Azerbaijan's previous visit to France, in September 1995, ended in a record victory for the Blues (10-0). However, Aimé Jacquet let out a resounding shout at the break while his men led 3-0. “Aimé yelled in the locker room and he was right. Our four attackers did not always respect their role well. Against Azerbaijan, it’s okay…”, remembered Didier Deschamps in the columns of
The Team.
Thirty years later, it is very likely that the former midfielder in turn pulled up his players' straps on Friday during their visit to the locker room. At half-time, the French team only led 1-0, saved by a personal exploit from Kylian Mbappé. And according to the French coach, there was a lot to complain about with the Blues' performance.
Didier Deschamps did not like the way
“We got the result we wanted, but in the way we didn't, especially in the first half, he confided. We took too long to circulate the ball, we lacked verticality and speed against such a low block, it was buzzing too much. I can't stop the players from thinking that they will end up making the difference, but we kept repeating the intensity and we didn't put enough. »
“With the starters and the fatigue in the face, we had a lot more opportunities in the second half, it was better. I'm not going to jump for joy. OK, we won, it was expected, but we have to do better in the first half.”he insisted, not hesitating to point out certain players, first and foremost Michael Olise. “It’s not his best match”he whispered in an understatement.
The only good note of the evening was undoubtedly the thunderous entry of Florian Thauvin, back in the French team after six years of drought and scoring two minutes after replacing Kylian Mbappé. “It’s very good for us and for him. Obviously, like all the players he is happy to be there, commented the Basque coach. He always had his technical qualities, his skill in front of goal, and he came in with lots of desire and enthusiasm. I'm happy for him that he was able to score, it's a moment of happiness for him. He was very happy to join us, it shows, he is fulfilled. »
