The French national team, the runner-up of the 2022 World Cup, started the 2024 European Cup qualifiers with a landslide victory over its Dutch guest, 4-0, at the Stade de France on the outskirts of the capital, Paris, on Friday, in the first round of Group Two competitions.

---

Edited by | Hugh Gey

sports section

25 March 2023 -Paris

---

     Antoine Griezmann (2), Daewoo Upamecano (8), and Kylian Mbappe (21 and 88) scored in his first match as captain the goals of the French national team, surpassing Karim Benzema's 38th goal with the national team.

Goalkeeper Mike Mignan, Khalifa retired captain Hugo Lloris, denied the Netherlands an honorary goal when he saved a penalty kick carried out by Memphis Depay in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

The two teams played their first match since the Qatar 2022 World Cup late last year, when France conceded its title by losing on penalties in a crazy final against Argentina (original and extra time 3-3), which eliminated the Netherlands from the quarter-finals with the same weapon.

The French Federation maintained its confidence in coach Didier Deschamps despite the defeat in the final, in which Mbappe scored a hat-trick, after leading him to the 2018 World Cup Russia title, while Ronald Koeman returned to the head of the coaching staff of the Netherlands after the departure of veteran Louis van Gaal after the World Cup.

The "Mills" team suffered a setback on the eve of the match, with five players infected with a viral infection, including Liverpool striker Cody Khakpo, Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt and Newcastle Englishman Sven Putman.

And the "orange" team was previously subjected to a slap at the weekend, with the withdrawal of Barcelona midfielder Frankie de Jong and Ajax striker Stephen Bergeven due to injury.

Deschamps chose to start with Randal Colo Moinet at the expense of veteran Olivier Giroud, who became the historic top scorer for France (53), surpassing Thierry Henry in the World Cup in Qatar.

The French national team launched a fiery launch and opened the scoring when Griezmann devoured the ball from Kenneth Taylor in the middle of the field, and it reached Colo Moinet, and from him to Mbappe on the left side of the area, he passed it to the middle of it towards Griezmann, who was starting from behind, and he followed it with his left to the right of goalkeeper Jasper Silesen, ending a series of 16 A match without visiting the net with his country, specifically since November 2021.

The owners of the land doubled the lead when Griezmann lifted the ball from a fixed kick from the right side, and the goalkeeper got it in the wrong way, so it hit Obamecano and continued its way into the net (8).

Mbappe, the top scorer in the Qatar World Cup with eight goals, scored the third with a beautiful shot from inside the area, scoring his 37th goal, equaling Benzema's number.

After half an hour, Koeman pushed Manchester United striker Faut Weghorst, instead of Taylor, who scored two goals against Argentina, one of them in stoppage time, to drag the match into two extra halves.

But the Netherlands did not find answers in the second half before Mbappe scored the fourth goal after manipulating the defenders and hitting a ball with his right hand to the right of the goalkeeper, to become the fifth-best scorer in the history of the national team.

The 24-year-old is only behind Giroud, Henry (51), Griezmann (43), and Michel Platini (41).

Dachan gave midfielder Kevrin Thuram his international beginnings, so that the son of the former international player, Lilian, would be present, along with his brother, striker Marcus, who remained on the bench.

And the Netherlands got a penalty kick after a handball on Upamecano after a header from Vighurst, but the Italian Milan goalkeeper saved Memphis' attempt (90 + 5).

In the other match of the group, Greece won the European championship in 2004 at its host, modest Gibraltar 3-0, while the Republic of Ireland was absent from this round.

France will visit Ireland on Monday, while the Netherlands will host Gibraltar in Rotterdam on the same day.

 

---

{source}<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4474625449481215"
 crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<!-- moss test ad -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
 style="display:block"
 data-ad-client="ca-pub-4474625449481215"
 data-ad-slot="6499882985"
 data-ad-format="auto"
 data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
<script>
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>{/source}