Euro 2016: 5 mistakes that cost France the final

Lack of Urgency

There was no urgency shown by the French players

With Ronaldo off the pitch, the Portuguese opted for a cautious approach and looked to take the game to penalties if possible. They were happy to sit back and allow France the lion‘s share of possession and were ready to hit them on the counter if opportunity presented.

The French, on the other hand, weren’t ready to go for the kill and pressurize the Portuguese defense, however, they lacked pace in the final third. Even when the game was deep into the second half the French weren’t creating enough chances or pressing high enough to put any kind of pressure on Portuguese defense.

It seemed they were just happy to let the game flow at its own pace.