L'Equipe: France's attacking quartet collectively underperformed, with Dembele and Olise delivering disastrous performances.

According to L'Equipe, France's four attackers, Mbappe, Dembele, Olise, and Barcola, all faltered in the World Cup semi-final, losing 0-2 to Spain and being eliminated.

In previous matches, France's attacking line had been highly praised, with many believing that no team in the world could possess such a formidable quartet. However, when the French team faced a truly world-class opponent for the first time, this house of cards crumbled instantly. Mbappe, Dembele, Olise, and Barcora were completely lost, and substitutes Duai and Sergi failed to turn the tide. France managed 10 shots throughout the match, but only 3 were on target.

First, we must acknowledge Spain's strength; their European championship victory was no accident. Deschamps was right to consider them the favorites before the tournament. Second, none of the French attackers performed to their usual standard. Olise and Dembele's performances were disastrous: the former had zero shots, failed to complete two dribbling attempts, and lost possession 20 times out of 55 touches. His performances in the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals were all quite mediocre.

Dembele also performed poorly, losing possession 17 times in 46 touches and failing to make a single successful dribble. Both players were equally ineffective on set pieces, an area where the French team needs significant improvement.

Mbappé could have been the breakthrough point, his initial touch posing a greater threat. However, due to his teammates' struggles, the captain quickly began to try to go it alone, frequently dropping back into midfield to receive the ball and initiate attacks, which is generally not a good sign. He only succeeded once in six dribbles, and although he touched the ball seven times in the penalty area, only three of those resulted in shots.

France has been inspiring for most of the tournament, and one defeat shouldn't define them. The incoming Zidane has a solid foundation, but great teams are also judged by their ability to bounce back. France needs to prove that this slump was just an anomaly, albeit one that happened at the worst possible time.