Late Goals Not Enough for France to Avoid High-Scoring Friendly Loss to Belgium

With just 12 months to go until they host the 2016 UEFA European Championship, France suffered a setback in their preparations with a 4-3 defeat to Belgium at Stade de France on Sunday.

Although the final margin between the two sides was one solitary goal, the truth is that Les Bleus should feel flattered that they were able to make the result as respectable as they did.

Until substitute Nabil Fekir’s 89^th minute goal, Didier Deschamps’ men were thoroughly outplayed by Les Diables Rouges and Marc Wilmots’ side looked every bit the team ranked second in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking at present.

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A double from Marouane Fellaini, a superb long-range effort from Radja Nainggolan and an Eden Hazard penalty provided Belgium’s goals, while the French hit back through a Mathieu Valbuena spot kick, as well as late strikes from Fekir and Dimitri Payet.

Deschamps recognised after the final whistle that his France team was beaten by the better side on the day, but refused to panic. 

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We were dominated physically by a side who went all-in. They were incredibly effective, scoring four goals from five on-target shots. People can say what they want; Belgium aren't number two in the FIFA rankings for nothing. But that's no excuse. Even though, in the second half, the game opened up, we were far too laborious in the first term. Our players who came on as substitutes added some freshness, but on the whole, Belgium were the better side as they are very strong in the air and on the ground. Their fourth goal could have killed off the match but we fought on regardless, and that's a positive that I'm taking from the match. We showed plenty of desire, but we can do better. Still, I'm not worried.

"

For the Belgians, it was the perfect warm-up ahead of Friday’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Wales in Cardiff.

However, for the French, it has given Deschamps a number of headaches to contend with.

The home defence had a poor evening, with Bacary Sagna, Laurent Koscielny, Benoit Tremoulinas and even the usually dependable Raphael Varane all putting in disappointing performances.

Sagna looked off the pace at right-back, as you would expect from a player who has featured just 13 times across all competitions for Manchester City this season, while Koscielny and Varane left gaping holes in the middle at times and were clearly ill at ease alongside each other.

Tremoulinas was torn open on the left side by Dries Mertens on numerous occasions and Fellaini’s second goal originated on that wing before half time.

To be fair, the Sevilla man was lucky to still be on the pitch at that point.

A dreadful Tremoulinas challenge on Mertens—requiring the Belgian to receive medical attention—went unpunished and the Napoli man took some measure of retribution before the break with a heavy challenge of his own, as well as crossing for Fellaini's second.

Michel Spingler/Associated Press

France were not just lucky to enter half time with 10 men, they could—and should—have even gone in at the break with nine. Cabaye scythed down Hazard and only received a yellow card, capping a miserable 45-minute display from the Paris Saint-Germain man.

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The 29-year-old did not re-emerge for the second half, with Deschamps opting to end his misery there after a pitiful showing that did nothing to suggest he is being under-valued as a bench warmer at Parc des Princes right now.

Cabaye was not the only member of the French midfield three at fault though. Moussa Sissoko and Blaise Matuidi did not fare much better and Deschamps's decision to go with such an unimaginative and one-dimensional trio in the middle was questionable.

There was no real creativity on the pitch—save for the hard-working Mathieu Valbuena—until Payet came on and even then, it took the additions of Fekir and Stade Rennais’ debutant Paul-Georges Ntep to really bring the Olympique de Marseille man to the fore.

Paul Pogba—and to a lesser extent Karim Benzema—were missed at Stade de France. The midfield’s struggles to compete with a Belgian trio of similar ability underlined the importance of the Juventus man to Deschamps’ France side, even if he is still just 22 years old.

Although Fekir and Payet would eventually get on the scoresheet as well, Valbuena is perhaps the French player most deserving of credit after this performance. At times, the pint-sized creator was the only player trying to make things happen for Les Bleus in attack and his work-rate was once again exemplary.

Michel Spingler/Associated Press

The defeat, although not as embarrassing numerically as it was in reality on the pitch, should provide the wake-up call that France and Deschamps need. Coupled with the 3-1 beating they received from Brazil back in March, making this a second straight defeat at Stade de France, will have shown the 46-year-old that his defence and midfield need work.

With 12 months to go until the Euros on home soil, there is still time for the France tactician to change things. However, the 1998 FIFA World Cup and 2000 UEFA European Championship winner needs to make the most of the September and October friendlies by bringing in some new blood.

It is time to see the likes of Athletic Club’s Aymeric Laporte and Olympique Lyonnais’ Samuel Umtiti given a chance in defence, while Arsenal’s Mathieu Debuchy and Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin should be back from injury by then and Lyon’s Clement Grenier could be back in contention.

If Deschamps does not choose to experiment in those two friendlies against Portugal and Serbia, it realistically leaves only the Armenia, Denmark and England games to try new options.

As Fekir and Ntep showed towards the end of the Belgium defeat, this new generation of talent already has plenty to offer Les Bleus and it could be time to utilise more of them so that they are ready to play a part at Euro 2016.