The French national team “lacked energy, freshness” against Spain, who won 2-1 in the first semi-final of Euro 2024 in Munich, regretted French coach Didier Deschamps, speaking to beIN Sports.
Spain, after conceding the opening goal to Kolo Muani (9th minute), equalized through prodigy Lamine Yamal with a splendid strike (21st minute), then took the lead five minutes later with Dani Olmo’s shot deflected by Jules Koundé.
Didier Deschamps acknowledged Spain’s technical superiority, which made it challenging for his players:
“We knew very well they press high and quickly after losing the ball.”
Facing the opponent’s solidity, he lamented, “We didn’t direct the play forward well,” before discussing Kylian Mbappé’s late chance: “It was a good opportunity (to equalize) for us. We faced a strong Spanish team. (…) Obviously, there are things we could have done better against an opponent with good control and speed upfront.”
“We had to manage several players in difficult situations. Against a team of this quality, it’s tough, even though we competed well,” he continued.
Regarding criticisms of France’s playing style:
“We defended very well, but we didn’t have all the offensive weapons. We had to adapt (…) We aimed to be competitive, but naturally faced limitations,” responded the coach.
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