France coach Didier Deschamps highlighted the problems Kylian Mbappe faced wearing a mask to protect his broken nose in the 1-1 draw with Poland at the European Championship on Tuesday.
Mbappe scored a second-half penalty to mark his return to France's starting lineup, eight days after suffering the bloody injury late in the 1-0 win over Austria on June 17.
Deschamps said ahead of the game that Mbappe's peripheral vision would be limited because of the mask, but there were other issues on a hot day in Dortmund, too.
"Despite everything he has gone through, a week after the blow, it was complicated," Deschamps told reporters through a translator. "I thought he was quite good on his feet with the mask. He needed to get used to it.
"But when he sweats, that sticks in his eyes and he needed to wipe his eyes."
Kylian Mbappe encountered some problems with his new mask against Poland, France coach Didier Deschamps said.
Still, Deschamps was happy with Mbappe's performance, having left the Real Madrid-bound striker on for the full game -- first as a central striker and then on the left wing.
"He's hungry to play and the game would have done him some good," Deschamps said, "especially given what we're going to be doing [next]."
Mbappe's goal wasn't enough for a victory on Tuesday, and it wasn't enough to solve France's growing problems at Euro 2024.
Mbappe removed his protective mask to celebrate in front of his team's fans after converting a 56th-minute penalty.
But Robert Lewandowski secured a 1-1 draw for Poland with a 79th-minute spot kick that he got to take twice, leaving the French as the runners-up to Austria in Group D and dropping them into the same half of the draw as Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, host nation Germany and Spain -- three of the continent's heavyweight nations.
Austria beat the Netherlands 3-2 in a match played at the same time.
The result also means France have yet to score an open-play goal at Euro 2024, having beaten Austria 1-0 on an own goal and then drawn 0-0 with the Dutch -- when Mbappe was missing after breaking his nose against the Austrians.
Les Bleus have advanced, but they haven't been convincing.
"I would be a lot more concerned if there were no chances, but obviously there is a little bit of room for improvement," Deschamps said. "Maybe there are other teams who have given off something a bit different, but the fact we haven't scored limits our performance. We are here where we want to be."
Still, Deschamps admitted he is hoping they can rediscover the impressive scoring form they showed in qualifying.
"We need to score more goals, we need to be more clinical, and I am looking for that," Deschamps said. "We can improve but that's it. We need to hit them where it hurts but we have always had a goal average that is quite impressive, for these three games it hasn't quite been there.
"But I am positive, I am always positive. It is a new competition starting for us."
[(Vasco da Gama) Strength]: 1. Vasco da Gama are motivated to keep unbeaten in this home game.[(Vasco da Gama) Neutral]: 1. Vasco da Gama received 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in the last 5 encounters with close performances.[(Vasco da Gama) Weakness]: 1. Vasco da Gama lost to Sport Club Corinthians Paulista 2-3 in the last home game, suffering back-to-back defeats, which gives a blow to their mora...
[(Atletico Paranaense) Strength]: 1. Viveros scored the only goal of the game in the last match and performed well. He may get another chance to play in the Copa do Brasil in midweek.2. Atletico Paranaense ended their winless streak in the league with a 1-0 victory over Clube de Regatas Brasil in their latest match.3. Atletico Paranaense eventually eliminated Sao Paulo FC in the last round of the ...
[(Los Angeles Galaxy) Strength]: 1. As the tournament has reached the Semifinals, both teams are highly motivated and determined to advance to the final.2. Los Angeles Galaxy's Harbor Miller scored in the last game with excellent form.3. In-form Los Angeles Galaxy hammered Colorado Rapids 3-0 in the last game, making it two wins in a row among all events.4. Los Angeles Galaxy performed well in the...
[(Atletico Mineiro (MG)) Strength]: 1. Atletico Mineiro (MG) have almost no chance of winning the league title this season. The team are determined to win in the Copa do Brasil and hope to use their home field advantage to secure a victory in the first leg and lay a solid foundation for advancement.2. Atletico Mineiro (MG) have performed steadily at home in the league this season, achieving 4 wins...
[(SL Benfica) Strength]: 1. Despite being reduced to ten men for the majority of the match, SL Benfica secured a resilient goalless draw away from home in the first leg, which greatly boosted the team's confidence. They hope to use home field advantage to defeat Fenerbahce S.K. and advance to the UEFA Champions League group stage.2. SL Benfica have been in excellent form recently. In the new seaso...
[(F.C. Copenhagen) Strength]: 1. F.C. Copenhagen played a draw away to FC Basel in the first leg, and they will advance to the main tournament of the UEFA Champions League if they win this game. Thus, the team will go all out to attack at home.2. F.C. Copenhagen's major center-back Gabriel Pereira scored an equalizer for the team in the last league game. He scored in two successive games, with a r...
[(Inter Miami CF) Strength]: 1. Inter Miami CF have advanced to the semi-finals of the Leagues Cup this season after a series of impressive victories. Having won the inaugural edition of the tournament, the team are now poised to make another strong push for the title, fully motivated.2. Inter Miami CF's key striker Luis Suarez has been in excellent form in the Leagues Cup, showcasing strong offen...
[(RC Celta de Vigo) Strength]: 1. RC Celta de Vigo defender Javier Rueda, who returned to the team on loan from Albacete Balompie this season, opened the scoring in the last game. Although the team ultimately failed to secure a win, his contributions in both attack and defense were commendable. He is expected to retain his starting position for this game.2. RC Celta de Vigo have conceded 4 goals i...
[(Club Brugge) Strength]: 1. In the first leg, Club Brugge played away but took the initiative, defeating Rangers F.C. to gain the upper hand for advancement. Now, returning to their home ground, they will naturally go all out for a victory, aiming to secure a dominant advance by defeating their opponents twice.2. Club Brugge's attacking prowess has been demonstrated through multiple goal-scoring ...
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Arsenal, Liverpool then & Now Al $enal EPL Week 2 !! This is so accurate Los Blancos have truly secured themselves not one, but TWO future Legends! emmm 002 Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: originaltrollfootball, AZRorganization, zhibo8, Justtoonit)...
- 1 Ruben Amorim gives cryptic response when asked about Andre Onana returning to starting XI for Fulham clash after Altay Bayindir blunder handed Arsenal victory
- 2 'Victory Bodes Well for Future' – Gasperini Delighted with Roma’s Opening Day Win
- 3 TIPS - Eintracht Frankfurt VS Werder Bremen
- 4 Transfer rumors, news: Arsenal could turn to Lyon's Fofana
- 5 Antony’s Man United Exit Hopes Rest on Fresh Real Betis Bid Within 'Next 24 Hours'
- 6 TIPS - Cerezo Osaka VS Vissel Kobe
- 7 TIPS - Gamba Osaka VS Yokohama FC
- 8 TIPS - Schalke 04 VS VfL Bochum
- 9 TIPS - Sunderland A.F.C. VS Huddersfield Town A.F.C.
- 10 TIPS - Olympique de Marseille VS Paris FC