Zidane points to the weakness in the penalty area despite the comeback

Under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane, the French have recorded three wins and a draw, including the 1-1 draw against Italy at the Stade de France on Friday, before securing first place in their Nations League group.

Assessment of the first gathering

Despite the 1-1 draw against Italy at the Stade de France on Friday, the French occupy first place in their Nations League group. They will have the opportunity to confirm their qualification in the next encounter against the Nazionale on November 12.

Zidane's analysis after the victory

On Monday, Zinedine Zidane's troops narrowly avoided a disciplinary issue. Although France eventually won the match 4-1, they were trailing 1-0 at the start of the last quarter.

The first goal came shortly after the half-hour mark, scored by Dodi Lukebakio. This opening allowed the team to turn the situation around.

An emotional scene at the Stade de France between Zidane and Jacquet

The French dominated the play but were too imprecise in the final third, exemplified by Ousmane Dembélé who committed numerous ball losses. This inefficiency hampered the creation of clear chances.

"We need to occupy the penalty area. We lacked that in practically all four matches, perhaps except at the end today," Zinedine Zidane told TF1 after the match. He emphasized that this presence was essential during overloads, crosses and short through passes.

"We need to improve on verticality, on the speed to apply in the last 20-30 metres; that's clearly a development area across all four matches," he added. He recalled that the difficulties in the first half were part of the game, but the team managed to correct the shot.

"We managed to produce an extraordinary second half," Zinedine Zidane continued, encompassing everyone. He concluded that, despite the lack of pace in the final metres, the comeback was satisfying.