France vs. Croatia: Didier Deschamps Puts Faith in PSG Duo to Spark Attack

Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola will reportedly play a key role on Sunday.
IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

France are on the verge of crashing out of the UEFA Nations League after losing 2-0 to Croatia on Thursday night at Stadion Poljud. The quarterfinal tie will be switching to the Stade de France as Les Bleus looks to overturn the deficit.

Nonetheless, manager Didier Deschamps is willing to shake up the squad and count on two Paris Saint-Germain players to spark an attack that failed to find the back of the net in the first leg.

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Desire Doue
IMAGO / Pixsell

While the forward line will likely feature Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue is expected to appear off the bench during the match, according to RMC Sport (via Le10Sport).

Deschamps counted on Dembele in the starting 11 and Barcola off the bench but didn't play either Warren Zaire-Emery or Doue, leaving them on the sidelines. Nonetheless, the French manager probably knows he needs to do something different if he wants his squad to advance.

As a result, he's reportedly inserting Barcola into the starting 11, while Doue will play a key role in providing an offensive punch off the bench.

Doue has had a coming-out party after that UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie against Liverpool for the football fans who don't follow PSG closely.

Still, it's been an excellent first season in the French capital for the former Stade Rennais product, who has scored seven goals and recorded 11 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions.

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Eduardo Razo
EDUARDO RAZO

Eduardo is an experienced freelance football writer covering Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG On SI. He also covers PSG for PSG Talk and French football for Ligue 1's official English website. He's contributed to NBC Sports' regional sports networks, including NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, providing in-depth sports content for those markets.