'This team does not give up'
Find themselves 1-0 down going into half-time against Germany, a much-needed half-time pep talk from France coach Didier Deschamps set the world champions straight and on track for an eventual 2-1 win.
Media reports in France indicate that Antoine Griezmann had been in a stormy mood at half-time, saying that the team were not playing for one another, while Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane raised the same points as the words togetherness, effort, attitude, intensity, mental strength come to the fore.
Deschamps' 4-4-2 formation was countered by Loew's 3-4-3 and the coach admitted as much after the match, saying: "This German team was very interesting and it exploited the gaps. Loew's system with three central defenders created difficulties for us as well as the speed they had ahead. We had to adapt."
And Deschamps did adapt, changing his formation to a 4-3-3 and turning the game on its head, drawing praise from Blaise Matuidi and Antoine Griezmann, who said: "In the first half, it was not us. After the break, we played like world champions."
However, Deschamps remained modest. He refused to take the credit, instead praising the unity of his side, something he felt they were missing in the first half.
"Our solidarity is our strength, we must not lose it. But that was restored in the second half. "
When asked if France had demonstrated character, Deschamps said: "We have done it before too. There is a collective strength that emerges. When we are not having a good night, we have to change things; [either] the system or the players. But this team does not give up."
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