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France hosts Türkiye on Sunday in the final match of UEFA Nations League A Group 1, with both head coaches saying they need a win. Kickoff at Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux, southwestern France, is at 10:45 p.m. Türkiye time (7:45 p.m. GMT, 2:45 p.m. ET).
Italy and France are level on 10 points after Italy beat France 3-1 in Milan on Nov. 12. Belgium beat Türkiye 2-1 in Izmir, on Türkiye’s Aegean coast, the same day.
Belgium has 9 points. Türkiye is last in the group with no points after five straight defeats. Belgium and Italy also meet on Sunday. France won the first meeting 1-0 in Kocaeli, northwestern Türkiye, on Sept. 25.
France head coach Zinedine Zidane said on Saturday his team needs to beat Türkiye to move on to the next stage.
“To advance, we must win. Türkiye will make things difficult for us tomorrow. We need to be very careful about that,” Zidane said.
Zidane said France did positive things in the away match against Italy, but those positives are not visible after a defeat.
He said the three goals conceded were not the result of a poor defense and described the team’s playing philosophy as clear.
“We are not a club. We did not have time to train. There are few matches and little training,” he said.
Zidane said Kylian Mbappe has no problems and can play. Mbappe, who missed the Italy match because of an injury, took part in France’s training session at the stadium.
The first 15 minutes of the session were open to the press and began with running and passing drills. A tactical session followed behind closed doors.
France midfielder Lucas Da Cunha, who attended the press conference, said the team’s only aim is to win. “The coach trusts me a lot, and that makes me happy,” he said.
Türkiye head coach Sergen Yalcin, 54, said the national team and the country need a win. He said some players are not physically ready and are being used for limited periods.
“Sometimes we change positions, sometimes the format. We played the Belgium match in one format and will play France in another,” Yalcin said.
He added that Ferdi and Ugurcan's status will be clear on Saturday evening and that five or six players could change.
Yalcin said Türkiye will not play without a striker but will take a more defensive position against France.
He said the team reacted against Belgium but had weak spells between the 30th and 60th minutes, and that a drop in morale led to the second goal.
He described the current period as closer to a preparation camp, noting that the team has two matches in six days. “It is not possible to change things in football in two or three days,” he said.
Yalcin said France is among the best teams in the world and that the level in League A is very high. “Maybe we will not win, but we need to look at the positive side,” he said.
Goalkeeper Berke Ozer, also at the press conference, said Türkiye will try to stop France’s attackers. He named Michael Olise and Mbappe as two of the best players in the world.
“We will take the pitch and fight to make our country proud,” Ozer said. He said the squad has played together for a long time and that trust among players is complete.
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