackles led the team and was instrumental in protecting the back four. Sissoko definitely showed he had a solid engine like Matuidi, covering a lot of ground and providing runs from the midfield to help out on the attack, including what would have been an assist if Payet wasn’t denied by the woodwork.

3. Getting a result and finish first in the group

Despite not being convincing, France met the expectation pundits and analysts had for them at the end of the group stage: Win the group. It’s a step in the right direction. Now they face the third place team from either Group C, D, or E in the Round of 16, which will give them another game to right the ship and build momentum to try to get further into the tournament. Also, keep in mind that they kept another clean sheet and left their opponent without a shot on target again, which is important considering how this backline had to make adjustments on such short notice.

In the end, France didn’t lose, which would have been the worst result for them and did their job by winning the group. There will still be questions for this French squad. With the group stage past them, the hosts can now rest a little easier and focus on who they play against in a week’s time.

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