France boss Laurent Blanc has warned his team not too take Sweden lightly in their final Group D game at Euro 2012.
Les Bleus currently head their section and are aware that a draw will be enough to see them earn a place in the knockout stages.
Sweden have lost both of their games against Ukraine and England so far, prompting concerns Blanc's side could take their eye off the ball.
It is a worry Blanc is aware of and he is challenging his troops not to think they are guaranteed victory.
"There is always fear you might take your eye off the ball so it is up to us to be very serious in the way we prepare for the game," he said.
Underestimate
"We need to be aware of what we need to achieve. We were very happy after the Ukraine game and rightly so.
"We are playing against a side who have not qualified but they will still go out to win the game. We mustn't underestimate Sweden."
Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye is France's only doubt ahead of the game but that will do little to blunt the optimism around their chances of success at Euro 2012, following their 23-match unbeaten run.
France snared a 2-0 win over Ukraine in their last outing which was surprisingly their first win at a tournament since their semi-final World Cup win in 2006.
Erik Hamren, the Sweden coach, admitted his side had failed to display their optimum form in the tournament.
However, he wants them to leave Poland and Ukraine with their pride intact, and with no pressure on them to win against France, he wants to see a performance that restores pride.
"We don't have anything to lose and can go out there and perform," said Hamren, who confirmed striker Johan Elmander (foot) will not feature and midfielder Rasmus Elm (leg) is a doubt.
"Every game is important when you talk about the national team. If we are going to improve we need to play seriously every time.
"The players are frustrated because we haven't got the results we wanted. I feel myself, and I can see this in the players, a motivation to be better."
No comments:
Post a Comment