FRANCE LOST TO TUNISIA AT THE WORLD CUP, BUT STILL WON THE GROUP STAGE

It is possible for France to retain its World Cup title, but its squad depth is not as strong as it appears. From Les Bleus' 1-0 defeat to Tunisia in Group D, Didier Deschamps must have learned some lessons about his 26-player pool. With his side already safely through to the round of 16, the French manager subbed out nine players, starting Steve Mandanda, Axel Disasi, Ibrahima Konate, Jordan Veretout, Youssouf Fofana, Kingsley Coman, Randal Kolo Muani, and Matteo Guendouzi. Eduardo Camavinga, another midfielder, played as a right-wing in place of Guendouzi, who started the game as a left-back. France's greatest strengths are found in the players who rested in preparation for the round of 16 matches, though a number of talented players were brought into the lineup for valuable game time. The lack of a positive impact from Coman in the final third was unfortunate, considering his skill as a wide player. The opportunity to score was presented to him, but he failed to capitalize on it.

As the starting left-back for the game, Real Madrid midfielder Camavinga was selected, a decision that simply failed to succeed. In defense, Camavinga displayed a very hot and cold performance. In knockout football, it is too high a risk to take when he makes an excellent challenge but then loses his man. As a result of their inevitably going behind, Kylian Mbappe, Adrien Rabiot, and William Saliba were brought on to show how ineffective the French were on both ends of the field. The French began to take control of the game as if by magic, following those introductions by Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann. It was thought that Griezmann had rescued a point at the death, but the goal was ruled offside after a delayed review by the video assistant referee. In the case of many of the players who started, what was equally pathetic as their football was their tendency to go down at the slightest contact from Tunisia's fired-up stars. In the end, this caused them to concede the goal they conceded - justice.

In the second half, Coman appeared sharper, but he struggled to receive any assistance due to France's poor performance throughout the game. In the later stages of the tournament, he could be a valuable asset from the bench, but there is no way he can replace the scintillating Dembele in the starting lineup. At the end of the day, France's strength lies within its core group of players. For the nation that succeeds in Qatar, squad depth will likely be a key factor. There is certainly enough firepower in France's strongest side to keep their title, however, as their big players are undroppable.

Overall, Tunisia had a better day than the other teams. Compared to their French counterparts, they were more precise in their passing and showed more fighting spirit. There was no doubt that they were fighting for their lives. Throughout both halves, the Eagles of Carthage maintained a high level of energy and were in complete control until Deschamps brought some of his stars to the table. A goal that had been expected from Wahbi Khazri opened the scoring and enacted those changes, as he raced forward, and breezed past Raphael Varane before coolly slotting the ball past Mandanda. The goal was also his last contribution to the game as he was immediately substituted. It was a historic victory for Tunisia. For the first time at the World Cup, they had defeated a European opponent, but it was not enough to qualify for the knockout round. A masterclass is not enough in the final game when you have so much against you - they gave a performance that was needed earlier in the group stage. Despite their victory, they were unable to advance to the last 16 as Australia defeated Denmark and France advanced.

By Rashmi Goel