France coach Deschamps: Austria were our equal opponent. I’m really happy with what the team did

France managed to win their opening match at the European Championships, beating Austria by the narrowest possible margin of 1:0. Coach Didier Deschamps praised his players after the match and also the opponent, who resisted the whole match.

The clash between Austria and France promised an attractive spectacle. We got it, although it was not a goal throw. France had a problem with finishing and had to be helped by the opponent.

Maximilian Wöber scored his own goal in the 38th minute and it was the decisive one. France had several chances, but could not get the ball past goalkeeper Patrick Pentz.

The 1:0 win brought them closer to promotion, which should be a given for the players with the Gallic cock on their chest. It should be added that the Netherlands beat Poland 2: 1 the day before this match and France have a clear idea of who will be the biggest rival of the rest of the group.

“It’s very important to win the first game in the group stage against an opponent that was our equal with great athleticism and pressing ability. We managed to open the scoring, but unfortunately we couldn’t build on that lead.

We had several opportunities that we could have handled a little better. We had to defend well and stay solid. I’m really happy with what the team did today,” said France coach Didier Deschamps at a press conference.

He will almost certainly have to do without captain and team leader Kylian Mbappé, who broke his nose and is currently making a mask to play the last group game and the knockout phase.

“We have quality and talent, but many teams have that. At the highest level you need to be solid and work hard. We proved that tonight, those who came in and those who came off the bench. Everyone is making progress and all these games have a common denominator – the sporting intensity, which is at the highest level,” the French coach added.

Source: UEFA, EURO 2024