Kylian Mbappe watched from the sidelines as France squandered numerous chances in a 0-0 draw against the Netherlands at Euro 2024 on Friday.
The absence of Mbappe, who broke his nose in the victory over Austria last Monday, appeared to weaken France's attack, leading coach Didier Deschamps to acknowledge a lack of “efficiency”.
“My only regret is that we didn't have enough efficiency,” Deschamps said. “We had several good chances but we couldn't find the net. Without goals we can't get wins.”
Mbappé trained on Thursday with a mask, which raised hopes for his participation. However, Deschamps opted for caution and did not want to risk his star player in the second game of the group stage.
“I didn't bluff [in his press conference Thursday about Mbappé’s status]. He is better. Every day that passes is a day gained. “If tonight had been a decisive match, maybe I would have thought about it differently,” Deschamps said.
“But it's important for me to think about how he feels. He took a nasty hit and will have to wear a mask. It may change his vision too, but that's also the risk he'll take.
Antoine Griezmann, who donned the captain's armband in Mbappé's absence and led an attacking trio alongside Ousmane Dembélé and Marcus Thuram, squandered France's best opportunities.
“I had a couple of opportunities that didn't go my way,” Griezmann admitted. “Defensively we were good, but the goals just weren't there. We need to stay calm, the goals will come.”
Real Madrid's Aurélien Tchouaméni stepped up to fill the void left by Mbappé's absence in the lineup. He almost took advantage of the opportunity and almost scored with a well-directed header that went over the crossbar.
“We failed in the final moments, whether it was the last pass or the last shot,” admitted Tchouaméni. “We need to improve to win these games. We created chances, so victory was within our reach. Now we have to focus on rectifying our mistakes. The top priority is qualification and winning the group.”
The tie leaves France and the Netherlands with four points after two games. Poland's previous 3-1 defeat to Austria confirms their elimination, regardless of the result in their final group match against France.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
