Deschamps explains why Doué and Barcola rotate on France's left wing

Didier Deschamps lifted the veil on Tuesday over his management of France’s left attacking flank, on the eve of the quarter-final against Spain at the World Cup. The head coach confirmed that Désiré Doué should start against the Spanish, without ruling out Bradley Barcola.

The two Paris Saint-Germain players have each made an impact on the competition since the opening whistle. Barcola scored a goal on the first day against Senegal coming off the bench, provided an assist to Doué against Norway, then scored again in the round of 16 against Sweden. Doué, for his part, gained momentum after two difficult opening matches: a goalscorer against Norway, decisive on Mbappé’s goal against Morocco, he has established himself through his dribbling and ability to combine.

Deschamps stressed the complementarity of the two attackers. “They know each other, they appreciate each other too. Both have the potential to be starters. At Paris they alternated, they also played together,” he said. A rotation he readily compares to that practiced by Luis Enrique at PSG.

On the tactical front, the head coach clarified that his choices do not respond to the opponent’s formation but to the profile of the defender to attack. Against Morocco, he had preferred Doué to exploit Achraf Hakimi’s difficulties defending centrally on his left foot. The logic should be similar against Pedro Porro. “I don’t necessarily make choices based on what the opponent will do, it’s the profile,” he explained, noting that Doué “has more of that ability to cut inside on that flank than Bradley, who is more of an outside player.”

Deschamps also warned that the opponent will not get a breather between the two: “If one starts, the other comes on, we can’t say he’s going to get a rest, whether one way or the other.” A depth of bench that the coach presents as an additional asset for a France team already driven by Mbappé, Olise and Dembélé.