'I am satisfied' - France coach Deschamps not worried despite strange World Cup prep slump

Les Bleus slipped up again in Vienna as their tough month continued

Posted Saturday, June 11, 2022 by Goal.com

France were held to a 1-1 draw against Austria on Friday to go three matches in a row without a win, but manager Didier Deschamps remains unconcerned about their long-term prospects, claiming he is "satisfied" with his group.

Andreas Weimann fired in the decisive goal just 37 minutes into the UEFA Nations League tie at the Ernst Happel Stadion before Kylian Mbappe netted an equaliser late on.

The latest underwhelming result leaves France bottom of the group with just two points from three matches in the current campaign as their World Cup preparations get off to a sloppy start.

What happened in the France-Austria match?

Shortly after Weimann scored for Austria, Mbappe was shown on TV slumped in the dugout, stone-faced.

Others carried more animated expressions as the match unfolded. Kingsley Coman, for example, was visibly distraught after firing a point-blank shot well over the bar in the second half.

Mbappe came on as a substitute to level the score in the 83rd minute, sparing France full blushes, but the result nonetheless was a source of frustration for the talented squad.

How did France react to the result?

Mbappe admitted his side did not get the result they expected and hopes they can put in a stronger performance against Croatia next week.

He told TF1: "We did not win, we didn't take what we wanted before the game.

"We will work to try to win on Monday [against Croatia]."

Asked about his effort that hit the woodwork late on to deny his side a winning goal, Mbappe said: "It's a shame. I tried to fake the goalkeeper, I didn't cross him enough, he has the chance to push it on the bar.

"You should never worry, you should always be proud. I'm not 100% but if the coach needs me, I'll be there. Afterwards, it's the last match before the holidays, we can push a little."

Deschamps remains unconcerned about how his team have fared.

"From what we were able to do, I am satisfied," he told reporters. "The players should have been rewarded by the result. In the match, we have done very good things.

"Austria puts a lot of commitment, intensity. We had total control in the second half. We certainly lacked efficiency, it's a shame compared to what we did in the second half."

What does the draw against Austria mean for France?

France had lost to Denmark and drawn against Croatia in their first two matches of the Nations League heading into Friday's clash in Vienna.

They will hope to get a first win when they host Croatia next week before they complete their Nations League campaign in September with games against Austria and Denmark.

Meanwhile, at the World Cup in Qatar later this year, Deschamps' team will face the Denmark team that bested them last week, as well as Tunisia and either Peru or New Zealand.