Vincenzo Montella hails 'incredible' Turkey performance despite France defeat
A frustrating defeat for Turkey
Turkey suffered a narrow and frustrating 1-0 defeat to France in their latest UEFA Nations League encounter. Kylian Mbappe scored the only goal of the game, finishing off an assist from Michael Olise to break the deadlock. The high-profile match was not without its casualties. The Real Madrid striker was later forced off the pitch with a concerning knee injury.
Despite the disappointing final result, Turkey manager Montella was full of praise for his players. The Italian tactician felt his team delivered a resilient display that deserved a much better outcome.
Montella hails an incredible performance
Montella refused to let the narrow defeat overshadow what he viewed as a brilliant collective effort. He felt his side delivered a genuine statement performance against top-class international opposition.
"I am proud, it's a shame we were unable to leave the field with a positive result," Montella told Sky Sport Italia. "It was an incredible performance, one of our best, especially considering who we were up against. We knew that you cannot afford even half a mistake against sides like this, but I thought we had our chances too and it was a very even game."
Going toe-to-toe with the French
While France predictably enjoyed the lion's share of possession, the overall match statistics painted a picture of a fiercely competitive and even contest. Both teams surprisingly registered exactly 11 attempts and forced three saves from the respective goalkeepers.
Turkey proved they could confidently compete with the very best, creating genuine opportunities to take something from the match. However, they ultimately fell short against a clinical French side that punished a rare lapse in concentration.
"I saw a great team spirit and that is something we need to carry with us into the next matches," Montella added. "It won't be easy to recover physically and mentally so quickly, so we need that spirit first and foremost. I feel sorry for my lads, because they really did give it their all today."
A crucial Nations League showdown
Turkey must now quickly regroup and recover ahead of a crucial home fixture against Italy on Monday evening. Both nations are desperate for a victory to lift themselves off the foot of the group standings after losing their opening fixtures. The Azzurri currently sit rock bottom on goal difference after suffering a damaging 2-0 home defeat to Belgium.
Turkey will host this pivotal head-to-head encounter at the Ataturk Spor Kompleksi Matli Stadyumu in Bursa. However, Montella's men will be without Ugurcan Cakir, as the goalkeeper is suspended after receiving a red card in the final minutes against France.
