European Championship hosts France have to be wary of overconfidence if they are to qualify from Group A ahead of Switzerland, Romania and Albania, coach Didier Deschamps has admitted.
The French side will kick off the tournament against the Romanians in Saint-Denis on Friday, June 10, and their boss is says his side will have to be ready from the off.
"We don't know the Romanian team that well," Deschamps said. "They performed very well during the qualification stage with the best defence and just two goals scored against them. It is the most important match for us.
"We have to be careful [in this group] and not be over confident. Switzerland have a lot of international experience."
When asked Karim Benzema, who was indefinitely suspended from the French national team on Thursday because of his involvement in the ongoing Mathieu Valbuena blackmail case, Deschamps left the door open for a return for his star striker.
"A lot of things can happen one way or another," said Deschamps "For now he's not available for selection, [but] I don't know what will happen in six months' time."
Romania will be looking to upset the hosts in Saint-Denis in the opening match -- a prospect that Romania forward Claudiu Keseru is relishing.
"To face France in the opening match, when the whole world will be watching, is something fantastic," Keseru said. "The pressure is on them. For us it's only an extra motivation.
"France are a top-class team and it will be a very, very difficult game. But Switzerland and Albania are not at all better than us. France have the best chance, while we, the Swiss and the Albanians will compete at a similar level."
Former Switzerland head coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who retired after 2014 World Cup, says that the Swiss have benfeitted from the Group A draw.
"Every team's goal will be to make the last 16," Hitzfeld said. "It's advantageous that Switzerland's final group game will be against France.
"I expect the hosts [France] to already have six points on the board by then, having beaten Romania and Albania."
Gianni de Biasi, head coach of the unfancied Albania, agreed with Hitzfeld's assertion that France will be favourites for the group.
"We're playing the host nation, who will therefore be one of the favourites to win the whole competition," De Biasi said.
"There are also Switzerland and Romania, two very strong teams.
"I'm not worried, because I knew that since we were in Pot 4 we would certainly come up against quality sides.
"Our strength is that there's no pressure on us, so everything we do will be a surprise. This is a very important experience for us. The players want to bring all their ability and determination to bear on the pitch."
