HERE OUI GO!

Lloris: French were a bit broken after Euros but confidence is finally back

HUGO LLORIS insists the dramatic comeback against Belgium has given France a much-needed confidence boost ahead of the Nations League final.

Didier Deschamps’ men headed into the semi-final clash with Roberto Martinez’s side on the back of a poor Euro 2020 campaign and with just one win in their previous six matches.

But Tottenham keeper Lloris (right) believes the 3-2 comeback victory will pave the way for another trophy success for the 2018 World Cup winners.

Belgium established a twogoal half-time lead before

France hit back and Theo Hernandez won it late on to set up tomorrow night’s showdown with Spain in Milan’s San Siro.

Lloris said: “Mentally, we were very strong and it’s a great feeling.

“It’s been for a few months now that we have been looking for a key performance and against Belgium it was the case.

“It is going to give confidence to the team. It was a bit broken the last few months with some important defeats. But it’s part of football – there are ups and downs that you have to manage both collectively and individually.

“But the positive thing is we showed a great team reaction.”

France boss Deschamps knows his side cannot afford a repeat of the underwhelming first-half display that almost cost them the game against Belgium.

He said: “I watched the other semi-final and Spain performed very well, forcing Italy to defend. They always have that ability to deprive their opponents of the ball and tire them out. Spain deserved to qualify for the final.

“We’ll need to have the ball and we’ll think about how to win it back. There’s a trophy at stake for their manager Luis Enrique and me, too. It’s important to win trophies.

“On Sunday, there’ll be one happy team and one unhappy – I hope we’re the happy team.”

Spain’s semi-final defeat of Italy means La Roja are in a first major final since 2012, when they repeated their Euros triumph of 2008, two years after winning the 2010 World Cup.

Chelsea star Marcos Alonso said: “It’s important. For me, it would be massive to win a trophy with the national team.”

And Enrique said: “Since we’ve been in charge of the national team, we’ve always played as we wished to – whatever the opponent and wherever the venue.

“I won’t be looking at the headlines or reading the match reports. That’s not my way.

“I’ll be analysing the game in-depth and trying to figure out how to improve one or two things.”

Beaten semi-finalists Italy and Belgium will play-off for third place in Turin hours earlier.