World champion France risks losing the European Nations League title when it hosts second-placed Croatia in the fourth round of the first-tier Group A competition at the Stade de France in Paris on Monday.
France are in last fourth place in the group with two points from two draws with their hosts Austria and Croatia with a 1-1 result and a 1-2 loss to guest Denmark in the first round.
Indeed, France will be at the center of defending their chances of remaining in the first tier, because whoever is in last place is promoted to the second tier.
Tomorrow, the French team will try to restore the balance and finish the season with a victory over Croatia in Saint-Denis to dispel the fears and doubts that arose five months before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Fatigue, injuries, the need to push young players, and misfortune played a major role in the Roosters’ disappointing results.
“We are still alive, but now we need to win the next three matches,” said captain Hugo Lloris, Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper.
“If we want to stay at the top of the global pyramid, we need to be more solid,” he added.
France coach Didier Deschamps wishes him the recovery of his Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe after a knee injury that prevented him from taking part in the second round match against Croatia last Monday and put him on the bench in the match against Austria on Friday before than to enter and score the equalizer.
“Even if he’s still feeling (pain in his left knee), which isn’t ideal, he’s far less upset than he was at the start of the week when he couldn’t train,” Deschamps said Sunday in a statement to TF1.
“We are doing everything to make it ready tomorrow (Monday),” he added.
There are also doubts about the involvement of Real Madrid captain and top scorer Karim Benzema, who is likely to be replaced by Leipzig’s German winger Christopher Nkunku.
Deschamps will also have to make a decision on Atlético Madrid’s Spanish striker Antoine Griezmann, who is out of shape. Benzema defended him, saying, “It’s just a little (lack of success). All great players suffer from this, he will definitely return. He will score at one point or another.”
– Denmark strengthens its lead –
On the other hand, Croatia are approaching the match in high spirits after their precious 1-0 victory over hosts Denmark on Friday, as they got rid of last place to raise their tally to four points, with goal difference behind second Austria. .
Croatia will also play a match thrilled by their precious 1-1 draw with France last Monday thanks to a goal from German substitute striker Andrej Kramarić (83 from the penalty spot) after France took the lead, who played the match in the absence of 10 key players led by Mbappe, Benzema, Griezmann and Ngolo Kante.
Kramarić ended Croatia’s streak of three defeats to France after losing 2-4 to Petukh in the 2018 World Cup final in Moscow, and with the same result during the European Nations clash between the two teams. Liga 2020 at the Stade de France before losing again. Houses 1-2.
In the second leg, Denmark aims to beat Austria, consolidate their group lead and move closer to the semi-finals.
Denmark got off to a strong start to their career in the third edition of the competition when they beat host France 2-1, and scored a second consecutive out-of-rules victory at the expense of Austria with the same result, before losing 0-1 at home to Croatia.
Denmark will try to capitalize on the shaky morale of the Austrian players, who, after a big win over host Croatia with three clean sheets, fell 2-1 to Denmark in the second round before succumbing to a victory over France in the third. round (1-1).
Source: El Iktisad