Lucas Digne hammered by French media after what happened v Croatia – ‘4/10’
Lucas Digne played for the full 90 minutes for France on Thursday as his side crashed to a 2-0 defeat in their Nations League tie against Croatia.
Although France put in a dominant display on the evening, Croatia netted in the 26th minute before doubling their lead in injury time before the break.
The feeling in France was one of disappointment with the performance being labelled as “insufficient” with the pressure on for the reverse tie on Sunday (23 March) where Digne may well play again.
Digne blasted for France performance
The left-back has been a regular in the Aston Villa side this season and has also established himself in the the French national side too.
The 31-year-old played the full 90 minutes for Didier Deschamps’ side on Thursday evening and the Villa man received his share of criticism after the game.
| Team | Possession | Shots | Shots on target |
| Croatia | 38% | 8 | 4 |
| France | 62% | 16 | 6 |
While Digne’s side were on top in terms of the statistics in the overall game, Croatia were the better side in the first half as France failed to settle into the game.
France were able to step it up in the second half but still did not get into the game, especially to the levels that were expected which left the French media blasting the team.
While no one came away from the game covered in glory, Digne received his share of criticism as he was rated a 4/10 for his performance by both But and La Depeche.
Meanwhile, Foot Mercato claimed that Digne “struggled” and labelled his performance as “passive” too.
Given the 31-year-old is an experienced player who possesses that talent, it’s clear that his levels were way below the expected standard and he has to push it up a notch in the reverse fixture.
Digne to push on with Aston Villa
Digne may be performing below the levels on the international stage but with Aston Villa this term, the left-back has shown what he can do.
The 31-year-old has made 28 Premier League appearances for Unai Emery’s team throughout the campaign so far, contributing four assists too.
With Villa still having the Champions League and FA Cup to play for this season, as well as sitting just three points away from the top five.
There is plenty of work to be done but if Emery’s side can keep their standards up and show consistency in their results, there is more success to come in the West Midlands.
In the meantime, Digne may need to improve his standards on the international stage in the hope that it provides some momentum coming back into domestic action with an FA Cup quarter-final up next.