“The team’s performance was very good, but the result is frustrating,” Zidane said after the draw with Italy at the Stade de France. The France coach said he was leaving disappointed by the result, his first setback in charge of the team, while also saying he was proud of his players and their display.
Zidane regretted in particular that his side had not finished the match earlier: in his view, they should have made the difference before the equaliser at 1-1. He also described a first half in which France had the ball but failed to make enough of it.
“We had possession in the first half, but our play was sterile; that is what we tried to correct at half-time,” he explained. To hurt the opposition, he added, his team needed to make better use of the spaces. He said France had organised itself well against a defensive Italy and that the opponents had not put them under much danger.
Zidane’s assessment therefore combined satisfaction with the performance and frustration at the outcome: in his view, the quality of the play was not enough to turn it into a win.
FootballWith none of the targeted Argentine centre-forwards arriving, Flick reportedly installed Raphinha up front. After the opening weeks, his performances and goals have far outstripped Julián Álvarez’s, although any comparison remains hypothetical.
FootballJames Wade and Nathan Aspinall produced notable performances before their World Grand Prix semi-finals. Wayne Mardle and John Part praised the impression Wade made, while Aspinall spoke confidently about his ambitions.
FootballAfter a 1-1 draw with France in Saint-Denis, Italy coach Roberto Mancini said he was pleased with his team’s progress. He considers the overall record from their three Nations League matches positive.
FootballRobert Lewandowski led Poland to their first Nations League victory with a hat-trick against Romania. Reduced to 10 men after Drăgușin was sent off, Romania lost 6-0.
Comments