Kante Suspension Offers Solution to France's Pogba and Matuidi Midfield Headache

France are into the quarter-finals of the 2016 UEFA European Championship after a 2-1 win over the Republic of Ireland at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon, France, on Sunday.

The tournament hosts fell behind to Robbie Brady’s penalty inside the opening two minutes, but after the half-time introduction of Kingsley Coman in place of the unimpressive N’Golo Kante, Didier Deschamps’ men fought back to win thanks to an Antoine Griezmann double.

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Shane Duffy’s straight red card after 66 minutes made things difficult for the Irish, and Les Bleus could have scored more, but the French ultimately settled for the narrow win that has taken them into the last eight.

Speaking with journalists after the final whistle in Lyon, Deschamps admitted that Ireland were tough opponents and praised Martin O’Neill’s men. The Frenchman also revealed that he replaced Kante with Coman to give his team added width and to involve the attackers more.

Deschamps said he raised his voice at the break to coax a reaction out of his players and noted that the supporters at Parc OL played a significant role in the turnaround:

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I knew it was going to be a difficult match, and when Ireland took the lead it made us a bit more uncomfortable in the first half. They showed a lot of enthusiasm but we had to dig deep, get through the situation and get in front.

(The tactical switch at half-time) was to get more presence up front. Ireland were quite deep so we wanted to get (Antoine) Griezmann closer to (Olivier) Giroud, bring on some pace with (Kingsley) Coman and use the wings a bit better. But above all, to get more presence up front—the four attacking players all created chances.

I don't gamble with my decisions. I take decisions based on discussions with my players, and when things don't work out it's my fault. I made some changes because my substitutes can always contribute something. It's not just tactical, it's also about will power; we sometimes need to shake things up and be more determined. In the second half we saw more fluidity. I raised my voice at half-time, but we needed to keep calm and shake things up—wake them up a little bit. The players played their part as well.

It's a very even tournament. This team is giving a lot of emotion to the crowd and making everybody fall in love with them. There's lots of emotion here in Lyon and we really need this great support from the fans.

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The substitution that inspired France’s comeback was the withdrawal of Kante and the introduction of Coman.

Deschamps had opted for his tried-and-tested 4-3-3 from the start, but it did not work. The deployment of Blaise Matuidi on the right side of central midfield was a destabilising factor, while Griezmann was wasted on the right of the front three and Dimitri Payet did little on the left.

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With Coman on for Kante, Deschamps switched to the 4-2-3-1 the French used against Albania during the group stage, and the improvement was clear for all to see.

Paul Pogba, who had endured a clumsy first half against the Irish and conceded the penalty, occupied the deep-lying role vacated by Kante, and Matuidi was able to move to the left side of central midfield. Those alterations alone gave France more balance.

Coman’s introduction gave France pace and width on the right, something that Griezmann no longer really gives teams since his conversion into an effective central-based attacking figure, allowing the Atletico Madrid man to get closer to Olivier Giroud.

Payet remained on the left but enjoyed greater freedom in the second half, even though it was not his most influential match.

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Deschamps’ tweaks had the desired effect, and the hosts recovered; Griezmann headed home a Bacary Sagna cross to equalise after 57 minutes, and Les Bleus’ No. 7 then struck again four minutes later after excellent work by Giroud.

The 47-year-old tactician was able to bring Kante off at half-time because he knew that the Leicester City man will miss the quarter-final because of a harsh booking that he picked up in the opening 45 minutes.

Central defender Adil Rami is also suspended, so Deschamps will need to make a change at the heart of his defence.

As reported by ESPN FC, the Sevilla man admitted after the match that he knew he was in danger before the match but did not have time to dwell on his potential absence: "I knew I was in the red before the game. But we have no time to calculate (our decisions). The most important thing is to take France into the quarter-finals. The qualification gives me pleasure. There were 23 selected players (in the squad) and I trust everyone."

However, it is Kante’s absence—not Rami’s—that could hold the key to what has arguably been Deschamps’ biggest problem so far this tournament.

Fitting both Pogba and Matuidi into a functioning midfield unit has been a recurring problem for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and 2000 UEFA Euro-winning former captain, but the pair coexisted well in the second half against Ireland.

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Kante being unavailable against either England or Iceland could mean France start with the same 4-2-3-1 they finished with in Lyon. This way, Pogba could occupy the deeper role from kick-off and Matuidi would then be able to move towards the left side of central midfield.

The hosts’ star man so far, Payet, would suffer a bit because of that, but such a formation should enable Pogba, Matuidi and Griezmann to perform well at the same time.

Against the likes of Romania, Albania and Ireland, Les Bleus’ poor midfield performances have not cost them. Going up against a side like England, though, would require significant improvement.

Sticking with the formula that helped his side to overturn their 1-0 deficit against Ireland would be the smartest thing Deschamps could do moving into the last eight of the tournament.