On June 20th, France had managed to go five consecutive matches without conceding a goal. However, since then, the defense has faltered in 13 consecutive games. Alarming.
It was quite an achievement to concede a goal against the Netherlands on April 18th. The Dutch had shown little offensive prowess, with only two shots on target and barely 35% possession of the ball. Despite historically being reliable, the French defense has been a shadow of its former self in recent months and once again leaked a goal, this time on a seemingly harmless play.
Even though the attack also struggled, the toughest blow came with a conceding goal just before halftime. The Blues failed to maintain a clean sheet and gave away a very avoidable goal, losing two points in the process. This happened even though Thiniba Samoura had just entered the game and made a positive impact by winning several duels towards the end.
Regardless of the players fielded, things have not been working since June 2025. Morroni, Bacha, Mbock, Lakrar, Sombath, N’Dongala, De Almeida, Samoura, Baltimore, and Laurent Bonadei generally stick to a four-defense line, which at times appears disorganized, either on the flanks or in the center, and seems to lack a bit of character. Not to mention the case of goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, who is no longer a starter at her club.
In 2020, the Blues recorded 89% clean sheets in their outings. However, in 2021, it dropped to 72%, then 61% in 2023, leading to a significant decline. Under the coaching terms of Hervé Renard and Laurent Bonadei, the number of matches without conceding has drastically reduced, reaching 27% in 2024 and 31% in 2025. This year, the count remains at 0.
Although the start of the 2025 Nations League campaign was promising with five clean sheets in six matches between February 21 and June 3, the defensive solidity seems to be a distant memory. Meanwhile, the defensive sector has been getting younger month by month.
Towards the end of the game on April 18, Laurent Bonadei even tried a three-defender system for a few minutes after Sombath was substituted. But regardless of tactics and players, mistakes continue to multiply, and confidence is waning. Will the Blues manage to tighten their defense in the final two qualification matches?
Jérémy Flury
Photo – Mathilde Durney/Footeuses
