Thomas Siniecki, Media365: published on Friday November 15, 2024 at 8:49 a.m.
The world vice-champions will have to raise their level several notches if they wish to reverse the trend.
Since the French team, after Thursday evening’s results (0-0 against Israel and 1-0 victory for Italy in Belgium), is three points behind Italy, it is certainly qualified for the quarterfinals of final of March in the Nations League. But it is also a little further from first place in its group 2 of league A, the one which would allow it to face the second of another group while playing its return match at home – and not the opposite, so .
Portugal, Germany and Spain possible or even probable opponents in the event of second place
This advantage has been less important in recent years, since the rule of a double away goal in the event of a tie is no longer in force. It is also for this reason that a victory by two goals, Sunday evening against the Italians in Milan, would be enough to steal the leadership on the wire. Indeed, after the 3-1 first leg defeat at the Parc in September against the Nazionale, only the specific goal difference counts before the general, and this would inevitably go in favor of the Blues if the latter make up for their two goals late: from +7 for Italy and +4 for France at kick-off, we would thus go to at least +6 for Didier Deschamps’ men and +5 for the 2021 European champions.
A fight for first place which is not trivial in the context of this League of Nations, because the pedigree of the first will not be the same as that of the second. As it stands, it is possible or even probable that Portugal, Germany and Spain are the other three group winners, while the potential second ones would rather be Croatia or Poland (group 1), the Netherlands or Hungary (group 3) and Denmark or Serbia (group 4). The draw for these quarter-finals will take place in exactly one week, on Friday November 22.
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