Croatia and the Netherlands reserved their places in the semi-finals of the Nations League as holders France needed a favor to avoid relegation from the top tier on Sunday.
Les Bleus lost 2-0 in Denmark to finish with just one win from their six group games, but Croatia’s 3-1 win at Austria saved the world champions from the drop. Didier Deschamps will be hoping to have a number of key men back from injury by the time France’s defense of the World Cup begins against Australia on November 22.
“It was a young French team, which for the most part does not yet have experience of the highest level,” said Deschamps.
Didier Deschamps
“Tonight is a dose of reality and what will be waiting for us in two months.”
Didier Deschamps
France will also come up against the Danes in the group stage in Qatar and the Euro 2020 semi-finalists showed they are more than capable of causing more trouble in two months’ time.Both goals came before half-time as Kasper Dolberg stretched to turn home Mikkel Damsgaard’s cross before Andreas Skov Olsen volleyed in from the edge of the area.
France were without Hugo LIoris, Jules Kounde, N’Golo Kante, Paul Pogba, Ousmane Dembele and Karim Benzema through injury. But the Star trio of Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and KylianMbappe failed to find a way into the game for France.
Denmark’s win meant Croatia needed to get all three points in Austria to top the group.
Luka Modric got the 2018 World Cup finalists off to a flying start, but they were quickly pegged back by Christoph Baumgartner’s he header. Two goals in three second-half minutes proved decisive as Marko Livaja and Dejan Lovren headed in at the far post.
