France player ratings vs Croatia: Kylian Mbappe goes missing while Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba provide defensive disaster-class in Nations League loss 2025 best
France Player Ratings vs Croatia: Kylian Mbappé Goes Missing While Ibrahima Konaté and William Saliba Provide Defensive Disaster-Class in Nations League Loss
Introduction
France’s Nations League campaign took a disastrous turn as they suffered a shocking defeat to Croatia. The match exposed major flaws in France’s defensive setup, with Ibrahima Konaté and William Saliba enduring a night to forget, while Kylian Mbappé struggled to make an impact. France player ratings vs Croatia: Kylian Mbappe goes missing while Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba provide defensive disaster-class in Nations League loss 2025 best Didier Deschamps’ side, touted as one of the tournament favorites, failed to deliver, raising serious concerns ahead of Euro 2024.
Match Recap: France Falter Against Clinical Croatia
Playing in front of a packed stadium, France entered the game as favorites, but Croatia’s disciplined approach and tactical awareness saw them control the tempo. Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić dominated the midfield, while France’s attack failed to capitalize on the few opportunities that came their way.
Croatia took the lead in the 27th minute, capitalizing on a defensive blunder. A miscommunication between Konaté and Saliba allowed Andrej Kramarić to slot home from close range. France player ratings vs Croatia: Kylian Mbappe goes missing while Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba provide defensive disaster-class in Nations League loss 2025 best France pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann struggled against Croatia’s compact defensive line.
The second half saw Croatia double their lead in the 63rd minute, once again punishing France’s defensive errors. A misplaced pass from Adrien Rabiot led to a swift counterattack, with Josip Brekalo applying the finishing touch. Despite desperate changes by Deschamps, France failed to respond, ultimately falling to a 2-0 defeat.
France Player Ratings
Goalkeeper
- Mike Maignan (6/10) – Could do little to stop the goals but made some good saves to prevent further embarrassment.
Defenders
- Jules Koundé (5/10) – Provided some attacking intent but was often caught out of position.
- Ibrahima Konaté (3/10) – A nightmarish performance. His miscommunication with Saliba led to the opening goal, and he never looked comfortable.
- William Saliba (3/10) – One of his worst outings for France. Poor positioning and decision-making contributed to both goals.
- Theo Hernández (5/10) – Showed flashes of attacking intent but was defensively exposed multiple times.
Midfielders
- Aurélien Tchouaméni (6/10) – One of the few French players who showed some fight, but lacked support.
- Adrien Rabiot (4/10) – Gave away possession for Croatia’s second goal, looked sluggish and off the pace.
- Antoine Griezmann (5/10) – Had a couple of decent moments but was largely ineffective.
Forwards
- Ousmane Dembélé (5/10) – Showed glimpses of creativity but lacked end product.
- Kylian Mbappé (4/10) – A surprisingly quiet game from France’s talisman. Struggled to break through Croatia’s defense and had minimal impact.
- Olivier Giroud (5/10) – Received little service and was unable to influence the game.
Substitutes
- Kingsley Coman (5/10) – Injected some energy but lacked precision in the final third.
- Eduardo Camavinga (5/10) – Added some stability in midfield but couldn’t turn the tide.
- Marcus Thuram (5/10) – Hardly saw the ball after coming on.
Key Takeaways from the Match
- Defensive Disasters: Konaté and Saliba’s errors cost France dearly, exposing vulnerabilities that need urgent fixing before Euro 2024.
- Mbappé’s Off Night: When Kylian Mbappé struggles, France struggles—his ineffectiveness left the team lacking attacking firepower.
- Croatia’s Tactical Brilliance: Zlatko Dalić’s well-organized Croatia executed their game plan perfectly, neutralizing France’s key threats.
- France’s Tactical Concerns: Deschamps will need to rethink his approach, especially defensively, if they hope to be contenders at Euro 2024.
Looking Ahead
France must regroup quickly, as their Nations League campaign is now in jeopardy. Defensive restructuring and improved attacking coherence will be crucial in future matches. France player ratings vs Croatia: Kylian Mbappe goes missing while Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba provide defensive disaster-class in Nations League loss 2025 best With Euro 2024 on the horizon, Deschamps has work to do to restore confidence in his squad.
Conclusion
France’s 2-0 loss to Croatia exposed major flaws in their defensive setup, with Konaté and Saliba struggling and Mbappé failing to deliver. France player ratings vs Croatia: Kylian Mbappe goes missing while Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba provide defensive disaster-class in Nations League loss 2025 best As pressure mounts, Deschamps must find solutions to ensure France returns to winning ways before the next major tournament. If these issues persist, their title aspirations at Euro 2024 could be in serious jeopardy.
