Last Updated: June 20, 2023, 03:06 IST
UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifier — Saint-Denis, France – June 19, France’s Kylian Mbappe with referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz after the match with Greece. (Reuters)
France’s win follows their 3-0 defeat of minnows Gibraltar final Friday and leaves them clear on the high of qualifying Group B with 12 factors from 4 video games
A Kylian Mbappe penalty gave France a 1-0 victory over 10-man Greece on Monday that maintained their good report in qualifying for Euro 2024.
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 realm by a Greek defender.
He made no mistake second time round and France may have gone on to win by a higher 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 follows their 3-0 defeat of minnows Gibraltar final Friday and leaves them clear on the high of qualifying Group B with 12 factors from 4 video games.
They haven’t conceded a purpose to date and are six factors away from Greece, albeit having performed a recreation extra.
Having already opened their marketing campaign with wins towards the Netherlands 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 on the Parc des Princes in September, by which period it is going to be clear the place Mbappe will likely be enjoying 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 the ahead 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 1 facet to attain a penalty towards Gibraltar and he was the matchwinner right here in what was not a classic French show.
– Griezmann’s bloodied head –
He had been annoyed within the first half in entrance of 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 bought the possibility 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 did nicely to save lots of Mbappe’s penalty the primary time however he couldn’t repeat his heroics when a retake was ordered, regardless of diving the proper approach.
It was Mbappe’s thirteenth purpose in 13 video games for France this season, to go together with 41 in all competitions for PSG.
He now has 40 objectives in 70 video games for his nation and wishes only one extra purpose 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 possibilities of claiming something from this recreation died when Mavropanos was dismissed within the 69th minute.
Kolo Muani was despatched via on purpose by a Kingsley Coman move 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 centre on the finish of a breakaway.
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated news company feed – AFP)
RohitRohit is a News18.com journalist with a ardour for world affairs and a love for soccer. Follow him on Twitter at @heis_rohit…Read More
Source: www.news18.com
