During the international break in March 2025, the French team faced Croatia in the return quarter -finals of the League of Nations twice. First in Split during the first leg, during which the Blues missed everything. Then they had the right to meet the Return to the Stade de France, where everything smiled at the troops of Didier Deschamps. Indeed, after the defeat (2-0) Thursday in Croatia, the Blues managed to win the return match (2-0) to then play their survival in extra time and then in penalties. This is how the Blues won the session (5-4), qualifying for the Final Four of the competition. French goals were scored by Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan played a crucial role in arresting two penalties during the decisive session. France will face Spain in the semi-finals on June 5 in Stuttgart.
At a press conference, after the Blues' victory on Sunday evening, Didier Deschamps did not praise his group, capable of completely overthrowing the double confrontation: “She says a lot. It was hardly audible, but there was everything you needed after the first leg, even if we did not materialize. We switched and made a very, very high level match tonight, facing a very nice Croatian team. The logic would have wanted us to go to the penalties session, but it smiled us again with great quality, in front of 80,000 people, and it was important to take them. We had a big performance with young players, who have less experience, but it will be an important match for them, in their progress». But with such a scathing defeat, a controlled victory, Didier Deschamps clearly has a thousand and one lessons to remember from this international break. And as proof, he made multiple changes in his device and his starting eleven between going to Croatia and returning to France.
Gifted, koné and olise score points
For his first selection for the French team, Désiré Doué showed a promising face during the quarter -final return of the League of Nations against Croatia, at the Stade de France. Coming into play in the 65th minute, the young midfielder at Stade Rennais immediately brought his liveliness and his ability to break the lines by the dribble. In a tense meeting, he did not hesitate to take responsibility, being available and hitting in his shots: “I knew what he was able to do with his club. Above all, that it does not change, on and off the field. He really has everything, he's mature at 19. Everything is well framed, it is not surprising because many young French people arrive early and are in the professional world. There are other young people who have potential. I saw them with hopes against England». His influence was particularly felt in overtime, where he tried several times to make the difference, testing the Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. But it was especially during the penalty shootout that Doué scored the spirits. Despite the pressure, he transformed his penalty with composure, thus contributing to the qualification of the Blues for the Final Four. A convincing first that suggests a bright future in the tricolor jersey.
During the return match, at the Stade de France, Manu Koné was established, and delivered a solid performance, contributing to the mastery of the French midfielder. Its ability to recover the ball and to relaunch properly has been decisive in the Blues system. His performance was welcomed by the observers, strengthening his position within the national team. These recent performances illustrate the rise of Manu Koné in selection, where he asserts himself as a key element of the French midfielder. Aurélien Tchouaméni and formed a complementary double pivot duo, ensuring the balance of the France team. Aligned together to protect the defense and fluidify the recovery, they displayed beautiful versatility. Tchouameni, positioned in sentry, played a key role in recovery and orientation of the game, bringing his defensive rigor and his ability to dictate the tempo. By his side, Koné was distinguished by his volume of play and his faculty to break the lines thanks to his breakthroughs and his quality of dribbling. Its physical impact made it possible to contain the opposing offensives, especially in the second period when the Blues have better controlled the debates. Their agreement was precious in the balance of the collective, and this association could well become a sustainable option for Didier Deschamps in the future.
To stay in the beautiful surprises of the return match at the Stade de France, Michael Olise was one of the major craftsmen of the qualification of the French team. Led 2-0 after the first leg, the Blues had to achieve an exceptional performance to reverse the trend. From the start of the meeting, Olise was undertaking on its right wing, multiplying the breakthroughs and dangerous centers. In the 60th minute, he concretized French domination by scoring a superb free kick, thus reducing the gap. A few minutes later, he delivered a millimeter decisive pass to Ousmane Dembélé, allowing the Blues to equalize on the whole of the two games: “Michael has a lot of qualities. He had more complicated periods until today, but he has progressed a lot in his club. He was sparkling in his register, it is his merit. Sometimes it takes a little time, you have to give confidence, it has put a lot of links with the other three offensive players. His direct free kick, his technical touch, I am happy for him and it suggests other meetings because he will be confident“, Detailed the coach.
Guendouzi collapses, Konaté loses foot, rabiot worries
During the first leg of the League of Nations against Croatia, Mattéo Guendouzi had been established by Didier Deschamps. Unfortunately, his performance was not up to expectations. Positioned at the heart of the midfielder, he struggled to impose his rhythm and dictate the game. His lack of impact allowed the Croats to dominate this key area, putting the French defense in difficulty. In addition, Guendouzi has committed several dangerous ball losses, offering opportunities to opponents. His lack of defensive rigor was also pointed out, leaving usable spaces for Croatian offensives. This underperformance contributed to the defeat of the Blues, compromising their chances of qualification before the return match. “”The midfielder can be more creative in the absolute. But what was mainly lacking was the technical correctness. Starting with our ball outings. After that, who will start on Sunday and how, you know very well that I will not say it. But it is a balance to have, that we did not have in the first leg. We had waste in our outings, in the middle too, and that has an impact for the future. It all also depends on what you mean by creativity».
Let’s always focus on the midfielder. While his beginning of truce had been marked by certain extrasportive problems linked to the speech of his mother-agent Véronique following the banners of the Parc des Princes during the classic, Adrien Rabiot also had a complicated week. With the success of the double Koné-Tchouameni pivot on return, Didier Deschamps could well review his hierarchy in full in the midfield. If the positive cases of this truce have been listed at length, certain domino effects cause questioning in other competitors. For example, Dayot Upamecano has officially put an end to competition with Ibrahima Konaté who will have a lot to do to find his place as a holder. Indeed, the Roc du Bayern recorded 14 clean Sheets during its last 17 tenure in the blue jersey, testifying to its capital importance in the defensive solidity of the Blues. Conversely, his absence seems to weigh heavily on the French defense. Without UpameCano, the Blues did not succeed in any clean Sheet during their last 10 meetings, revealing recurring defensive weaknesses. The Liverpool defender will have to put the double butchers to hope to form the holder of holders in a hinge with William Saliba.
Last called at the defendant: Théo Hernandez. While he is experiencing a disastrous season at AC Milan, the former Real Madrid could not take advantage of this break to put his mind in the place. Indeed, Hernandez had a difficult evening in the blue jersey on Sunday. Aligned as a left side, he struggled to make his traditional offensive contribution, often contained by the Croatian defense. Defensively, some of his interventions have lacked precision, offering opportunities to opponents. Its lack of impact was notable, contrasting with its usual performance. During the penalty shootout, his attempt lacked precision, missing the frame. This error could have cost the Blues dearly, but fortunately, the decisive parades of his Milanese teammate Mike Maignan allowed France to qualify for the Final Four. This halftone performance highlights the need for Hernandez to find his best level in order to fully contribute to the future successes of the national team. In short, these two games have highlighted several positive aspects of the team: an effective attack with the right system, a sometimes feverish, but solid defense overall thanks to a solid hinge, and above all a large collective mentality, ready to take up pressure challenges.
