A dispirited France, without Kylian Mbappé, could only manage a 0-0 draw against Israel in Saint-Denis on Thursday, in a match marked by exceptional security measures to prevent incidents like those seen last week in Amsterdam.

In a fortified Stade de France with 4,000 police officers inside and around the venue, and before just 13,000 spectators, the 'Bleus' showed uneven play. Their chances, created more from persistence than fluid play, were repeatedly thwarted by an inspired Daniel Peretz, the Israeli goalkeeper.

Deschamps fielded a recognizable lineup in Mbappé’s absence, with Barcola, Olise, and Kolo Muani up front, while veteran Kanté and young players Camavinga and Zaïre-Emery took charge in midfield.

France came out attacking, aiming to leverage their higher quality against a struggling Israel, which had only losses until this Thursday.

The Bleus pressed high to recover possession quickly, while Israel played a compact defense, relying on counterattacks and long balls over France’s backline.

But overall, the first half was as cold as the atmosphere in the stands. France struggled to reach Israel’s box, and though they had a few chances, their lack of precision and a couple of solid saves by Peretz against Kolo Muani and Kanté kept the score 0-0 at halftime.

The second half started unchanged, following the same pattern: French possession with occasional threat, driven more by persistence than fluid play.

Finding it hard to break through Israel’s dense defense, an active Camavinga tried several shots from a distance but was repeatedly denied by Peretz or sent the ball off-target.

French pressure grew more intense as time wore on, but Israel’s defense remained solid, far from the 1-4 result of their first match last month.

Deschamps waited until the 71st minute to make substitutions, bringing on Coman, Nkunku, and Rabiot to add offensive firepower.

Zaïre-Emery had a close-range chance in the 76th minute after collecting a loose ball in the box, but Peretz made another brilliant save.

In a final push (78th minute), Deschamps went all-in, replacing a midfielder (Zaïre-Emery) with forward Marcus Thuram.

Peretz saved Israel twice more in stoppage time, blocking a close-range header from Thuram and a powerful strike from Nkunku.

In the end, a scoreless draw. A lackluster France held more than 70% of possession and recorded 23 shots, eight on target, with Daniel Peretz delivering the performance of his career.