Deschamps Urges France to Sharpen Up as Knockout Rounds Offer Fresh Start

Group Stage Struggles and Draw with Poland

France manager Didier Deschamps emphasized the need for his team to be more clinical in front of goal as they head into the Euro 2024 knockout rounds. France ended their group stage campaign with a 1-1 draw against Poland, finishing second in Group D with five points, behind surprise leaders Austria.

France’s Group Stage Performance

France’s journey began with a narrow 1-0 victory over Austria, thanks to an own goal. This was followed by a goalless draw with the Netherlands and Tuesday’s draw against Poland, where Kylian Mbappé scored from the penalty spot. Despite their strong qualifying campaign, Deschamps is concerned about the team’s recent lack of goals.

Deschamps’ Call for Improvement

“We need to score more goals, we need to be more clinical,” Deschamps told reporters. He remains optimistic, viewing the knockout rounds as a new beginning. “We need to hit them where it hurts, but we have always had a goal average that is quite impressive. For these three games, it hasn’t quite been there. But I am positive, I am always positive. It is a new competition starting for us.”

Mbappé’s Return and Goal

Kylian Mbappé marked his return to the French side by scoring his first European Championship goal from the penalty spot after Ousmane Dembele was fouled. Mbappé played wearing a face mask due to a nose injury sustained in the opener against Austria. Deschamps noted that the mask caused some discomfort for Mbappé but praised his determination to play.

Poland’s Equalizer and Defensive Challenges

Poland equalized with a penalty from Robert Lewandowski, which he had to retake after France keeper Mike Maignan was found to have moved off his line during the initial save. Despite having 19 shots, France couldn’t find a way past Poland keeper Lukasz Skorupski, who was named man of the match.

Deschamps Reflects on the Match

“No, I am not disappointed, honestly,” Deschamps said. “Sometimes we weren’t accurate enough. We gave everything we had until the very end. We do have a lot of chances. But it’s not just about us not being accurate enough or getting shots on target. You also need to give credit where credit’s due to the goalkeeper.”