France is set to clash with Norway in Boston on Friday, competing for the top spot in Group I. However, Erling Haaland seems to believe the outcome is already determined. “Honestly I don’t care that much” he stated to Fox in the US. “They’re probably going to win against us. They’re probably going to win the whole tournament.”
While Haaland may have intended to play psychological games, Didier Deschamps refrains from engaging in such tactics. Yet, he expressed contentment with France’s straightforward victory over Iraq, which came despite challenging weather conditions. Kylian Mbappé scored twice, while Michael Olise contributed two assists, and Ousmane Dembélé finally made his mark, netting his first goal in a tournament after 20 attempts.
Dembélé scored in the second half by finding space in the box to convert an assist from Olise with a precise shot past Iraq’s goalkeeper, Ahmed Basil. Earlier, he had already showcased his skills by assisting Mbappé after capitalizing on a defensive error from Iraq. This performance brought relief to Deschamps, alleviating recent media scrutiny regarding Dembélé’s role within the team.
“There is no issue with Ousmane, he has had to readapt to a system he doesn’t play all year,” Deschamps stated after the match. “As long as Ousmane is well physically, it’s just fine-tuning. I trust in Ousmane, he knows that, and doing what he did today was important. He’s a decisive player, so is Kylian, but Ousmane has that capacity.”
Following his repositioning from the No 10 role in the second half against Senegal, Dembélé remained on the right side of France’s potent attacking quartet throughout the Iraq game. He effectively maintained width, achieving 67 touches, creating three chances, making four passes in the final third, and recovering the ball three times. In most of these metrics, except for recoveries, his performance was on par with Olise and superior to that of Bradley Barcola on the left flank.
“I think he played a very good match,” remarked Jules Koundé, who is tasked with forming a partnership with Dembélé on the right. “He’s someone who is naturally confident. I’m just happy for him that he was able to score that first goal and overall be decisive. But it’s above all a collective performance. I know [the media have] focused a lot on Ousmane these last few days, but on our side, as Kylian said, there’s no problem. On the contrary, I think Ousmane was very calm.”
Les Bleus were unfazed by the two-hour suspension of play due to thunderstorms in Philadelphia on Monday. They have consistently created attacking opportunities at will, amassing nine significant chances in their initial two games. Despite the claims from Iraq’s head coach, Graham Arnold, that France lacked effectiveness in pressing, they have regained possession 47 times in the opponent’s defensive third, ranking second in the tournament, just two behind Spain.
In the match against Iraq, Deschamps effectively rotated players, including Barcola, Manu Koné, and Lucas Digne, with Koné making a strong impression while filling in for Aurélien Tchouaméni. Furthermore, there appears to be a sense of unity within the camp, contrasting with past discord, making it difficult to envision a more favorable campaign for the two-time world champions.
Nonetheless, there are areas of concern. The victory in Philadelphia marked France’s first clean sheet in seven games, yet Iraq had their opportunities. They narrowly missed scoring when Ali al-Hamadi’s effort almost beat Mike Maignan in the second half, accumulating a total of 0.63 xG. France not only commits their impressive attacking four to every offensive play but also positions their full-backs high, leaving gaps for opponents to exploit.
The upcoming match against Norway will provide deeper insights into how serious these vulnerabilities might be. It’s also plausible that any flaws within the French squad stem from their dominance; maintaining focus can be challenging when they control much of the game. This dichotomy has previously hindered Deschamps’ teams, particularly evident in their knockout defeat to Switzerland at Euro 2020.
While the French attack appears to be firing on all cylinders, questions about the defense linger. The psychological struggle remains an ongoing challenge.
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