Concerns for Deschamps and France After Second Straight Friendly Loss in Albania

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 13, 2015

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France suffered their second consecutive friendly defeat with an embarrassing 1-0 loss to Albania in Elbasan. PAOK FC midfielder Ergys Kace’s perfectly struck free-kick in the 43rd minute ultimately separated the two sides, but it did not flatter the hosts at the Elbasan Arena.



The defeat itself to the south-eastern Europeans is not what was embarrassing.

Gianni De Biasi’s men are becoming a tougher side to beat; shocking Portugal in their opening 2016 UEFA European Championship qualifier with a 1-0 win in Aveiro last September before drawing 1-1 with France in Rennes two months later.



However, the manner of the loss will have disappointed Les Bleus’ coach Didier Deschamps.

Like against Belgium, there was zero creativity and the defence looked wobbly, while the midfield as well as the attack were virtually anonymous.

End-of-season friendlies are always difficult for the players with little or nothing riding on the games, but the French should know that they only have these friendlies with which to prepare for Euro 2016 on home soil next summer and must attach greater importance to them over the next 12 months.



Both the Belgium and Albania defeats pose Deschamps questions, but at least the 4-3 loss to the Belgians saw France score three times. Over 90 minutes in Elbasan, Les Bleus were lucky to register that many shots on target.



Of all the negatives to take from the limp performance served up in Albania, the most pressing concern for the 46-year-old will be the lack of creativity from his team.

The only player on the pitch who looked capable of sparking any sort of offensive threat for France was substitute Mathieu Valbuena. The Dynamo Moscow playmaker was responsible for two of Les Tricolores’ three efforts on target and—like in the Belgium defeat—seemed to be the only one trying...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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