France lost at home to Croatia and will not be able to repeat the title in the League of Nations

The French team, reigning world champion, will not be able to defend the title won in the last League of Nations 2021) after losing 1-0 at the Stade de France to Croatia, for the fourth round of Group A1.

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric scored the only goal of the game from a penalty in the 5th minute, leaving the “Bleus” with 2 points, seven behind group leaders Denmark, who won 2-0 against Austria.

Only the first classified of the four groups of League A (the first category of this recent European competition that comes to replace the traditional friendlies) qualify for the ‘Final 4’ for the title.

The team led by Didier Deschamps will now have to worry about escaping fourth place in the group and, if not, will be relegated to League B of the League of Nations.

Despite the presence in attack of Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé, France added their fourth straight game without winning (two draws in Croatia and Austria and two home losses) and face the holidays immersed in doubt five months before the World Cup in Qatar .

This first defeat in the history of the ‘Bleus’ against the ‘Cuadriculada’, current second in the world, puts France at serious risk of being relegated from the League of Nations, which would mean that they would lose their maximum series status in the qualifying phase for Eurocopa-2024.

“All my congratulations to my players. It is the first time that Croatia have won against France in 10 games, we are very happy,” celebrated Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic.

His French counterpart Didier Deschamps attributed the latest negative results to his team’s fatigue. “This month of June was very difficult and very complicated. We didn’t have enough energy and strength against teams that had more than us.”

“There are players with more freshness than others, of course there are always lessons to be learned when they have results like ours,” he added.

In the last game of the season, Deschamps decided to give his two stars, Mbappé and Benzema, one last chance to shine, even though the former was not at 100% and the latter had just started in Austria.

The 90 minutes of the madridista’s match in Vienna on Friday stood out three days later in Saint-Denis: the favorite for the Ballon d’Or was far from his level, to the point that it was necessary to wait for minute 54 to see him. create some danger in the Croatian area.

So it was inevitable that the hosts’ offensive game would turn to Mbappé, who returned to the starting eleven after physical problems in his left knee.

‘Kyky’ went close to the goal on several occasions (7, 55, 61), but systematically clashed with goalkeeper Ivica Ivusic, to the chagrin of the 77,400 spectators who gave the Stade de France atmosphere, and who passed by. initial effervescence starting with concern for the performance of the world champion.

Denmark returned to victory

Denmark reunited with a 2-0 win in a convincing performance against Austria, their favorite victim, which they dismissed in an extraordinary first half, and established their unexpected group leadership.

With two games to go, the Danes are first with nine points, against Croatia’s seven, with Austria with four and the remote options and France, the favorite, already eliminated.

Austria had never won in Copenhagen and had lost their last four games against Red Dynamite, the last ten days ago in Vienna (1-2), in a match in which they deserved more.

No sign of Rangnick’s energetic team was seen at Parken. The Austrians – without Alaba, injured, although sitting on the bench – were clumsy in getting the ball out and suffered a great comeback against an opponent who also had several victims due to physical problems and reserved Eriksen from the beginning.

Denmark, which got off to a brilliant start with wins in Paris and Vienna, had just lost at home to Croatia in a somewhat drab match.

Hjulmand has decided to return to the line of the three center backs, the scheme that has given him more entries and which gives more freedom to his lanes, especially Mæhle.

The Danes begin to accumulate chances: a header from Cornelius, another left by him near the post, Jensen’s shot from distance or a frank header from Mæhle who could have passed to Wind, only with the goalkeeper beaten.

The Atalanta winger redeemed himself two minutes later with a fabulous run and back pass from the Wolfsburg striker, who opened the scoring on the pitch for his former team, Copenhagen.

The game has calmed down a bit. Austria had more ball but it was harmless.

Until the trio of local forwards pulled off a big game up their sleeve. Cornelius opens for Wind, who leaves only Skov Olsen in front of the goalkeeper, author of the 2-0 with a beautiful definition, closing an excellent Danish first half.

With the intermission carousel, half a dozen in all, the game loses pace. The possession was more equal, but it was still Denmark that combined with more common sense and threatened, even without specifying in real danger.

In an isolated game, Laimer steals Jensen’s bag and leaves Kalajdzic in front of the door, which sends her into the clouds. Austria seems to be reborn a bit and Rangnick changes attacking pairs with Gregoritsch and Arnautovic. But it was Denmark who woke up, with two shots deflected almost in a row by Billing and Wind, the best of their team tonight.

Højbjerg, another of today’s highlights, took third place in a run down the right flank, but with little angle. And, shortly after, Stryger Larsen. Or Eriksen in a shot on the post.

Denmark, still in the cloud that brought them to the European Championship semi-finals a year ago, will play the standings in September against Croatia in Zagreb, a result that no one would have bet on ten days ago.

all results

Kazakhstan 2 – 1 Slovakia
Azerbaijan 2- 0 Belarus
Denmark 2 – 0 Austria
France 0 – 1 Croatia
Israel 2 – 2 Iceland

With information from agencies