FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Can Deschamps lead Les Bleus to their fifth straight World Cup?

Not many would have expected France to be beaten by Ukraine in the first leg. Fewer still would have expected them to almost go through the entire game, without creating too many chances. After all, this is a squad that contains the likes of Ribéry, Cabaye and Pogba, all of whom have played starring roles for their clubs so far this season. After a disastrous performance that saw them lose 2-0 in Kiev, the stage is set for under-fire France to come all guns blazing, if they are to appear in their fifth straight World Cup, and their 14^th overall.

History is against France, as no side has overturned a two-goal deficit in a European play-off, but Les Bleus will be hoping to change all of that and make history at the Stade de France on Tuesday. On the eve of such a momentous occasion, one would have expected the mood in France to be boisterous and vociferous. But, according to a poll conducted by l’Equipe after France’s first leg defeat, the response is far from positive. Of the 60.000 people that responded, only 61% think that France will make it to Brazil. Worse still was that only 16% of Le Parisien are likely to “continue supporting Les Bleus in spite of everything”.

Didier Deschamps will be boosted by the fact that at least the players sound a lot more positive and will be looking for some of his under-fire players use the disappointment of a few days ago as extra motivation. Ahead of the clash, Arsenal striker Giroud said “We are ready to die on the pitch, I have a lot of determination and I think it will help us get into them.”

France will be looking to score three past a Ukraine defense, which was rock-solid in the group stage and conceded just four goals in 10 games. The task at hand is not easy, but that is what lies in front of Deschamps if he is to continue Les Bleus impressive run of qualifying for every major finals since missing out on the 1994 World Cup.

In the first leg, France were well below par and Nasri in particular was singled out for criticism for not only his ineffectiveness in attack, but also his positioning, which was so deep that, he almost played as an extra central midfielder. The coach Didier Deschamps said that his side were capable of doing much better. And at the Stade de France, “We have to be ready for a fight, to produce a non-ordinary match. We have to play the ‘total match’, to give everything in every department,” he said.

In front of a sellout Stade de France, Deschamps will be hoping that an early goal could trigger the crowd into action. The Frenchman is likely to replace Samir Nasri with Mathieu Valbuena, after the Manchester City man put in another lackluster display. There could also be a start for Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho alongside Eric Abidal in the center of defense, after Laurent Koscielny’s red card in the first leg. Ukraine travel to France without Kucher and left-back Artem Fedetskyi, who is also suspended. The absence of Fedetskyi would have been music to the ears of Franck Ribéry, as the Bayern Munich midfielder was barely given an inch in the first leg.

Although the pressure is on France to deliver, Didier Deschamps’s enigmatic team are more than capable of dealing with it and definitely have the weapons to strike back. Although it is seven years since France last beat a team above them in the Fifa rankings, there is no better time than the present to change all of that. Whilst Ukraine have proven to be a handful so far, injuries to key defenders will mean that France will go in with a renewed sense of hope. Having scored nine without reply in their last two home matches, Les Bleus will be hoping to score the three that is necessary, to send them through to Brazil.