France coach Didier Deschamps is not letting Spain's
surprise slip-up against Finland lull him into a false sense of
security ahead of tomorrow's crunch FIFA World Cup qualifier between the
two, warning his players they are still facing the best team in the
world.
Deschamps also believes his side will need to play a
"perfect" match if they are to defeat the reigning world and European
champions and take a huge step towards securing automatic qualification
for next year's World Cup finals.
Les Bleus head into the clash at the Stade de France
holding a two-point lead over the Spanish at the top of Group I after
receiving an unexpected boost from Finland on Friday night. While France were beating Georgia 3-1, Spain
were being held 1-1 at home by the last-placed Finns - Teemu Pukki's
79th-minute equaliser cancelling out Sergio Ramos' goal in Gijon.
Deschamps admits that result came as a shock but is not reading too much into it. He told AS: "Yes, it was a great surprise. I saw the game and Spain deserved to win. Nevertheless this result changes nothing. Spain
are still the best team in the world. They were before, they are now
and they will be after tomorrow's match. There's been no change in my
intentions, nor in Spain's. They will come to have control of the ball and to win the game."
A
French victory tomorrow would put them five points clear at the top of
Group I and, with only three games to come afterwards, it would need
something special to deny the 1998 world champions first place in the
five-team pool. Even a draw would leave Les Bleus as favourites to take top spot and consign Spain to a likely spot in the play-offs, but Deschamps is not looking too far ahead.
This result changes nothing. Spain are still the best team in the world. They were before, they are now and they will be after tomorrow's match.
France coach Didier Deschamps on Spain's 1-1 draw with Finland
"It's
true that for us, now, there are two positive results tomorrow - the
win and the draw. But a draw would not give us much of a guarantee
because it would oblige us to win every match that is left," he said.
"We
have to have a great game against the best team in the world. Their
draw against Finland was incredibly bad luck, looking at the chances
they had. To beat Spain we will have to have a perfect game, we know this."
Spain's setback against Finland was the second successive home qualifier where they have dropped points, having also drawn 1-1 with France
in October. The pressure is now on Vicente del Bosque's side - who
could be boosted by the return of key midfield duo Xavi and Xabi Alonso
in Paris following injury - but defender Gerard Pique has laughed off any suggestions Spain's bubble might be beginning to burst after five years of almost total domination.
The
Barcelona defender said: "I've been through this with Barça and now the
national team. And neither surprises me. In this country we're not used
to it, and when we have a little setback we talk of an end of a cycle,
but this is a young team and they are going to be around for many
years."
Regarding tomorrow's match, Pique told radio station Cadena COPE: "We knew we had to go to France
to win. We didn't expect the result against Finland, but sometimes,
even if you are the better team, you don't win. Now we simply have to
win against France, because that's the only thing that is worth anything to us."
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