France face Turkey in the Nations League this Sunday, November 15 (20:45 local time) at the Matmut Stadium, aiming to respond after their recent defeat in Italy.
Didier Deschamps's side suffered a 3-1 loss to Italy last Wednesday. Michael Olise had opened the scoring for France in the 10th minute, but the Italians turned the game around through Pio Esposito and Davide Frattesi. This setback is part of a tough run, with the French team having won just one of their last five matches.
The last meeting between the two teams, in September, ended in a 1-0 French victory in Turkey. For the return fixture, Deschamps could make some adjustments to his starting lineup, especially as the squad is dealing with four key players missing through injury. Against Italy, the defence featured Gusto, Jacquet, Upamecano and Truffert in front of Maignan. The midfield lined up with Lucas Da Cunha, Rabiot and Michael Olise, with Rayan Cherki, Désiré Doué and Barcola in attack.
Turkey also arrive from a defeat, 2-1 against Belgium, and will field a team built around talents like Güler. Goalkeeper Çakır should be protected by a central defence of Kabak and Demiral.
Kylian Mbappé, the team's top scorer this season with ten goals in eight appearances, remains a major asset for Les Bleus.
A home win is imperative for the French to handle this Nations League group stage successfully and regain positive momentum.
