Qualification for Euro 2024
Stade de France
France beats Greece: 1 to 0
Goal: Mbappé (53rd sp) for France
Expulsion: Mavropanos (Greece) in the 70th
With four victories in as many matches in qualifying for Euro 2024 in Germany, France has had a perfect run. The success (1-0) this Monday evening against Greece almost definitively seals the tricolor qualification.
For its last outing of the 2022-2023 season, the French team had the opportunity to take a big step towards Euro 2024, and this, in a packed Stade de France. Faced with a team from Greece which was following the Blues in the standings, the Blues therefore had every interest in not crashing. Dominating throughout the first period, without being brilliant, the 2022 world vice-champions did not find the fault, being too feverish in the last gesture, like this too soft strike from Koundé repelled by the Greek goalkeeper (44th).
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We’ll be back in 15 minutes 👊#FRAGRE | #ProudToBeBlues pic.twitter.com/YuUF1Z8DBm— French team ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 19, 2023
Just after the break, and following a head-on tackle from Mavropanos on Grizemann, Mateu Lahoz awarded a penalty, the Spanish referee however not sending off the Greek player after the use of VAR. In charge of taking this penalty, Mbappé stumbled on Vlachodimos (53rd). But, the goalkeeper was in front of his line at the time of the shot, and he was therefore withdrawn and this time transformed by the PSG striker (1-0). Kylian Mbappé scored his 40th goal there in the tricolor jersey on this occasion and became the record holder for French scorers in a season with 54 goals in all competitions, erasing from the shelves the 53 goals of Just Fontaine in 1957-1958.
🔥@KMbappe becomes the ̧ , club and selection combined 🙌
He surpasses Just Fontaine by one achievement with 54 goals ⚽️#ProudToBeBlues pic.twitter.com/QJcnIgkT5U
— French team ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 19, 2023
Saved for the first time by the referee, Mavropanos was sent off in the 70th minute after swinging Kolo Muani who was heading towards goal, the Greek defender leaving his team at ten. On the free kick awarded at the edge of the area, Griezmann was not far from doubling the lead, his shot brushing against the crossbar (71st). Faced with a Greece team that did not appear to be dangerous, the Blues tried to kill the suspense and besieged the visitor’s goal. On a smoothly conducted counter, Mbappé and Dembélé were close to finding the fault, but the Barça player lacked a few centimeters to achieve it (88th). We left it there, despite fourteen minutes of additional time, a result which is obviously very positive for France.
Group B standings
1st. France 12 points
2nd. Greece 6 pts (-1m)
3rd. Ireland 3 pts (-1m)
4th. Netherlands 3 pts (-2m)
5th. Gibraltar 0 pts
