France are yet to score on their own from open play in now eight hours of Euro 2024 football but that has not stopped them from reaching the semi-finals - because they haven't conceded from the flow of play either.
The results read 1-0, 0-0, 1-1, 1-0, 0-0, with the three goals coming from own goals by Austrian Maximilian Wöber and Belgium's Jan Vertonghen, and a Kylian Mbappe penalty.
Add to that five successful spot kicks in a shoot-out to win Friday's quarter-final against Portugal.
The only goal Les Bleus have conceded was a Robert Lewandowski penalty against Poland.
The next test comes on Tuesday against Spain who have scored a tournament high 11 goals, and conceded just twice.
Defence the key
No one expects Didier Deschamps to make any mad changes as he insists "I am a coach who thinks defensively."
Even glamour forward Mbappe is content with this match plan which effectively follows the famous Sir Alex Ferguson saying that attack wins games and defence trophies.
"We know that we didn't score again in the game. And yes, we will analyse this question together - while maintaining this defensive stability," Mbappe said.
Defender William Saliba said: "We've been solid and defending successfully together since the start of the tournament. Our calculation is that we have a 90% chance of winning the game if we don't concede a goal.
"Now we just need to score more goals, but that will come. This team has character and a lot of courage."
No experiments at the back
Deschamps has kept the same back line of Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez in all five matches, and they have also played all 480 minutes in front of goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
"We are very strong defensively, not to mention our great goalkeeper. It helps," Deschamps said.
"Obviously it would be easier to win games if we were more effective on the attacking front but in a major international tournament you can't expect to go far if you are not solid."
But he also conceded: "That doesn't win you games. Obviously we will have to improve at the other end of the pitch, especially given our next opponents."
France could in theory lift the trophy without scoring in the semi-final and in the July 14 final, by winning both matches on penalties as well.
Sweet success after 2022 agony
Success on Friday from the spot was sweet after Les Bleus lost the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina in a shoot-out.
"We had practised penalties and felt confident going into them. We learned a lot from our experience at the World Cup," winger Osmane Dembele said.
France will also like their big event record against Spain in knock-out games.
They beat them in the final for the Euro 1984 title, in the 2021 Nations League final, as well as in the Euro 2000 quarter-finals and the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup. The only defeat came in the quarter-finals at Euro 2012.
"We're in the semi-finals and it's something we shouldn't take for granted, even if we may be used to it recently. I was already enjoying being in the quarter-finals. Now we go to win it," Deschamps said.
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