Kylian Mbappe’s spot-kick on Monday secured a flawless qualifying document as France edged 10-man Greece 1-0 within the Euro 2024 conflict.
The Paris Saint-Germain celebrity, and France captain, had his preliminary kick saved early within the second half however was allowed a second try due to encroachment into the world by a Greek defender.
He made no mistake the second time round, and France might have gone on to win by a better margin after Greece defender Konstantinos Mavropanos was despatched off for barging Randal Kolo Muani to the bottom, denying a transparent goal-scoring alternative.
France’s win of their final outing this season follows their 3-0 defeat of minnows Gibraltar final Friday, leaving them clear on high of qualifying Group B with 12 factors from 4 video games.
They haven’t conceded a aim to this point and are six factors away from Greece, albeit having performed extra video games.
“It has been a very long season for the players. They have been waiting for their holidays, but we did what we needed to do to win the match,” coach Didier Deschamps informed broadcaster TF1.
“This is a team with less experience than six months ago, but there is plenty of quality.”
Having already opened their marketing campaign with wins towards the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland in March, final 12 months’s World Cup runners-up seem certainties to qualify for subsequent 12 months’s finals in Germany.
Their subsequent match is towards Ireland in September, by which period it is going to be clear the place Mbappe might be taking part in his membership soccer subsequent season.
The 24-year-old, who took over as skipper of Les Bleus when Hugo Lloris give up worldwide soccer following the World Cup, final week confirmed he wouldn’t lengthen his contract at PSG, which expires subsequent 12 months.
That has raised the prospect of the Qatar-backed membership promoting him on this switch window, even when he has stated he intends to stick with the French champions subsequent season.
Mbappe put the discuss of his future to at least one facet to attain a penalty towards Gibraltar and he was the match-winner right here in what was not a classic French show.
Griezmann’s bloodied head
He had been pissed off within the first half earlier than a sell-out Stade de France crowd as Spanish referee Mateu Lahoz dismissed his appeals for a penalty when he went down below a George Baldock problem.
Kolo Muani and Jules Kounde each got here shut for the hosts within the first half, with the latter seeing his shot saved by goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos simply earlier than the interval.
France acquired the prospect to go in entrance when Mavropanos caught Antoine Griezmann within the head with a excessive boot 4 minutes after the restart.
A spot-kick was awarded and VfB Stuttgart stopper Mavropanos was booked, with Griezmann needing his bloodied head bandaged.
Vlachodimos saved Mbappe’s penalty the primary time, however he couldn’t repeat his heroics when a retake was ordered, regardless of diving the fitting method.
It was Mbappe’s thirteenth aim in 13 video games for France this season, to go along with 41 in all competitions for PSG.
He has 40 objectives in 70 video games for his nation and desires only one extra aim to equal Michel Platini’s tally in a France shirt.
Greece, the 2004 European champions, have been having fun with one thing of a revival below their Uruguayan coach Gustavo Poyet, however their probabilities of claiming something from this sport died when Mavropanos was dismissed within the 69th minute.
Kolo Muani was despatched by way of on aim by a Kingsley Coman cross, solely to be bundled over by Mavropanos. Already on a yellow card, this time, the defender noticed a straight pink.
However, France couldn’t add to their lead with the additional man, with substitute Ousmane Dembele simply unable to get on the top of Mbappe’s low heart.
“This is the hardest match we have had to play since I came here,” admitted Poyet, who grew to become Greece coach in February final 12 months.
“The difference between France and us is incredible. I don’t like to lose, but we learned a lot today.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
