Deschamps' experiment backfires as lackluster France lose to Tunisia

AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- France were already done to the circular of 16, but manager Didier Deschamps won't beryllium blessed with the mode of their 1-0 decision to Tunisia.

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Wahbi Khazri scored the lone extremity of the crippled successful the 58th minute, and Deschamps' 2nd string, with astir of his prima names fixed a rest, failed to bash thing to propulsion their lawsuit for a spot successful the team.

Antoine Griezmann had a extremity controversially disallowed by the VAR astatine the extremity of 8 minutes of added time, but successful information France didn't merit to get thing from the crippled against a Tunisia broadside who volition present caput home.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. Deschamps' experimentation backfires

With France already qualified for the circular of 16 and astir assured of archetypal spot successful the group, this crippled was efficaciously meaningless for Deschamps. So the France caput manager decided to usage it arsenic a large experimentation.

Deschamps made 9 changes to the squad that bushed Denmark truthful convincingly connected Saturday leaving Kylian Mbappe, Griezmann and Theo Hernandez connected the bench. Only Raphael Varane and Aurelien Tchouameni kept their spot successful the starting XI. However, rotating is not the occupation here, it's that the strategy was wholly wrong. Les Bleus had nary operation and were each implicit the place.

The 4-3-3 with Matteo Guendouzi arsenic a left-winger and Eduardo Camavinga arsenic a left-back didn't enactment astatine all. It was unbalanced and the players looked lost. Four years agone successful Russia, Deschamps besides changed everything for the 3rd radical crippled against Denmark, and the 0-0 gully was the worst crippled of that tournament. He did it again. This time, his squad lost, helium didn't larn thing and his experimentation backfired.

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2. Depth, what depth?

This crippled was besides the accidental for immoderate of the France players to amusement their manager what they were made of successful a World Cup discourse and that they could situation for a spot successful the starting XI. Well, that didn't enactment either.

Apart from the superb Ibrahima Konate astatine the backmost and, to a definite extent, Randal Kolo Muani up front, who tried a batch and had a fewer bully touches, each the different newcomers had disastrous performances.

Camavinga, albeit successful a precise antithetic left-back position, had a spot of a nightmare. But Youssouf Fofana, who Deschamps thinks highly of, besides had a shocker successful his mean presumption successful midfield and missed a large accidental to impress. The aforesaid has to beryllium said for Kingsley Coman, who is successful contention with Ousmane Dembele for a starting spot connected the close helping but who was poor. Jordan Veretout was abject successful midfield and Matteo Guendouzi was positioned arsenic a left-winger (then a close one) and, wholly retired of position, disappointed. Axel Disasi, for his archetypal cap, played right-back and didn't bash capable either. It was an evening of disappointments overall, successful presumption of the effect and the idiosyncratic and corporate performances.

3. Khazri, a interaction of class

What a player! Where would Tunisia beryllium successful this radical if Khazri had been afloat acceptable from the commencement of the tournament? Surely successful the circular of 16. Khazri's minutes person been restricted due to the fact that of injuries and helium could lone play an hr successful this game. But the skipper and, adjacent not afloat fit, carried them to a celebrated triumph against the reigning satellite champions.

Khazri took his superb extremity with each the flair and method quality that helium possesses. His interaction is great, whether it is with his favourite close ft (as we tin spot connected his dormant shot deliveries) oregon with his near similar the half-volley Mandanda struggled to parry successful the archetypal half. He is simply a leader, a usher and an artist. He is besides without a uncertainty Tunisia's champion player. At 31, this could good beryllium the past World Cup for the Montpellier guardant and helium dreamed of qualifying his state for the knockout rounds. He did his spot against France, the state wherever helium was born. It's a shame that his tourney is present implicit for him but Tunisia conscionable couldn't bash it with retired him.

Player ratings

Tunisia: Aymen Dahmen 5, Yassine Meriah 6, Nader Ghandri 6, Montassar Talbi 6, Wajdi Kechrida 5, Ellyes Skhiri 7, Aissa Laidouni 6, Ali Maaloul 6, Anis Ben Slimane 6, Mohamed Ali 6, Ben Romdhane 5, Ghaylen Chaaleli 5, Wahbi Khazri 7

Subs: Issam Jebali 4, Ghaylen Chaaleli 5, Ali Abdi 5

France: Steve Mandanda 4, Axel Disasi 3, Raphael Varane 4, Ibrahima Konate 7, Eduardo Camavinga 3, Youssouf Fofana 3, Aurelien Tchouameni 6, Jordan Veretout 3 , Kingsley Coman 4, Randal Kolo Muani 5, Matteo Guendouzi 4

Subs: William Saliba 5, Adrien Rabiot 5, Antoine Griezmann 5, Ousmane Dembele 4, Kylian Mbappe 5

Best and worst performers

BEST: Ibrahima Konate

The Liverpool centre backmost was fantabulous passim the full game. He won 93% of his duels (13 retired of 14), completed 99% of his passes (71 retired of 72) with 9 successful the Tunisia last 3rd He was a stone alongside Varane and past Saliba. He didn't perpetrate a azygous foul successful this crippled but recovered the shot 5 times. Very impressive!

WORST: Youssouf Fofana

The Monaco midfielder had a accidental to impressment Deschamps but helium failed totally. He was overrun, mislaid the shot excessively often (only 79% of close passes) and kept making the incorrect decisions. Playing alongside his person and erstwhile teammate Tchouameni should person helped him, but alternatively helium crumbled.

Highlights and notable moments

After the match: What the players and managers said

Will look here...

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Only 3 times has the reigning champions mislaid to an African squad astatine the World Cup, and 2 of those 3 instances has been France losing to a erstwhile French colony (2002 vs Senegal; 2022 vs Tunisia.)

- Before this edition, Australia had lone kept 1 cleanable expanse astatine the World Cup -- a 0-0 gully successful 1974 vs. Chile. They present person 2 successful the 2022 tournament.

- Tunisia's Wahbi Khazri is the archetypal African subordinate successful World Cup past to people successful 3 consecutive starts, portion helium has been straight progressive successful each of Tunisia's past 5 goals astatine the tourney (three goals, 2 assists.)

Up next

Tunisia: Australia's triumph implicit Denmark meant that Tunisia's efforts were each for nothing, and they present caput home.

France: Didier Deschamps takes his squad to Doha and the Al Thumama Stadium connected Sunday, wherever Les Bleus volition conscionable the winners of Group C. They volition find retired their round-of-16 opponents aboriginal connected Wednesday.