After drawing with Israel, French right-back Jules Koundé’s immediate reaction was one of “anger and disappointment.” This response was entirely understandable. After all, France, with all their strength, resources, and statistical advantages, could not secure a win against Israel at home. In their Nations League match in Paris, despite 90 minutes of effort, the hosts couldn’t manage a single goal.
France controlled 71% of the ball and took 24 shots, 8 of which were on target. In contrast, Israel, with just 29% possession, only managed 3 shots. Despite this disparity in performance, France’s goal-scoring drought continued, and they were forced to settle for a 0-0 draw. However, this draw did not have significant consequences for France as they had already secured a spot in the Nations League quarterfinals.
The match against Israel was charged with political tension. Security measures in Paris were heightened, and even though the stadium in Paris has a capacity of 80,000, there were fewer than 17,000 spectators present. To ensure safety, 4,000 security personnel were deployed. The increased security came after an attack on supporters of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv club in Amsterdam the previous week. The Israeli authorities had even advised their fans not to attend, yet nearly 100 Israeli spectators were still present, clashing with French fans during the match. Ultimately, these spectators witnessed France being held to a draw.
For France, the only positive outcome was securing their spot in the next round, a point acknowledged by Koundé: “The only positive from this match is that we’ve ensured our qualification for the next round.” French coach Didier Deschamps also noted that the opponent’s ultra-defensive approach had made the match difficult: “We could have done better. But we did what we could against an ultra-defensive team.”
Meanwhile, Italy also secured their place in the quarterfinals after defeating Belgium 1-0 in Brussels. Sandro Tonali’s goal in the 11th minute made the difference. After the match, Italy’s coach Luciano Spalletti praised his team’s performance: “The boys played very well. In the second half, we lost some momentum, especially in possession. That’s why we made some passing mistakes. I said before the match that in games like this, maintaining possession is key to controlling the game.”
In another match that night, England triumphed 3-0 over Greece, moving to the top of Nations League League B Group 2. Ollie Watkins and Curtis Jones scored for England, while the third goal was an own goal. Captain Harry Kane started from the bench in this match. Interim coach Lee Carsley said after the match, “We are on the right path. We have some incredible talents.”
