According to L'Équipe, the four French attackers, Mbappe, Dembele, Olise, and Barcola, collectively failed in the World Cup semi-final, losing 0-2 to Spain and being eliminated.

In previous matches, the French attack had been highly praised, with many believing no other team in the world possessed such an outstanding quartet. However, when Les Bleus first encountered a truly world-class opponent, this house of cards instantly collapsed. Mbappe, Dembele, Olise, and Barcola were completely lost, and even substitutes Doué and Cherki failed to turn the tide. France managed only 10 shots in the entire match, with only 3 on target.

Firstly, it must be acknowledged that Spain is a strong team, and their European Championship victory was no accident. Deschamps was right to consider them the top favorites before the match. Secondly, none of the French attackers performed at their usual level. Olise and Dembele's performances were disastrous: the former had zero shots, failed in both his dribble attempts, and lost possession 20 times from 55 touches. His performances in the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals were all rather mediocre.

Dembele also performed poorly, losing possession 17 times from 46 touches and failing to complete a single dribble. Both also performed poorly on set pieces, an area where France needs significant improvement.

Perhaps Mbappe could have been the breakthrough, as his initial touches were more threatening. But due to his teammates' struggles, the captain quickly started trying to do it alone, frequently dropping back to midfield to receive the ball and initiate attacks, which is usually not a good sign. He succeeded in only 1 out of 6 dribbles, and while he had 7 touches in the penalty area, only 3 were converted into shots.

France was exhilarating for most of this tournament, and one loss should not negate everything. Incoming Zidane will have a solid core squad, but great teams are also judged by their ability to bounce back. France needs to prove that this off-performance was just an anomaly, even if it happened at the worst possible time.

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